Quail! Quail! Quail! Who is raising Quail... - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Quail! Quail! Quail! Who is raising Quail...

Posted: 10/12/2014 1:53:36 AM EDT

So I have 18, 2 week old Jumbo brown Coturnix Quail that I hatched out am very impressed. These things grow super fast. Scary fast.

Posted: 10/12/2014 2:29:23 AM EDT

[#1]

Oh and in ARFCOM fashion...

Posted: 10/12/2014 2:59:20 AM EDT

[#2]

I just started messing around with quail earlier this year.
Here's a pic of ten that I acquired from a local breeder.

They are prolific egg layers although mine have started slowing down due to the shortening days. What eggs I've collected in the past few weeks have gone into my recently acquired incubator, I've hatched out another ten birds and it is amazing how fast they grow out. Unfortunately my hatch out rate has dropped to only one bird in the last seven days. I've opened some over due eggs and discovered that all chick development essentially stopped around the same time. I'm pretty sure this happened as the result of a power failure, I remember coming home one day and the clocks on the stove, microwave, and nightstands were flashing. I'm guessing the power was out long enough for the temp inside my incubator to have dropped and pretty much killed all developing chicks.

Posted: 10/12/2014 11:31:59 AM EDT

[#3]

they start laying eggs at 8 week of age

We hatch several thousand a year and sell them to dog trainers (they have a short flight when flushed and can be flushed again and again) and for eaters.

The Coturnix quail are a lot hearty than bobwhite quail and mature a lot quicker 8 weeks vs 26 weeks.

Posted: 10/12/2014 11:52:12 AM EDT

[#4]

Congratulations, you have about two plates full. :P

Posted: 10/12/2014 4:11:58 PM EDT

[#5]

In very interested.

Posted: 10/12/2014 6:45:49 PM EDT

[#6]

I will some day.

Posted: 10/12/2014 7:31:31 PM EDT

[#7]

I picked up 4 Mexican speckled or snowflakes a couple weeks ago. Not sure what I will do with them, but they sure are cool little dudes.

Posted: 10/12/2014 10:02:21 PM EDT

[#8]

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I will some day.

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Really not hard at all. The most expensive thing for me was the incubator. I bought one that was not super expensive but not cheaply made for $150. You can get some incubators for less than $50 For the brooder I picked up a big rubber made container and then added a light fixture and bulb and it has worked great. The Coop was real easy too I built one to up suspended and it will be in the garage using paint trays underneath to catch waste. I think the total I have spent Quail eggs,brooder,incubator,food,food/water dishes, and coop building supplies is around $300. Quail are pretty basic and there are people who even raise them in apartments in rabbit cages.

Posted: 10/12/2014 11:04:47 PM EDT

[#9]

Ive got some gamble and coturnix, the coturnix are great egg layers

bought the eggs off ebay, pretty easy to hatch

here are the gambles

Posted: 10/13/2014 3:06:54 AM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:

Ive got some gamble and coturnix, the coturnix are great egg layers

bought the eggs off ebay, pretty easy to hatch

here are the gambles

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-06-18195235_zps5418e44b.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-06-18195154_zps32ef695e.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-05-21204937_zps476fef71.jpg

View Quote

Coturnix quail are my first adventure in to poultry. I might have to try other quail but everything I read makes Coturnix ahead of the pack. Why gamble?

Posted: 10/13/2014 9:27:49 AM EDT

[#11]

What incubator did you did you go with?
Time is why I am putting it off.

Posted: 10/13/2014 9:30:58 AM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Coturnix quail are my first adventure in to poultry. I might have to try other quail but everything I read makes Coturnix ahead of the pack. Why gamble?

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Ive got some gamble and coturnix, the coturnix are great egg layers

bought the eggs off ebay, pretty easy to hatch

here are the gambles

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-06-18195235_zps5418e44b.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-06-18195154_zps32ef695e.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-05-21204937_zps476fef71.jpg

Coturnix quail are my first adventure in to poultry. I might have to try other quail but everything I read makes Coturnix ahead of the pack. Why gamble?

Your pin looks good. Does it have a top?

Posted: 10/13/2014 10:19:25 AM EDT

[#13]

Currently you have some poop factories. Purina Gamebird Feed is what you should be using\feeding them.

