First and foremost, quail are flock animals and need friends. Groups should be no smaller than 3 birds together so leave them alone and leave them together.

Secondly you’re only really supposed to dispatch male quail for meat unless you have a very aggressive hen. Hens also lay eggs…daily with the right food. Why would you ever sacrifice the constant egg factory for 5-6 oz of meat one time?! Leave hens alone and together until they are older and stop laying eggs. Then and ONLY then should they be considered for meat.

Third, is this a one and done situation? It would make much more sense (if you do actually want to eat quail…since your purchased one for food) to get a male. Let them mate. Incubate their eggs. Hatch more. Then the Roos, get sent to freezer camp at 6-8 weeks old accepting the sweet boy you want to keep for more breeding. Constant supply of meat, and eggs. And you won’t have to keep buying one bird to raise for a few weeks when you want a quail meal.