My Experiences On
Raising Mountain Quail
By Carol Burgess, Ph.D
The largest quail found in North America is the Mountain Quail. In nature, it inhabits varied habitat of forest and scrub oak from Baja, Mexico, north to Washington State. It is hunted in several states including Washington, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado, and California. I have also had the pleasure of seeing them here in B.C. where they have also been introduced.
The males and females of this species are similar in size and plumage. The ones I have observed in the wild have been in coveys of around six to ten birds. I have often fund them feeding along the road or in areas with heavy shrubs. The clutch size ranges from about seven to fourteen, although more eggs can be obtained when breeding them on the game farm. I think that there may be less known about the Mountain Quail than any other quail within the United States, and there is a need for more research on its reproduction, habitat, and other aspects of its biology.
I have sometimes been told by students that they have mistaken the California Quail for the Mountain Quail in areas where their ranges overlap. This is surprising to me because I find that the tow species appear very different, even at some distance. The boldly patterned flanks of the Mountain Quail are quite conspicuous, as tare the two erect crest feathers which run 2-3 inches long. The California Quail has flanks that are dull brown and are only narrowly streaked with white. The crest of the California Quail is only about 1” long, is shaped like a teardrop, and curls down toward the face.
If you’re thinking about breeding Mountain Quail, you’ll want to locate some breeding stock that is genetically strong. It’s not a bad idea to buy birds from two different quail propagators who you think have good bloodlines and whose birds are not related to those held by the other. A lot of people have trouble breeding and raising their birds and never realize that the problem is that their birds are from highly inbred stock. Scientists have found that inbreeding in wild type species can lead to infertility, sterility, deformities in chicks, and increased susceptibility to disease.
If you’re in an area with a lot of rainfall like we get up here, it’s best to keep your birds on sandy ground. If your game farm does not sit on sandy soil, then you may want to place several inches of washed concrete sand on the bottom of your pens. Keeping the quail on the ground, of course, has the advantage of being more natural for the birds as opposed to being on wire.
Some propagators maintain quail in wire bottomed pens through their entire life-span with a high rate of fertility and very low mortality. For those of you who live in areas where soil is clayish or otherwise does not drain well, this may be the best approach for your. Remember that disease organisms thrive in places where it is continually wet and warm.
The diet for my breeder Mountain Quail is Mazuri Gamebird Breeder crumbles during the breeding season and Mazuri maintenance diet in the off season. We add Vionate vitamins and minerals along with some fruits and berries when available. Breeder birds are also given a few mealworms which we find stimulate breeding activity in the spring and seems to increase fertility.
Mountains should be maintained under conditions that are as clean as possible as you want to prevent disease and parasitic infestations from cropping up in your birds. AS the adage goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” particularly for species like Mountains that may be a bit more susceptible to certain diseases than some other quail.
If they are healthy after hatching, the chicks start off and grow rather quickly. Our chicks are started on wire which is initially covered with burlap that is changed out daily during the first week of brooding. The feed is initially placed on the brooder floor in front of the chicks along with drown proof waterers. I prefer to start providing the water in three or four jar lids placed around the brooder where the chicks can easily see it. Sterilized marbles or pebbles or large gravel is put in these containers so that the newly hatched chicks cannot get in the water and drown. After they are older and more familiar with where to get water (usually then from a mason jar with a drownproof base attached), only one or two waterers are used. Fresh food and water is provided continually. Feed and water dispensers are sterilized on a regular basis as a disease prevention measure.
Mazuri starter is provided for the chicks and this is ground up to a finer consistency so it can be taken easily. Hard-boiled egg yolk is sprinkled on top of the prepared feed. Berries and finely chopped cheese and peanuts are also readily consumed. I also give them some finely chopped lettuce and this is fed damp and sprinkled with wheat germ. Tiny mealworms are sparingly provided to chicks that are slow to start eating. I will cut the head off of a mealworm and gently push the juicy end to the tip of the quail chick’s bill which helps get it started eating. But you have to be careful in feeding mealworms as the chicks can begin to mistake them for their own toes and may being toe picking. So my advice is to only use the worms when necessary.
Sexing young Mountain Quail is exceedingly difficult in my experience, and I can’t be very sure on the sex until the quail are nearly grown. In the male, the hind-neck is grayish-blue, while in the hen, the brown color of the back goes up to the top of the head. However I believe this difference is nearly absent in west coast birds.