What are they?? and what do I do now??

After telling a few friends and family I was looking at getting some quails, I got a quick phone call from a friend this morning that she had 2 for me!

I was so excited! Them I was like oh god where am I going to put them!
That's sorted now, they in a 2ft x 2ft rabbit hutch - I have a 3 tier block and they in the bottom.

Stupid question and I know I've read it somewhere but what do I feed them and what should I put on the floor and bedding??

THIS IS WHAT I HAVE DONE:
I've given them some budgie mix in a bowl and they have another bowl with water.

I have the box we got our last budgie in and put it in so they have a little bed area.

On the floor I have used the sand I use for the bottom of my budgie cage.

Bedding, they have shredded paper (use that for my chickens' bedding) and a bit of hay.



I think they are chinese painted. But how old they are I don't know, just know they must be young.
As for sex, who knows!! I had a look and I think they might be females - Nearly lost 1 having a look! I thought it flow next door but it was by the gate, they quick little things ain't they??

I have no idea where my friend got them from as she won't say - thinking it was a pet shop as she knows I didn't want to get them from one. But they here now and they are really sweet. They are right outside back door and door is open and I can hear their little cheepy noise, it's so sweet.
I'm going to keep them in the hutch for now as well I don't have any where else to put them, but as there is only 2 they be ok, won't they??

What else should I feed them?? or do??
As I have budgies and chickens, what out of their stuff can I feed them??

I know I should know all this as I've been doing lots of reading but I wasn't planning on getting any birds - was looking at incubators last night with other-half. So not planned for this at all.

ange xx

I'll post a photo in a bit can't find camera.

ange xx

Here they are

ange xx

Hi Ange

The brown is a Jap quail (normal colour) and the other might be a Jap in silver (I only have Japs and they look same as mine but I only have normal/golds).

I keep mine in hutches with sawdust for litter and they are feed layers pellets (when adult - chicks get chick crumb).

1 sq ft of space per bird is fine but I do try to give mine as much room as poss. In your hutch 2'x2' = 4 so they should be fine in that hutch with just 2.

Hope that helps a bit.

I also hang up greens etc for a bit of interest and you could put in a few boxes and hang up some CDs for them to peck. They do like stuff to do - more so than chooks I've found.

Good luck and enjoy them.

Theyre lovely - but I think theyre chinese But Im no expert - just have them ones

They look very young as they still have the yellow fluff on their heads, before their feathers come through.

Im probably completely wrong

Oooh do you get CPQ in Jap colours?? I'm no expert either Sally!

Ah well someone will be along in a mo who knows I'm sure.

How old do you think they are them??
Will they be alright ouside??

ange xx

they look like chinese and yeaps harrie you get lots of colours of cpq they are young as they still have there yeloow baby feathers on there heads means they must be about 5 or 6 weeks old maybe cpqs mature much later than japs am no expert ether thats as much as i no but ad say defo cpqs after you saying they are flighty just watch mine get out althe time there so diffrent to japs altho is its a pair male female or 2 females or even to males am sure they will be fine they dont fight as much as japs do

I would guess CPQ as that normal one seems to brown to be a brown jap, so it'd be a normal cpq hen?

From what I've read they look like females but who knows if they lay an egg or 2 I'll then know for sure.




Sadly the kids have named them Tigger & Pooh!

ange xx

yer i think they look like japanese to.could you show a pic of them next to a 50p or something and i could tell you for sure????
your setup sounds perfect for them and im sure they will be very happy.i use wood shavings for my quailbedding but it varies really newspaper should work to

dan

As long as they have food and water, the only other thing that I would worry about is that they are warm enough.

Tonight where we are the temp is 13c and is falling fast (have just put heating on), if they have come from a pet shop they may heve been only kept inside.

My young bantams are coming in tonight.

Thanks

H-A

I might just bring themin tonight as it's cold here too. I'll pop them in a pet carrier and put the out in morning whenI get up.

I'll take some photos while they in with 50p .

ange xx

ok greta,

yer,good thinking batman it is cold tonight should bring them in for sure or at least cover them up.Quail are very prone to the cold i keep my whole aviary covered up in the winter with to heat lamps and a big heater on(which costs a lot of money to run)and i still lose quail to the cold youve got to be very careful

dan

Here they are in the pet carrier with a 50p.

Is that 50p each two for a pound

H-A

ha ha funny!

hmm.....actually i would say they are chinease painted quail due to the unusual coloured brown one and the leg are very different to the japs.

dan

yip, their CPQ but a bit too young to sex yet though.

they look identical to my chinese, they are a lot slower maturing than the japs, mine are 8 weeks old and still have the yellow head fluff and none have the white bib of the males yet.

i have identical coloured chinese females to your two

not sure if the bib comes later, or if i`m lucky and have hatched 8 females!

chinese are tiny, so give them a choice of budgie seed, grit and chick crumbs tho.

Sounds like you've got all females Rohraen, as I have chinese, younger than 8 weeks old, and some have white bibs already

i have females with white bibs tho they dont have the face stripes but the white bib

At the moment their is no sign of any white bibs coming so fingers crossed I don't!

My neighbour ask yesterday did we have baby chickens as he heard them (he was the other side of the fence to the hutch) When I told him what I'd got he was keen to know more, which was good - starting to get a little worried that we might upset the neighbours with all our animals. (after a wet day you can smell the chickens! looking in to smell management at the moment for them)

ange xx

I've found a nice hutch with run underneath that I'm going to get soon. I can get a hutch cover for it so I'll know they will be nice and warm when the weather is cold.