Quails vs chickens

[amethyst74]

Hi all

Delighted to see this new area for chook keepers. I'm a chicken fan but my OH isn't that keen. My own concern is I won't be around at dusk to "put them to bed" so to speak. After speaking to someone with chickens and quails I wonder if the latter might be a slightly less labour intensive option, in that they're happy being in a run without needing more space to run about.

All advice welcome.

Also - my dad is convinced I'll become overrun with rats if I have chickens in the garden - is he right?!

if you keep the food in a secure container you should be ok. mice maybe...
quails are cute but the eggs aren't as useful imo. we thought about adding guinea fowl but they are too noisy!
putting them to bed is important but it depends a bit on wgere you live, are you urban or rural and any foxes sighted?

We're not around at dusk (or busy anyway) to put them to bed. They trot off into their house at dusk by themselves and then we just close the door before we go to bed. Or you can get doors that close automatically when it gets dark! We also have quails but they're a bit of a pain if they get out because they don't get out and are a nightmare to catch! We've lost 4 out of 6 quails in less than a year this way

we have one of the automatic door closers and i have to say it has been revolutionary - it really is brilliant. think it cost about 60 quid, but should last forever. it was very very easy to set up. although if i was doing it again i would get the one that you can set to a specific time not just the light sensitive one, as imo it lets them out a bit too early in the morning. and yes, you will probably get rats! or huge mice.

do the chickens take themselves off to roost? you don't have an all night party chicken?

If they're in a secure run then you don't even need to shut them in at night, as nothing will be able to get in (though it does mean you can control when they get up!). We usually let ours take themselves off to bed, then shut their pophole an hour or so later once they've settled down for the night. We have very stupid chickens who come out again if we go out too early and then we have to do a midnight 'try to get the chicken back in the house' dance!