Bobwhite quail
The bobwhite is North America's native game quail, a 6–7 oz bird raised mostly for release on hunting preserves and for training bird dogs, and less often for meat. It is slow by quail standards: birds are mature at 16 weeks and most hens start laying at 22–25 weeks. Most states want a licence or permit before you keep them.
- Temperament
- Social, Prone to feather-pecking
- Space per bird
- 1 sq ft
Is the Bobwhite right for you?
Good fit if
- You train bird dogs or supply a hunting preserve and want a strong flyer
- You have room for a covered flight pen at 2 sq ft a bird
- You are willing to sort out a state game-bird permit first
Poor fit if
- You want meat or eggs quickly. Bobwhites take 16 weeks to mature and most hens start laying at 22–25 weeks; Coturnix hens can start at 5 weeks
- You want a handful of birds. Murray McMurray sells bobwhite chicks only in lots of 100
- You plan to restock wild quail. Florida Extension says it is difficult to establish a wild population from pen-raised birds
Appearance and varieties
A bobwhite is a small, round ground bird 6–7 in tall and about 6 oz. The cock has a bold white stripe above the eye; on the hen the head stripes are cream or buff.
Much of the adult plumage is in by 10 weeks, and most birds can be sexed by their feather pattern at 12 weeks.
The eastern bobwhite is the subspecies most often kept. Florida Extension lists four others (plains, masked, Texas and Florida) and notes that many farm-raised stocks have been selected for size, appearance and egg production, so some are larger than wild birds.43
Temperament and handling
Bobwhites are covey birds. In the wild they live in groups of 3–20 and roost at night on the ground in a tight circle facing outwards.
In pens the main problem is pecking. Florida Extension calls cannibalism one of the major problems of rearing quail in confinement and says any stress can set it off, with crowding and uncomfortable temperatures the most common causes. Hiding places in the pen help.
If the birds are for release, keep them away from people, pets and traffic. Florida Extension says birds that get used to people and noise do not respond well to an approaching hunter. The larger strains raised for meat tend to be more docile.53
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What our sources report for the breed. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | More than 90 a hen in a 6-month season; 150–200 if kept in lay all year3 | With 17 hours of light a day. |
| Start of lay | Most hens at 22–25 weeks; a few as early as 163 | |
| Incubation | About 23–24 days15 | Penn State sets eggs for 24 days at 99.5–100 °F; wild clutches hatch in 22–24 days. |
| Maturity | 16 weeks3 | Ready for release, for the table or for pairing as breeders. |
| Feed to 16 weeks | About 3.3–4.5 lb a bird3 | 1.3–1.5 lb in the first 8 weeks plus 2–3 lb from 8 to 16 weeks. |
| Breeder working life | The first season plus two or three more, with at least 3 months' rest between seasons3 | Egg numbers, fertility and hatchability fall each time breeders are reused. |
Housing, feed and health
Housing
Chicks cannot hold their body temperature for the first 10 days. Penn State starts them at about 95 °F under the heat source in an 88 °F room and drops the room 5 °F a week to 70 °F. Round off the corners of the brooding area so chicks cannot pile up and smother, and put marbles or clean gravel in the waterers for the first week or two so they cannot drown.
Penn State and Florida give adult breeders 1 sq ft each in floor pens or 0.5 sq ft in cages (Mississippi State says at least 2 sq ft for each breeder bird). Birds being readied for release go into flight pens at 2 sq ft a bird, with plants inside for cover, mesh over the top and chicken wire buried along the base against predators.
Mississippi State says to give 25% more room when temperatures often pass 90 °F. Florida Extension keeps breeders between 50 and 85 °F for the best egg production, hangs curtains under raised wire pens in winter to stop wind blowing beneath the birds, and winters them in groups of 20 or more for warmth.163
Feed
Game birds need more protein than chickens. Penn State's programme is a 28% protein starter for the first 6–8 weeks, a 20% grower from 8 to 14 weeks, then a 13–14% maintenance feed. Breeders move to an 18–20% breeder ration 4–6 weeks before the breeding season. Commercial game-bird feed is the usual choice; Penn State says turkey feed also works.
