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Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Raising Quail: Housing and Starting Numbers Explained
How Many Quail Should You Start With?
Coturnix quail may be small, but there are several big decisions to make before bringing home your first flock.
How many quail do you need? Do you need males? Should you use cages or build an aviary? The best answer depends on what you want from your quail, the amount of space you have, and how much time you can dedicate to their care.
If you can fit a bookshelf, you can probably fit quail—but that does not mean you should purchase birds before creating a plan.
Let’s walk through the most important decisions so you can build a flock that fits your version of city limit self-sufficiency.
How Many Quail Should a Beginner Start With?
There is no perfect flock size for everyone. Before choosing a number, ask yourself:
Do I primarily want eating eggs?
Do I want to hatch fertile eggs?
Am I raising quail for meat?
Will these quail be pets?
How much enclosure space do I have?
Do I have room for additional or separated birds?
How much time can I realistically spend cleaning and caring for them?
Watch: How Many Quail Do You Really Need?
Learn how your family size, and goals can help determine the right starting flock.
Start by Determining Your Purpose
Your reason for raising quail will help determine how many birds you need, whether you need males, and what type of housing will work best.
Raising Quail for Eggs
If your main goal is fresh eating eggs, a beginner flock of approximately five or six hens is a manageable place to start.
You do not need a male for your hens to lay eggs. Females will produce eating eggs without a male present.
Starting with a small group of hens allows you to:
Learn their daily care routine
See how many eggs your family actually uses
Become comfortable handling the birds
Determine how much feed and cleaning your setup requires
Add more hens later if you need more eggs
If you want to hatch your own fertile eggs, you will need a male. A beginner breeding group might include one male with approximately five hens.
You should also have a separate enclosure available in case a male becomes overly aggressive, a hen becomes injured, or young birds need to be separated.
Feathered Knechtions Tip: If you only want eggs for your kitchen, skip the male. Your flock will usually be quieter and easier for a beginner to manage.
Raising Quail for Meat
If you plan to raise quail for meat, think beyond the number of birds in your first group.
Ask yourself:
How many people will the quail feed?
How many birds will your family use for one meal?
How frequently do you want to eat quail?
Will you purchase new birds or hatch your own?
Do you have room for breeders, chicks, and growing birds?
Are you prepared to process the birds yourself or use another option?
A first group of approximately 12–20 grow-out birds can allow a beginner to learn the process without immediately managing a very large flock.
If you want a self-sustaining meat flock, you may eventually need:
A breeding group
An incubator
A brooder for newly hatched chicks
A separate grow-out enclosure
A plan for extra males
Freezer and processing space
Do not start with more birds than you can comfortably house, feed, clean, and process responsibly. You can always expand after you understand the routine.
Keeping Quail as Pets
Coturnix quail can also be enjoyable pets. They are entertaining to observe and can become comfortable around the people who care for them regularly.
For a pet flock, consider starting with a small group of three to five hens. Hens can provide companionship for one another without the breeding pressure that comes with adding a male.
Keep in mind that quail are generally ground-dwelling prey animals. Some become friendly and enjoy treats or gentle interaction, but they may not behave like cuddly household pets. Their housing should allow them to feel secure and express natural behaviors.
A good pet setup should include:
Hiding places
A dust-bathing area
Space to move away from other birds
Protection from weather and predators
Gentle, consistent handling
Daily observation for injuries or changes in behavior
Plan Your Flock Before You Purchase It
See how flock planning changes when you are raising quail for eggs, meat, pets, or hatching.
After watching, write down your goal and your ideal starting number. Then make sure your housing is ready before purchasing birds.
Should You Raise Quail in Cages or an Aviary?
There is no single housing style that works for every quail keeper. What I tell everyone is there is no wrong way to raise quail if the birds are happy and safe and the set-up is what works for you and that does vary from family to family so use this as a guideline and then choose what is going to work best for you. Also, if you try something and it doesn't work you can always switch up how you are doing things easily. I have changed several things over the years and keep changing things as our goals and family circumstances change and shift. That's one thing I love about quail most, they can be raised in so many different ways.
A well-designed cage can be safe, clean, and convenient. A well-designed aviary can provide room for natural behaviors and create a beautiful environment for observing your flock.
Both options also have potential downsides. The quality of the design and daily care matters more than simply calling a setup a “cage” or an “aviary.”
Raising Quail in an Aviary
An aviary is a larger enclosure in which quail live on the ground and usually have more room to explore.
Safety Tip: Avaries need to be 6ft or taller to ensure the birds cannot fly up and bonk their heads and get injured.
Benefits of an Aviary
Provides additional room for movement
Allows for more natural ground-dwelling behaviors
Offers space for plants, logs, tunnels, hides, and other enrichment
Can be enjoyable and attractive for families to observe
May make it easier for birds to move away from flock members
Can accommodate a larger flock when properly designed
Downsides of an Aviary
Requires more available space
Usually costs more to build securely
Can be harder to clean and maintain
Eggs may be hidden or laid in difficult-to-reach areas
Birds may be harder to catch and examine
Ground contact can increase exposure to moisture, parasites, rodents, or wild birds
Predator-proofing the entire structure requires careful planning
Aggression can still occur, even when birds have more room
An aviary should include multiple hiding places and visual barriers. These allow timid or lower-ranking birds to move out of sight instead of becoming trapped in an open area. If there is too much open space and not enough hides, the birds will not feel secure and they may not lay eggs for you.
Raising Quail in Cages
Quail cages are typically smaller enclosures designed to make feeding, cleaning, bird handling, and egg collection more efficient.
They may be individual units or part of a stacked cage system.
