10/02/2026
I’ve been slacking on getting my daily posts out 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️ Sometimes life just gets overwhelming, especially with resuming shipping this week. I’ve been working on this one for a week. It’s a topic we cover year after year and it’s very important for everyone. It’s going to be a long post, but worth the read.
Raising Coturnix through fall, winter & Into spring can be challenging if you don’t have a plan. As the temperatures start dropping, I see a lot of people immediately start worrying about how they’re going to keep their quail warm all winter.
Here’s the first thing to understand, Adult Coturnix handle cold weather a whole lot better than they handle being cold AND wet. Your goal isn’t necessarily to make their enclosure warm. Your goal is to keep them dry, out of direct wind, properly ventilated, well fed, and prepared for the changing season. What you do in the fall can have a pretty big impact on what happens with your birds this winter and when you’re ready to start breeding again in the spring.
FALL — START PREPARING BEFORE IT GETS COLD
Fall is when I want to get ahead of problems instead of waiting until a freeze to start changing things.
-Inspect your cages, pens, roofs, feeders and watering systems.
-Where does rain blow in?
-Which direction does your normal winter wind come from?
-Are there areas where birds are going to be sitting directly in a cold draft?
-Do you have water lines or drinkers that are going to freeze?
-Do you have a plan for collecting eggs when temperatures get below freezing?
Fix those problems before winter gets here. Wind blocks can make a huge difference, especially on the sides of your setup that receive the strongest winter winds. There’s a BIG difference between blocking wind and wrapping an entire enclosure airtight,Do not completely seal your birds up trying to keep them warm. Quail produce moisture through respiration and manure. If you trap all that moisture inside an enclosure, you can create condensation, wet bedding, increased ammonia and poor air quality. You want protection from direct drafts while maintaining ventilation.
Dry cold is one thing, Cold + wet + poor ventilation is another.
SUPPLEMENTAL LIGHTING
This is another area where you need to decide what your goal actually is. As the days get shorter, egg production can naturally decrease.
If you’re keeping birds strictly for production and want to encourage continued laying, supplemental lighting can be used to maintain a consistent day length. Many Coturnix production programs operate around 14–16 hours of total light per day—That doesn’t mean blasting them with bright lights 24 hours a day!!! More isn’t always better. Birds still need a predictable dark/rest period. Use a timer and keep your schedule consistent. If you’re adding light, I generally prefer adding it in the morning rather than suddenly extending an already-dark evening.
But here’s the other side of it—Not every bird on your farm necessarily needs to be pushed for maximum winter production.
If I’m managing breeding stock, I’m thinking about the long game too. Depending on my breeding schedule, I may allow certain groups to follow a more natural seasonal slowdown rather than worrying about squeezing every possible egg out of them. Know WHY you’re using supplemental lighting before you start using it.
WINTER — DON’T TRY TO TURN YOUR QUAIL PEN INTO YOUR LIVING ROOM
One of the biggest mistakes people make is treating adult Coturnix like they’re going to freeze the second temperatures drop. Healthy, fully feathered adult birds that have been properly acclimated can tolerate surprisingly cold conditions when they’re protected from precipitation and direct wind. What I DON’T like is taking birds that have been living in a warm environment and suddenly throwing them outside during a major temperature change. A transitional acclimation period matters, This is especially important with younger birds. Don’t get impatient during grow-out and move partially feathered birds out of the brooder just because they “look big enough.” Age isn’t the only thing that matters, feather development, nighttime temperatures, wind exposure and the temperature they’ve already been accustomed to all matter.
WATER BECOMES A DAILY BATTLE
Frozen water doesn’t do your birds any good. During freezing weather, watering systems need to be checked multiple times throughout the day if necessary. Don’t assume because there is water in the container that the birds can actually access it-Nipples can freeze-Lines can freeze-Cups can freeze, sometimes the main reservoir looks perfectly fine while the actual drinking point is frozen solid. Check the point where the bird actually drinks.
LETS NOT FORGET ABOUT THE EGGS
This is a big one. Hatching eggs can freeze.
