Short answer: Quail are a small, fast bird that can start laying at 6 to 8 weeks, which makes them one of the quickest returns in a backyard setup. They need less floor than chickens, but they panic easily and hurt themselves on wire, so the housing matters more than the number of birds. Quail chicks are priced on request, so ask us on WhatsApp before you plan the purchase.
Key takeaways
- Plan roughly 150 square centimetres of cage floor per adult quail as a common starting guide, and more if you keep them on litter.
- Expect eggs from around 6 to 8 weeks, and collect them at least twice a day from the first lay.
- Keep light steady and noise low, because quail startle and injure themselves on wire.
- Ask your feed supplier for quail feed early, since it is harder to find than chicken feed in some towns.
- Ask us for quail chick prices on WhatsApp, because they are priced on request.
What makes quail worth a corner of the yard
A quail is small. It eats less, needs less room and starts laying far sooner than most chickens. For a farmer with limited space, that combination is attractive. A small pen behind the house can produce eggs every day, and the feed bill grows slowly while the flock finds its feet.
The catch is that quail are not small chickens. They are skittish, they fly up when startled, and they are poor at forgiving bad housing. A chicken can live in a crowded house and still lay. A quail in the same house often stops laying, stops eating, or hurts its head on the mesh. The space and the calm of the house decide the result.
How much room each quail needs
As a common starting guide, plan about 150 square centimetres of cage floor for each adult quail. That is a little more than a sheet of A4 paper. If you keep quail on litter in a floor pen, you need more space than that, and you need to manage the litter more closely.
Here is a worked example. Say you want 100 quail in cages. At 150 square centimetres each, that is 15,000 square centimetres, or 1.5 square metres of cage floor. The cage itself does not need to be one piece. Two cages of 0.75 square metres each work just as well, as long as the birds can move, drink and feed without crowding each other.
Crowding shows itself first in the feathers. Quail that are pecked bare around the neck or back are living in too little space or too much stress. Give them more room before you blame the feed.
Buying quail chicks and asking the right questions
Our quail chicks are priced on request, because the price depends on the stock and the timing. Ask us on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503 before you plan the budget. Tell us how many you want, whether you want layers or meat birds, and the week you want them.
Ask the questions that matter for a small flock. Ask how the chicks were kept after hatching, what they were fed, and whether they arrived dry and warm. Ask how many chicks you should expect to lose on arrival, and how you can prove a dead-on-arrival claim. We count every box, and we ask you to count on the day it arrives too.
If you want only hens, ask how to tell the sexes apart when they are young. In adult Japanese quail, males usually show a chestnut-coloured breast and females are plainer. Chicks are harder to sex by eye, so plan for some extra birds if you need a particular sex.
Brooding quail chicks in the first weeks
Quail chicks need warmth like any chick, and they are even more delicate because they are small. A brooder with a warm zone at chick height works well. Keep the first week warm, around 35 degrees Celsius at the level where the chicks stand, and reduce the heat slowly over the following weeks. Watch the chicks. Huddled chicks are cold. Chicks spread to the edges and panting are too hot.
Use a fine mesh floor or a shallow tray with clean litter, and keep the drinkers small. Quail chicks can drown in a deep dish, and they can get stuck in a gap that a chicken chick would ignore. Use shallow drinkers with pebbles or a cup designed for small birds, and check them at least twice a day.
Feeding quail at each stage
Quail need a higher protein feed than a laying hen when they are young, and a steady layer feed once they start to lay. Check the bag and ask your supplier for the protein level. The figures below are a rough guide, and your supplier's label should be followed.
| Stage | Age | Feed type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicks | 0 to 3 weeks | Quail starter, higher protein | Fine crumb so chicks can eat it easily |
| Growers | 3 to 6 weeks | Quail grower or a lower protein starter | Watch for weight gain and feather growth |
| Point of lay | About 6 weeks | Switch to a layer feed | Lay usually starts around 6 to 8 weeks |
| Layers | 8 weeks on | Layer feed with calcium | Keep grit and shell material available for hens |
Quail feed is harder to find in some towns than chicken feed. Order early, and if you have to mix your own, ask a feed professional to check the protein and calcium before you change the ration.
Light, noise and stress in a quail house
Quail respond to light, and laying depends on it. A common guide for laying quail is about 16 hours of light a day, provided the birds have a dark period. Use a timer rather than switching lights on and off by hand. Irregular light stops laying faster than a dull house does.
Quail are startled by sudden noise, a dog barking, a door slammed, or a torch in the eyes. Each fright can send a bird into the mesh. Cover the sides of the cage with a light cloth where the birds can see the people, and keep the approach to the house quiet at feeding time.
Look at the heads. A quail with a bare or bleeding crown has been hitting the wire. The fix is usually a better cage, lower light or a cover, rather than a treatment.
