Keith, thanks for the information so far. I really think I'm gonna enjoy this project. A quick question, do you use those red watering cups and if so do they hold up without to many problems? Thanks again
You're welcome. I use quail lip waterers, that screw onto mason jars, for the first 5 weeks or so and then switch to stainless steel bowls. I prefer stainless steel bowls for adult quail because they are easy to clean. Quail are great at fouling water. Smaller waterers seem like a less messy option, but uness you give quail enough water to bathe in, they get in poor feather condition and are much dustier.
I sell mostly chicks and adults, so I use the deep liter method on all my quail. They waste less feed on deep litter. Quail stay in much better condition and lay better during the Winter on deep litter, because of the heat the decomposing manure gives off. I had dermestid beetles show up in my quail colonies, a couple of years ago and they do a great job breaking the manure down and keeping it loose.
If you want to sell eggs, I would keep the quail on wire. The eggs will be much cleaner. For ease of egg collection, I would build roll out egg cages. Basically, put slightly shorter legs on the front of the cage, so the eggs roll forward. Leave the floor wire unattached from the front side wire with a 1 inch gap between them. Let the floor wire stick out 2 inches past the front side wire and turn the last inch up to catch the eggs. On the floor wire, have the top of the 2 wires aligned the same way you want the eggs to roll, so the eggs don't catch. Coturnix waste a lot of food if kept on wire. You can keep chickens under them to eat the dropped feed.
I keep 3.5 hens per male, for good fertility. I keep 70 hens to 20 males in 4' by 8' by 2' plywood boxes that sit on a concrete slab. The boxes have wire top. I give the quail 24 hour light. They need at least 14 hours of light to lay well. I feed a 16% chicken layer mash at all ages. You get slightly better growth on higher protein feed, but the resulting heavier Coturnix hens lay poorly and have shorter life spans.
Keith