I purchased 20 3 day olds and 10 of those were female. Culled all but two males. Had quite a few eggs for the time we had them. We're headed into winter so unless you are providing artificial light you're not going to get much egg production.

Anything in the cage will get poop on it. Keep the food, eggs, and water outside the cage.

Biggest issue I had with them is flies. Tons of flies.

You'll want an egg cutter sooner than later. 4 quail eggs to one chicken is what I've found.

http://www.amazon.com/Seki-Quail-Egg-Shell-Cutter/dp/B000AR2J5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413209543&sr=8-1&keywords=quail+egg+cutter

Posted: 10/13/2014 3:15:30 PM EDT

[#14]

had them for 4 or 5 years now
I keep 6 or 8 females and 2 roos on hand
last year I sold and processed around 150 birds in a single month

this year I have just been pickling the eggs
I dont know why but I alternate from year to year... probably from having to peel that many eggs lol

my advice would be to keep them under a heat source for longer than you think
last year I lost my last hatch of the season to a cold front that blew in one night
wasnt even what I would consider cool but the temp drop killed every single one of them
and they were fully feathered

Posted: 10/13/2014 4:04:10 PM EDT

[#15]

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Quoted:

What incubator did you did you go with?

Time is why I am putting it off.

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I went with the Brinsea octagon 20 ECO. I could of bought a automated turner but this design is so easy to turn the eggs you just tilt it back and fourth no need to open the incubator. It can hold all sorts of eggs I have even seen videos of emu eggs being hatched out of them. It is not some cheap Styrofoam and it is easy to clean. It is designed to hold 24 chicken eggs but seen people do more than that and for quail it says 60 eggs but I think it could hold close to 75 maybe 80 quail eggs.

I also like that the kids can watch pretty easily the eggs hatching.

Posted: 10/13/2014 4:08:54 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:

Currently you have some poop factories. Purina Gamebird Feed is what you should be using\feeding them.

View Quote

I purchased 20 3 day olds and 10 of those were female. Culled all but two males. Had quite a few eggs for the time we had them. We're headed into winter so unless you are providing artificial light you're not going to get much egg production.

Anything in the cage will get poop on it. Keep the food, eggs, and water outside the cage.

Biggest issue I had with them is flies. Tons of flies.

You'll want an egg cutter sooner than later. 4 quail eggs to one chicken is what I've found.

http://www.amazon.com/Seki-Quail-Egg-Shell-Cutter/dp/B000AR2J5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413209543&sr=8-1&keywords=quail+egg+cutter

Yep I am using the purina game bird feed. for the first few days I had used a motor and pestle to make it more of a powder so they would have an easier time eating it and it seemed to work out fine. As for the water I just picked up a bag of 20 water nipples and am designing a water system for them. Because I noticed as you said that they will poop in their water which is disconcerting because I am giving them highly purified water (berkey water)

Posted: 10/13/2014 4:12:28 PM EDT

[#17]

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Quoted:

had them for 4 or 5 years now

I keep 6 or 8 females and 2 roos on hand

last year I sold and processed around 150 birds in a single month

this year I have just been pickling the eggs

I dont know why but I alternate from year to year... probably from having to peel that many eggs lol

my advice would be to keep them under a heat source for longer than you think

last year I lost my last hatch of the season to a cold front that blew in one night

wasnt even what I would consider cool but the temp drop killed every single one of them

and they were fully feathered

View Quote

I do not plan on taking them out of the brooder until after week 3 or 4 and they will be in the garage coopafter that possibly with a heat lamp for the first week or two.

Posted: 10/13/2014 4:36:11 PM EDT

[#18]

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Quoted:

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Quoted:

Currently you have some poop factories. Purina Gamebird Feed is what you should be using\feeding them.

I purchased 20 3 day olds and 10 of those were female. Culled all but two males. Had quite a few eggs for the time we had them. We're headed into winter so unless you are providing artificial light you're not going to get much egg production.

Anything in the cage will get poop on it. Keep the food, eggs, and water outside the cage.

Biggest issue I had with them is flies. Tons of flies.

You'll want an egg cutter sooner than later. 4 quail eggs to one chicken is what I've found.

http://www.amazon.com/Seki-Quail-Egg-Shell-Cutter/dp/B000AR2J5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413209543&sr=8-1&keywords=quail+egg+cutter

Yep I am using the purina game bird feed. for the first few days I had used a motor and pestle to make it more of a powder so they would have an easier time eating it and it seemed to work out fine. As for the water I just picked up a bag of 20 water nipples and am designing a water system for them. Because I noticed as you said that they will poop in their water which is disconcerting because I am giving them highly purified water (berkey water)

Anything below chest level\in the cage will get pooped on.

