Baby Quail VS Baby Chick
You would think that baby quail and baby chicks would require the same kind of care. But while they are young baby quail are a little more fragile we'll say. I started hatching quail before chicken, I had no idea how hardy baby chicks are.
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Baby Quail VS Baby Chick
Quail mature and grow faster than chicks which is why they are a popular animal on a small homesteads. They are a small footprint on your property and produce quicker than chickens or ducks.
Baby Quail
- hatches in 18 days
- feathers out quickly at 3 weeks
- maturity at 6-8 weeks
Baby Chicks
- hatches in 21 days
- feathered out at 6 week
- maturity at 18-24 weeks depending on the breed
Biggest Baby Quail VS Baby Chick Differences
Quail are teeny tiny. Think about the size of the egg they are in. When they hatch they are going to be much smaller than chicks.
This means you need to have a smaller water dish for them, otherwise, they will drown in their water. Even adding marbles to a regular dish isn't necessarily going to prevent them from drowning, I have had friends lose quail this way as well.
Because of the quail's small size you might want to think about the feeder you are using as well. The one pictured above, is great once they are bigger. Small quail are able to crawl into those openings and drown in their food. I have had it happen.
If I use that style with little quail, I leave the white part off, the part that holds more food. I do this until they are too big to fit in it. There are definitely better feeders to use for baby quail.
You won't have these problems with chicks. They are bigger when they hatch and most items you are buying are meant for them.
Feeding Baby Quail VS Baby Chick
The biggest difference in feeding them is that you can buy commercial chick starter. Just about any feed store is going to carry it, especially during the spring and summer.
Baby quail are a little more work. We use game feed, also called turkey starter for our quail. For our baby quail we simply throw some feed in a bender to make it smaller. We do this for a few weeks until they are about 4 weeks or large enough to not chock on it not being ground up.
Brooder Temperatures
While there isn't much of a difference in brooder temperatures between them. Quail start at a temperature of about 90°F whereas chicks start at 95°F. Both drop by about 5°F a week, but quail are ale to be brooder lamp free after about 3 weeks as they are feathered out.
More on Raising Quail
How To on Raising Healthy Quail
How and What to Feed Coturnix Quail
How to Take Care of a Baby Quail