Florida Extension puts feed use at 1.3–1.5 lb a bird over the first 8 weeks and 2–3 lb from 8 to 16 weeks. It warns against storing feed for more than 2–3 weeks in hot weather, because quail are sensitive to mould.13
Health
Few medications are approved for quail, so the extension advice is about prevention. Buy from disease-free stock, ideally a National Poultry Improvement Plan participant; keep age groups apart; keep visitors out; keep buildings clean; and bring in new birds only as eggs or chicks where you can. Penn State isolates any started or adult newcomers for at least a month.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If birds look sick or start dying, contact an avian vet, your state diagnostic laboratory or your county extension office before treating anything.13
Price and where to buy
Read on 9 October 2026. Murray McMurray listed chicks at $3.00 each with a minimum of 100, on a page carrying a November 2026 site notice. Stromberg's listed $2.50 each, or $2.30 each for 200, with a customer review dated June 2026. Both were sold out or out of stock. Shipping is extra.
Where to look
Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.
| Seller or directory | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Murray McMurray Hatchery | Hatchery | Chicks $3.00 each, minimum 100 |
| Stromberg's Chickens | Hatchery | Chicks $2.50 each, $2.30 each for 200 |
Similar breeds
History
The northern bobwhite is a wild North American bird, not a breed made by farmers. It was once among the most important game birds on the continent. Wild numbers fell by about 81% between 1966 and 2019 as habitat was lost, and in many places there are no longer enough to hunt.
That decline is what drives the farm trade. Hunting preserves, field trials and dog trainers buy pen-raised birds, and Florida Extension describes game-bird production as a multi-million-dollar industry. Georgia made the bobwhite its state game bird in 1970.534
Common questions
How big is a bobwhite quail?
About 6–7 oz and 6–7 in tall. Wild eastern bobwhites run from 5.9 oz in the south to 6.9 oz in the north, and some farm-raised strains are bigger.34
Do you need a permit to raise bobwhite quail?
Usually, yes. Florida Extension says most states require a licence or permit to keep quail in confinement, and Pennsylvania, for example, requires one to possess and propagate game birds. Rules differ by state, so ask your state wildlife agency before you buy birds or eggs.31
When do bobwhite quail start laying eggs?
Most hens start between 22 and 25 weeks of age; a few start as early as 16 weeks under lights. Under natural conditions, quail begin to mate in the spring as the days lengthen. Breeders are given 17 hours of light a day to bring them into lay at other times.3
How many eggs does a bobwhite quail lay?
Under lights, expect more than 90 eggs a hen over a 6-month season, and an average of 150–200 if hens are kept in lay for a full year. A wild hen lays a clutch of about 12.34
What colour are bobwhite quail eggs?
Dull or creamy white, about 1.2 in long and 1 in wide.5
How long do bobwhite quail eggs take to hatch?
About 23–24 days. Penn State sets them for 24 days at 99.5–100 °F and turns them at least three times a day.14
How much space do bobwhite quail need?
Penn State and Florida give adult breeders 1 sq ft each in a floor pen or 0.5 sq ft in a cage, while Mississippi State says at least 2 sq ft for each breeder bird. Birds being flight-conditioned for release need 2 sq ft each. Give 25% more when it is often above 90 °F.16
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- Penn State Extension, Bobwhite Quail Production (Agricultural Alternatives, updated 2005).
- Mississippi State University Extension, Game Birds and Ratites.
- University of Florida IFAS Extension, Bobwhite Quail Production, Circular 879 (2003, archival copy).
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Bobwhite Quail Fact Sheet.
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Northern Bobwhite Life History, All About Birds (archived copy).
- Mississippi State University Extension, Space needs of Bobwhite Quail.
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Commercial Game Bird Breeder License Information.
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- Murray McMurray Hatchery, Bobwhite Quail.
- Stromberg's Chickens, Bobwhite Quail Chicks.
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