Coturnix are the workhorse of small-scale quail production: they mature faster than any other game bird, tolerate confinement well, and lay prolifically. They are raised for table eggs, meat, and biomedical research.
Their speed is the whole appeal — a chick can be a laying hen in six weeks — but that fast metabolism means brooding mistakes show up quickly. Warmth, protein, and clean water in the first two weeks decide the outcome.
Housing & space
Coturnix are almost always raised in confinement — wire cages or floor pens. Unlike bobwhite, they are not typically flight-conditioned for preserves; the goal is efficient egg and meat production.
- Cage: roughly 1 sq ft per 4–5 adult birds; more space reduces aggression.
- Keep cage height low (or padded) — startled coturnix flush straight up and can injure their heads.
- Wire floors keep birds off droppings and cut disease pressure; provide a resting mat if needed.
Brooding
Start chicks at 95–100°F and reduce about 5°F per week. Coturnix chicks are tiny and prone to drowning — use very shallow water with stones or marbles for the first week.
Because they grow so fast, crowding and heat mistakes compound within days. Give them room and watch behavior closely.
Feed & nutrition
Feed a game-bird starter of 24–26% protein for the first few weeks, then a grower/layer ration. Laying hens need adequate calcium — a game-bird layer feed or supplemented ration keeps shell quality up under heavy production.
Health & biosecurity
Coturnix are generally hardy, but confinement at density still demands clean water, dry conditions, and biosecurity. Standard game-bird sanitation applies.
- Avoid overcrowding — the most common cause of pecking and losses.
- Flush and sanitize waterers regularly; wet spots breed disease.
Breeding & incubation
Coturnix eggs hatch in 17–18 days — the shortest of any game bird here. Incubate at about 99.5°F with 45–55% humidity, raising humidity to 60–75% for the final three days at hatch. Selectively bred lines lay nearly daily; a common ratio is one male to four or five hens for fertility.