During freezing temperatures, we’re collecting much more frequently. Once the contents of an egg freeze, you’re obviously not going to be putting that egg into your breeding program expecting a normal hatch. Even eggs intended for eating can crack when they freeze and expand.
So when temperatures really drop, don’t plan on making your normal once-a-day stroll through the pens.
Pick your eggs up often
WATCH YOUR FEED
Winter is also a good time to pay closer attention to feed consumption and body condition. Maintaining body temperature requires energy.
Don’t assume the amount your birds consumed during mild weather will automatically remain the same when conditions change, at the same time, don’t start randomly changing feed formulations every time the weather changes.
Watch your birds.
Watch body condition.
Watch consumption.
Watch waste.
Make decisions based on what you’re actually seeing. Something people don’t think about enough during seasonal temperature swings is feed storage. Moving feed between cold and warm environments can create condensation. Moisture inside a feed bag or storage container can quickly become a mold problem. Keep feed dry, protected and properly stored. If something smells wrong or looks wrong, don’t feed it.
MOLTING CAN MAKE YOUR FLOCK LOOK ROUGH
Fall and changing daylight can also bring molting.
Don’t immediately assume something catastrophic is happening because your birds suddenly look terrible and egg production falls off.
Molting requires resources-This is another reason I don’t like making breeding decisions based on one snapshot in time. Know what stage your birds are in before deciding they’re suddenly poor producers.
WINTER IS WHEN I’M ALREADY THINKING ABOUT SPRING BREEDERS
This is where managing birds and breeding birds start becoming two different things. I’m not waiting until spring to suddenly walk outside and decide which birds I’m going to use as breeders.
I’m watching them all winter and I’m looking at:
Body structure.
Size and weight.
Width.
Keel and breast development.
Leg placement.
Feet and toes.
Feather quality.
Temperament.
Overall health.
How they handled environmental stress.
Production history.
Growth records.
Genetics and family history.
Color alone doesn’t suddenly turn a mediocre bird into breeding quality. Winter gives you another opportunity to evaluate which birds continue meeting the goals of your program.
And remember — surviving winter isn’t a breeding trait by itself, we’re looking at the complete bird.
LATE WINTER — START PREPARING FOR SPRING BEFORE SPRING
-Get incubators cleaned, tested and calibrated.
-Check thermometers and hygrometers.
-Prepare brooders.
-Make sure you have enough cage space for the number of chicks you’re planning to produce.
And most importantly… Have a purpose for every hatch.
Don’t hatch 500 chicks and THEN decide what you’re going to do with them.
SPRING — DON’T FLIP THE ENTIRE FARM OVERNIGHT
As daylight increases and temperatures improve, you’ll usually start seeing natural changes in activity and production. If you’ve been using supplemental lighting, maintain consistency rather than making huge overnight changes. We use supplemental lighting year round.
When establishing spring breeding groups, give birds time to settle, eggs to be fertile with the proper males. Moving birds, changing cages, changing groups and immediately collecting every egg for incubation isn’t always the smartest way to start a breeding season.
I want birds settled, eating normally and producing good-quality eggs before I’m depending heavily on those eggs.
Spring is also when everybody gets excited and starts hatching EVERYTHING. This is where discipline matters, hatch with a goal.
-If you’re developing a meat line, know what you’re selecting for.
-If you’re developing egg production, track production.
-If you’re developing a color project, don’t forget structure and production traits while chasing color.
-If you’re improving an established line, know exactly what you’re trying to improve before you set the first tray.
THE BIG PICTURE
Managing Coturnix through the seasons isn’t about reacting to whatever the weather does tomorrow, It’s about planning ahead.
Fall prepares them for winter.
Winter prepares your breeders for spring.
Spring sets the direction of your breeding program for the rest of the year.
Provide protection from wind without eliminating ventilation.
Keep them dry.
Keep water available.
Collect eggs frequently during freezing weather.
Pay attention to feed storage.
Use supplemental lighting intentionally rather than automatically.
Watch body condition and seasonal changes.
Keep records.
And start selecting your spring breeders long before spring arrives.
Anybody can hatch quail when the weather gets pretty.
Building a better flock means paying attention to them the other nine months of the year too.
— Guidroz Family Farm
