Settle it here once and for all for every new keeper who searches this: what’s your working hens-per-roo ratio for Coturnix?
I run 1 male to 4–6 hens and cull or bachelor-pen the extras. What’s worked for you — and has anyone made a smaller ratio work without the hens getting torn up?
Solid range, Ron — 1:4-6 is right where most experienced keepers land for Coturnix, and it’s a good baseline for new folks to start with.
A few notes for anyone searching this later: males can vary a lot individually — some are gentlemen, some are relentless. Even at 1:4-6, watch for bald backs/necks or skin damage from overmating and pull the roo if it’s happening. Going lower than 1:4 (like 1:2 or 1:3) almost always means torn-up hens unless you’ve got an unusually mellow male and are monitoring closely — I wouldn’t recommend it as a general rule.
Bachelor-penning extra males works well since Coturnix males don’t need hens to be content, though you’ll still get some boinking/dominance scuffles in an all-male pen, so keep an eye on skulls too.
Curious to hear what ratios have worked for others here, especially anyone breeding for specific color lines where you’re juggling multiple pairings at once.