It should be fed ad libitum and, when a well-balanced turkey starter is used, supplementation will not be necessary until just prior to maturity, at which point dicalcium phosphate or crushed oyster shell should be made available. It is important to avoid feeding turkey starter that is dated more than eight weeks from the time of milling. The shelf-life of this particular feed will be even less in the summer months and should not be used over four weeks after milling. Breeding A ratio of one male to two females results in a high fertility, although one to three is commonly practised and ratios of one to six will be successful with good males. The females will continue to lay fertile eggs for about nine days after the male has been removed.
Fertility is highest if males and females are kept together at all times.
However, fertility falls off rather rapidly in both males and females after six months of age. Maximum hatchability occurs when both parents are between eight and 20 weeks old. As with other laboratory species, disease prevention is of paramount importance, particularly with birds in systems with high population densities. Newly arrived birds should be placed in a quarantine area for not less than two weeks. The coturnix appears to be susceptible to most of the diseases that affect domestic poultry and, therefore, should be housed separate from either chickens or turkeys.