The young, like all ground game birds, hatch with ‘coats’ on ready to search for food with their parents. They eat seeds, berries and insects.

Quail are the ground-living birds in this pen and are also some of the smallest species in the Phasianidae family, which includes pheasants, partridges, grouse, peacocks, and jungle fowl (from which laying hens have been bred).

Adult quail reach about 20cm (8 ins) in length. They used to be widespread in the wild in Britain, but are now only kept as poultry for the table. They lay prolifically and are easy to keep, hence their popularity.

Quail eggs have a short incubation period of 17-18 days. The young, like all ground game birds, hatch with ‘coats’ on ready to search for food with their parents. They eat seeds, berries and insects.

Quail are monogamous in the wild and the males only mate with one female. The female lays about 12 eggs in a scrape on the ground.

In the autumn the birds join together in small flocks called ‘coveys’.

They feature in the Bible story of Moses asking God for meat for the Israelites.