They are sweet friendly birds but sometimes you might get a noisy one or more in the batch. Most of mine like to complain and yell. Not as loud as a leghorn but noisier than my other breeds (australorps, ameraucana, welsummer and Plymouth rock).
Yep, I still have chickens. I used to have only Buff Orpingtons but now my flock of 5 is 2 ameraucana (probably easter eggers), Plymouth rock, black australorp and welsummer. More colorful eggs and easier to see who is having issues based on egg laying habits.
I don't have quails anymore but I...
I transplanted a tomato seedling into my garden bed and put some seeds in baggies with wet paper towels to get them to germinate. Pulled up some weeds and threw them into the chicken run for my ladies to enjoy.
Tiny and expensive. For the amount they charge I could build a basic set of cages from hardware cloth zip tied to a wire rack or pvc pipe frame. Put inside a walkin large dog kennel with added roof for maximum security from raccoons.
I've never had any issues with melting the bin. What I usually do is use a bin lid with a large rectangle cut out in the center, and solder holes along the edges to tie hardware cloth to so it is secured. I never hang the light above the bin as I'm paranoid of the light falling into the bin...
if there is a petstore near you, they have them in the bird toy section. Or try target/walgreens in the cosmetics section they usually have them.
Otherwise, petco and amazon have them as well.
I put drinkers similar to these on top of the feeders.
You can also make cardboard cones like the red one so they don't jump on top or cut the bin lid and put a taller container through the lid with holes on the bottom sides to hold more feed/keep quails off.
For my adult quail, I use small plastic bins like this and solder holes for them to stick their heads in to eat.
For young quail chicks, I use these little soup containers that I get for free from ordering takeout food (curry).
Drilling holes causes the plastic to crack so I just solder...
It depends on where you live/resources you have access to.
The only major advantage chickens have over quail is that chicken feed is easier to find whereas quail need higher protein especially when they are still chicks. If you can supplement the difference with spinach/kale/etc it isn't a deal...
In addition to what others have said about the pros of browns/wild/pharoah quail I would also like to note that the white/A&M that I've had tend to be jumpier for some reason. And this is from different egg sources so I will always choose the brown coturnix over the white ones any time.
The...
I've hatched TJ eggs before. My most recent batch was 7 chicks out of 12 eggs. Make sure to check the number stamped on carton to ensure you're getting the freshest ones possible or ask an employee which days they get new shipments in.
I would put fake eggs/ping pong balls in all their nest boxes. Even if there are multiple boxes chickens tend to all want to lay in the "best" one. I read somewhere that in the wild all the hens lay in one nest and then the dominant leader hen hatches everyone's eggs. I had the same issue so I...
Nope, they tend to look a bit raggedy when their new feathers start growing in. A week is usually around when my buffs began. They'll be in that awkward teenager phase until they reach their final form.
It's been a hot couple of days so I gave my girls a treat. Or at least tried to.
I put a quarter of a mini watermelon in their run and they all screamed and ran from it. All 5 of them were squashed in a corner of the run trying to melt themselves through the fence to get away from the dreaded...