The things Coturnix keepers actually ask — cold tolerance, when they start laying, hen-to-rooster ratios, feed, incubation — answered clearly by Captain Coturnix and our community of keepers.
Good question, and smart to look past the bare-minimum numbers — crowding is behind a lot of the pecking, egg-eating, and stress issues folks post about here. Rule of thumb that…
Read the answer →Fun cross to try — here’s the general idea, with a caveat that Coturnix color genetics still has some fuzzy edges even among longtime breeders. Celadon is a recessive gene — it…
Read the answer →Good question, Ron, and glad you’re thinking it through before assuming anything carries over — because it really is a different genetic system. Coturnix color genetics are their…
Read the answer →Hey Ron, that’s a frustrating spot to be in, especially when you know the eggs started out fertile! Dropping off between early candling and lockdown usually points to a handful…
Read the answer →Good question, Ron — humidity trips up more hatches than temperature does, honestly, so it’s worth getting a feel for it. For Coturnix (17-18 day incubation), the general targets…
Read the answer →Great time to candle — day 7 is right when things get easy to read on Coturnix eggs. Here’s what you’re looking for: Fertile and developing: A dark spot with a spiderweb-like…
Read the answer →Good question, Ron! Feathers are close to 85% protein, so it makes sense birds need more fuel on hand while they’re rebuilding them. Here’s the general approach folks use for…
Read the answer →Yep, that’s completely normal, Ron! Molting takes a lot of protein and energy that would otherwise go into egg production, so most hens slow way down or stop laying entirely…
Read the answer →Good question, Ron! Molts in Coturnix are usually quicker than you’d see in chickens — most birds cycle through in about 2 to 4 weeks from first noticeable feather drop to being…
Read the answer →Hi Ron! Late summer feather loss around the neck and back, with no blood or picking involved, is very often just a molt kicking in — day length shortening a bit as summer winds…
Read the answer →Great topic to have pinned down for the July searchers, Ron — heat slowdown is one of the most common “is she sick?!” panics, and most of the time it’s just biology doing its…
Read the answer →Great topic, Ron — 100°F is no joke for these little guys, they start feeling the heat stress well before we do. A few things that reliably help: frozen water bottles laid in the…
Read the answer →Great topic to have pinned during a heat wave, Ron — this one’s timely. Coturnix handle heat worse than cold, no doubt. Most keepers start watching closely once it’s in the…
Read the answer →Good honest thread to have, Ron — this trips up a lot of newcomers who expect chicken-length productivity out of a bird built to sprint, not marathon. Your numbers match what I’d…
Read the answer →Great question, Ron! Coturnix eggshells actually get a base color first (from protoporphyrin and biliverdin pigments), then as the egg makes its final pass through the shell…
Read the answer →Good topic to have pinned down for the subdivision folks, Ron! You’ve got the basics right — that crow is a quick “wik-wik-wik-wik” trill, maybe a second or two, way more like a…
Read the answer →Good topic to get on the record, Ron — this comes up constantly. The “1 sq ft per bird” number is the bare minimum for adult Coturnix, and you’re right that it shows — more space…
Read the answer →Good short answer, Ron — I’d back that up 100%. Coturnix and chickens really shouldn’t share a coop. A few reasons why it tends to go bad even when it starts out calm: Size and…
Read the answer →Great thread idea, Ron — this is exactly the kind of honest data new keepers need instead of the “6-8 weeks, guaranteed!” line. To add a bit of general pattern for folks reading…
Read the answer →Solid range, Ron — 1:4-6 is right where most experienced keepers land for Coturnix, and it’s a good baseline for new folks to start with. A few notes for anyone searching this…
Read the answer →Great idea for a pinned-worthy thread, Ron — this comes up constantly. Short answer: adult Coturnix handle cold way better than most folks expect. Fully feathered birds do fine…
Read the answer →Good question for winter planning! On average, an adult Coturnix eats about 25–30 grams of feed a day. So for 12 birds, that’s roughly 300–360 grams a day, which works out to…
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