Can Quail Live Together With Partridges or Pheasants?
Keeping quail with other animals is something that is only possible under certain conditions. The only animals that would make sense to keep with quail are other birds (A round of applause for my brilliant deduction), ideally as close as possible to their own species.
That is why the idea of breeding quail together with partridges is very much contemplated, they are very similar birds, I even believed for a long time that they were the same species.
The pheasant is another popular bird of the gallinaceous species, which although it is more similar to the hen than to the quail, the idea of coexistence could also be contemplated.
As with all living beings, harmonious coexistence will depend on several factors, but above all on the common characteristics of the species contemplated to live together.
The more differences and habits they have, the more probabilities of problems or incompatibilities.
This is something logical and natural, that is why I decided to make a table with the fundamental characteristics of poultry to compare their essential characteristics.
| Quail | Partridge | Pheasant | |
| Average size | 18 cm long, 96 grams mass | 34 cm long, 400 grams mass | 80 cm long, 1.2 kg mass |
| Family | Phasianidae | Phasianidae | Phasianidae |
| Average life span in captivity | 1.5 years | 3-5 years | 10-15 years |
| Type of feeding | grains, seeds, small insects | grass, plants, small insects | green feed |
| Territorial Bird? | yes | yes | yes |
When looking at the table of comparison between birds, there are two notable features, the first is that there is an obvious difference in size between them very noticeable, it is well known that quails are very small.
The difference in size of the pheasant in relation to quail and partridge is an issue that should not even be analyzed, the pheasant seems to me an intimidating bird (it looks like a miniature velociraptor).
What can be analyzed a little is the comparison between quail and partridge because they are really similar birds, but the difference in size both in weight and stature is also remarkable.
The partridge on average is almost twice the size of a quail, and its weight is also tripled, this is a very important element to take into account.
What we are trying to make clear with the comparison in size and weight, is that the quail in this role plays the role of being the most fragile bird, which can be easily injured or overpowered, and from my point of view, it is the most important aspect to keep in mind to keep it together with other poultry.
Putting a quail in a cage with a partridge is like having Mike Tyson versus Floyd Maywheater in the same ring, Floyd is a great fighter, but you know what I mean.
In case of territorial fights between birds or for mating purposes the quail would be wiped off the face of the earth, it wouldn’t even have a place to run.
Never put red-legged partridge and quail together
Just do not put a male red-legged partridge with quails, this partridge in jealousy season develops such aggressive behavior, that attacks everything that moves.
The red-legged partridge is easily recognized precisely because it has red legs, but its color is of different colors, light brown back and gray chest, its face is white.
It is a robust and tough bird, in nature is a very hunted bird so it has developed a tenacious survival instinct, although it is really a bird of uncommon distribution.
The life of the partridge goes through a stage in which there are violent confrontations between the males, within a flock, to choose the female and thus conclude its natural biological cycle.
These quarrels, fights and continuous confrontations usually begin with several phases of groping, which will serve to consolidate a hierarchy.
The problem arises in the case of having partridges and quails in the same confined space, if the quail does not have a place where it can run, the partridge will attack it until it is destroyed.
And the partridge maintains this aggressive behavior, not only within its own species but also with any other species.
Recently I saw a video of a partridge with a group of rabbits, the partridge was not allowing any other rabbit to approach the female rabbit, attacking constantly and aggressively.
The Chukar partridge, which is another species and one of the most popular among farmers because it is very popular for its large size and meat, also has the same characteristics of the red-legged partridge in terms of aggressiveness.
In the breeding of these partridges, it is recommended to breed them in groups of three, one male and two females in separate cages, or in pairs.
Even if the partridge does not want to eliminate the quail because it seems to me that the pecks made by the partridge are to impose and move away, but the difference in size in the birds added to the fragility of the quail almost always result in dead quail.
Can Quail live together with Partridges?
After all that has been said, the coexistence between partridge and quail is a checkmate situation, it is really not at all advisable to have them together in the same cage.
It happens the same with hens and quails, hens can hurt quails in coexistence, but there are some species of hens that are very peaceful and small, as for example the Japanese bantam hen or chabo.
This type of hen can be kept together with quail without problems, but among the species of partridges, there is not one that is less aggressive during the time of jealousy, that is simply its nature.
And although the red-legged partridge is a little smaller than the Chukar, it is still much larger and more robust than the quail, so the physical difference is a determining factor.
Keeping quail and partridges in an open place is not possible either, quail can fly several meters, and a protective mesh would have to be placed on top, which is not logical in large open spaces.
Partridges and quails can coexist but in separate aviaries, with their required space. I have seen some cases of people who keep partridges together with quails, but these are very young and do not present problems of jealousy by mating.
To be able to distinguish the young and adult age of a partridge it is necessary to observe the first remiges of its wings to distinguish between these two.
If in one of the first three remiges a small white spot is visible, no matter how small it is, it is a young animal.
If, on the other hand, there is no such small spot in any of the first three remiges, it is an adult animal.
Can Quail live together with Pheasants?
This topic also is about pheasants, because it is a recurring question if pheasants can live together with quails, I know that I extended much more about partridges, but it is practically the same with pheasants, and much worse.
It is simply not advisable to keep pheasants with quails, if you saw the table of comparison between birds that I put at the beginning of the topic, pheasants also have territorial behavior, besides being equally aggressive in the time of jealousy.
A pheasant is not going to tolerate absolutely anything around it in the jealousy season, and if you could read what partridges do to quail in the jealousy season, what wouldn’t a pheasant, which is a much bigger bird, with claws on its legs and a big sharp beak, do?
It is not really a subject of much analysis after all that has been said.