When the eggs start and how to collect them
Quail usually start laying around 6 to 8 weeks, which is far sooner than most chickens. The first eggs are small, and the size grows over the first weeks. Do not worry about small eggs in the early days. Worry about cracked shells, soft shells, and a sudden drop in the count.
Collect the eggs at least twice a day from the first lay. Quail eggs are small and easy to step on or lose in the litter, and a hen that lays in a corner gets pecked by the others. Keep the nest area clean and the eggs dry. Wash eggs only when they are soiled, and store them in a cool place. For longer holding, refrigerate the eggs and use them within a short time.
Write the egg count in the daily record. A flock of 80 hens that lays on most days should give you a steady count every day. If the count falls for two days in a row, check the light, the feed and the heat before you blame the birds.
Selling quail eggs and birds in small quantities
Quail eggs are sold in small packs, and buyers who want to try them tend to buy a few at a time. A pack of six or twelve works better than a crate, because most buyers are not used to cooking with them yet. Take the pack to the buyer who is already buying specialist foods, or to a kitchen that wants a steady supply.
A worked example. Say 80 hens each lay about five eggs a week. That is 400 eggs a week. Packed in dozens, that is about 33 packs. Work out the cost of your feed per egg, then set the price so the margin covers your time and the packaging. Quail eggs are small, so one egg does not carry the same price as a chicken egg, and the buyer needs to see the pack size clearly on the label.
Quail meat is sold to people who want a small bird for a special meal. Price it by the bird, not by the kilo, and check with local buyers before you commit to a batch.
Need chicks for your next batch?
Send breed, number and town. We reply with price, hatch date and delivery cost in writing.
Health and biosecurity in a small flock
Small flocks get sick fast and recover slowly. A single sick quail can spread disease through a cage in a day, and the stress of a new bird can start a problem that was not there the day before.
Quarantine new birds for a short period in a separate cage before they join the flock. Keep the feed and water clean, and wash the cages between batches. Keep chickens and other birds away from the quail house, and use one pair of shoes for the house. Call your vet at the first sign of drooping, sneezing, diarrhoea or birds that stop eating. Follow the vet's advice on any vaccines and treatments.
Mistakes that make a quail flock fail
The mistakes we hear about most are the same ones beginners make with any small bird, only faster to show up.
- Keeping too many quail in one cage because the space looks big from the door.
- Changing the light by hand, so the laying stops for a week at a time.
- Leaving the eggs in the litter until they are dirty or cracked.
- Using a chick feed for layers because it was the only bag in the shop.
- Letting children chase the birds for fun, which means broken heads and dead birds.
- Waiting until the flock is sick before calling the vet.
A checklist before the first quail arrive
Work through this before you order. Each line saves a week of trouble.
- Cage floor measured at roughly 150 square centimetres per adult quail, with room for drinkers and feeders.
- Timer set for the light programme, with a dark period built in.
- Brooder ready with a warm zone and shallow drinkers for chicks.
- Quail starter and layer feed ordered before the chicks arrive.
- Egg basket and clean nest area ready for the first lay.
- Quarantine cage ready for any new bird.
- Vet contacted and vaccine schedule agreed.
Where to go next
If you already keep chickens, quail can sit alongside them in a separate house, but keep them apart for disease and stress. If you want a bigger bird for meat, our turkey guide covers a very different plan. For a guinea fowl option that also suits small spaces, see our guinea fowl article.
When you are ready to order, WhatsApp us on +233 24 915 1503 with the number of birds and the week you want them. We will tell you the price and the arrival plan. Farm visits are by appointment, so we can walk you through a quail house before you build one.
Questions farmers ask
How much space does a quail need?
As a common starting guide, plan about 150 square centimetres of cage floor per adult quail. For 100 birds that is about 1.5 square metres. Litter floor pens need more room, and crowding shows up in feather loss and pecking long before it shows up in egg counts.
When do quail start laying eggs?
Quail usually start laying around 6 to 8 weeks of age. The first eggs are small, and the size improves over the next few weeks. Collect eggs at least twice a day from the first lay so none are lost in the litter or broken by the flock.
What do quail eat?
Quail chicks need a high protein starter, growers need a lower protein feed, and layers need a layer feed with calcium. Check the label with your supplier and follow it. Quail feed can be hard to find in some towns, so order early.
How many eggs does a quail lay?
Quail lay much more often than chickens in relation to their size, and a healthy flock on steady light and feed can lay on most days. Track your own count for a few weeks, because the figure depends on the breed, the light and the housing you give them.
How much are quail chicks from Halaal Farms?
Quail chicks are priced on request. Send us a WhatsApp message on +233 24 915 1503 with the number you need and the week you want them, and we will confirm the price before you pay. Our <a href="/faq/">FAQ page</a> covers delivery and dead-on-arrival birds.
Can quail live with chickens?
They can share a yard, but it is better to keep them in separate houses and separate runs. Quail stress easily, and the disease risks between species are real. Keep feeders, drinkers and tools separate, and talk to your vet about the layout.