Safety Tip: Cages are safest when 13inches or less in height so they cannot injure themselves if they bonk on the ceiling. 13inches is short enough they don't usually get enough momentum to hurt themselves.
Benefits of Cages
Require less space
Make it easier to collect eggs
Allow birds to be observed and handled more closely
Can make cleaning and manure collection more manageable
Make it easier to separate breeding groups
Help track the health and production of individual groups
Can be practical for garages, sheds, covered patios, and other small spaces
Downsides of Cages
Provide less room for natural movement
Poorly designed wire floors may contribute to foot problems
Stacked systems require good ventilation and regular cleaning
Outdoor cages may be vulnerable to predators if not reinforced
Some manufactured cages require safety modifications before they are suitable for Coturnix quail
Convenience should never come at the expense of the birds’ comfort or safety. Monitor their feet, feathers, behavior, and overall condition regularly.
Feathered Knechtions Tip: we have found 2-3 adult birds per square foot works best in a cage setting. If given too much space, they can become territorial in their cages and they are prey animals and feel safer in close proximity in this setting. It sounds backwards but after testing different ratios we have found 2-3 per sq ft they do best but remember do what works best for you, this is just what works for us and what we have observed over many years of working with coturnix quail.
The Quail Housing Height Rule
Coturnix quail have a powerful vertical flight response when startled. They can launch themselves straight upward and suffer serious head or neck injuries if they hit a hard ceiling.
At Feathered Knechtions, we teach two housing approaches:
A low cage with a ceiling height of approximately 13 inches or less
A tall, walk-in aviary that is more than six feet high
Avoid hard, intermediate-height ceilings that give quail room to build speed but not enough room to safely complete their upward flight. Hiding places and a forgiving ceiling material can provide additional protection.
Safety Requirements for Every Quail Setup
Whether you choose cages or an aviary, your enclosure should include:
Secure, predator-resistant wire (not chicken wire)
Locks or fasteners that cannot be opened by raccoons
Protection from digging predators
Protection from rain, snow, wind, and direct summer heat
Good ventilation without constant drafts
Escape-proof doors and openings
Clean food and water
Dry resting areas
Hiding places and visual barriers
Enough room to prevent overcrowding
Chicken wire alone is not predator-proof. It may keep quail inside, but it is not strong enough to keep predators out.
Pay special attention to doors, corners, cage floors, egg rollouts, roofs, and gaps around feeders or water lines. A predator can take advantage of a surprisingly small weak spot.
Aviary or Cages: Which Is Right for You?
An aviary may be right for you if:
You have room for a large, permanent enclosure
You enjoy observing natural behaviors
You are comfortable searching for eggs
You can build strong predator protection
You want a visually attractive or planted setup
You have time for regular ground maintenance
Cages may be right for you if:
You have limited space
Easy egg collection is important
You want to keep breeding groups separated
You need a setup that is easier to clean
You want to monitor each bird closely
You prefer a controlled and organized system
Neither option is automatically perfect. Choose the setup you can maintain safely and consistently throughout every season.
Feathered Knechtions Tip: if you plan on selling your coturnix quail eggs I do not recommend aviary as there is always a chance you missed a hidden egg and you sell a rotten or partially developed egg because you missed that egg and thought it was a fresh one. That would be a traumatizing mistake for all parties involved.
Quail Housing Inspiration
Aviary Setup Examples
Aviaries can be simple or elaborate, but every successful setup begins with security, shelter, ventilation, and plenty of places for quail to hide.
Cage Setup Examples
Cage setups can be efficient for small-space quail keeping when they are properly sized, safely constructed, and maintained regularly. This is an example of cages we built for our quail shed.
Where to Purchase Quail Cages
The following cage sellers offer options that may work for different flock sizes and spaces:
Dales Quails https://www.dalesquails.com/
5 Little Quail Homestead https://5littlequailhomestead.com/all-products/ols/products/6-tier-quail-cage
Hatching Time https://hatchingtime.com/collections/quail-cages
Wynola Ranch https://quailcage.com/collections/quail-cages
Before purchasing any cage, check:
The interior height
Floor spacing and wire condition
Door size and placement
Ventilation
Ease of cleaning
Droppings-tray access
Egg-rollout protection
Feeder and waterer placement
Predator resistance
Assembly and shipping costs
Availability of replacement parts
Many cages are designed for protected barns—not exposed outdoor areas. Be prepared to add a predator-proof outer structure if necessary.
Personal Recommendation: do your own research but I prefer purchasing from 5 Little Quail Homestead or Dale's Quails as they are small family run businesses and not huge corporations which is reflected in their pricing and customer service as well. I have used cages from Hatching Time and Wynola Ranch and they get the job done but they weren't my favorite and I feel they are priced very high. My YouTube has recommendations on how to modify cages purchased elsewhere for quail. You can find that playlist of shorts here to generate ideas.
Your Before-the-Birds Checklist
Before bringing home your first Coturnix quail, make sure you have:
Chosen the purpose of your flock
Decided how many birds you can responsibly manage
Determined whether you truly need a male
Completed a safe cage or aviary
Purchased appropriate feed, feeders, and waterers
Created a predator-protection plan
Prepared for seasonal weather
Made a separate space for injured, aggressive, or extra birds
Created a plan for long-term care
Starting small is not a failure. It is one of the best ways to learn.
A carefully planned flock of five quail will teach you far more than an overwhelming flock of fifty. Begin with a clear purpose, build safe housing, learn your daily routine, and expand only when you are ready.
Small bird. Big possibilities. City limit self-sufficiency starts with a good plan.
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