Also the cages shouldn't be too tall. They can startle and "boink" up. The also benefit from oyster shell and sand.

I used Sweet PDZ spreading some under the cages and in their food\grit Won't hurt them if they eat it. Helps control odor\flies.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/sweet-pdzreg%3B-stall-refresher-25-lb

Posted: 10/13/2014 6:23:03 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:

I purchased 20 3 day olds and 10 of those were female. Culled all but two males. Had quite a few eggs for the time we had them. We're headed into winter so unless you are providing artificial light you're not going to get much egg production.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Currently you have some poop factories. Purina Gamebird Feed is what you should be using\feeding them.

I purchased 20 3 day olds and 10 of those were female. Culled all but two males. Had quite a few eggs for the time we had them. We're headed into winter so unless you are providing artificial light you're not going to get much egg production.

Anything in the cage will get poop on it. Keep the food, eggs, and water outside the cage.

Biggest issue I had with them is flies. Tons of flies.

You'll want an egg cutter sooner than later. 4 quail eggs to one chicken is what I've found.

http://www.amazon.com/Seki-Quail-Egg-Shell-Cutter/dp/B000AR2J5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413209543&sr=8-1&keywords=quail+egg+cutter

Yep I am using the purina game bird feed. for the first few days I had used a motor and pestle to make it more of a powder so they would have an easier time eating it and it seemed to work out fine. As for the water I just picked up a bag of 20 water nipples and am designing a water system for them. Because I noticed as you said that they will poop in their water which is disconcerting because I am giving them highly purified water (berkey water)

Anything below chest level\in the cage will get pooped on.

Also the cages shouldn't be too tall. They can startle and "boink" up. The also benefit from oyster shell and sand.

I used Sweet PDZ spreading some under the cages and in their food\grit Won't hurt them if they eat it. Helps control odor\flies.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/sweet-pdzreg%3B-stall-refresher-25-lb

The cage/coop I built is 12 inches high. Oyster shell I hear is not nessecay unless you see thin egg shells. Also a lot of people bake chicken egg shells and put them through a food processor as an alternative to oyster shell.

Yeah I have heard a lot of good stuff about Sweet PDZ. I have done a lot of reading on the quail sub forum on backyardchickens site.

Posted: 10/15/2014 11:52:16 AM EDT

[#20]

Use to raise quail after I got tired of the PITA that pheasants were. Also a pen that would hold 3 or 4 pheasants would happily hold dozens of quail.

Sadly I live in town now

Posted: 10/15/2014 6:25:41 PM EDT

[#21]

I raise coturnix, bob whites and a few a&m's. They did not do good at all this year. Last year I had them nestled down in cages on the ground towards the rear of my garden away from heavy traffic. My ratio was 8/2 male to female and I got one egg a day per female. They loved the full sun back there I guess. This year I put them in my chicken coupe which probably only gets 3-4 hours of dabbled sunlight through the trees and I don't think they like that. Plus the chickens probably kept them riled up and nervous, maybe they were exposed to parasites the chickens had but looked healthy.

I use the smaller Brinsea incubator and LOVE that.

Posted: 10/16/2014 9:52:59 AM EDT

[#22]

Cool thread.

What do the eggs and meat taste like?

Posted: 10/16/2014 10:05:03 AM EDT

[#23]

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Quoted:

Cool thread.

What do the eggs and meat taste like?

View Quote

Like Chicken.

It's really easy to dry out the meat if not prepped correctly.

The eggs are like chicken eggs substitute 4 to 1 but you get more yoke.

Posted: 10/16/2014 10:14:21 AM EDT

[#24]

you laid your guns down in bird poop?

TRG

Posted: 10/16/2014 11:11:27 AM EDT

[#25]

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Quoted:
Cool thread.

What do the eggs and meat taste like?

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I pickle the eggs only and lots of folks that try them have said they taste like a cheese. It's just a richer tasting egg to me.

Posted: 10/16/2014 11:41:52 AM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:
Cool thread.

What do the eggs and meat taste like?

View Quote

eggs as mentioned pretty much taste like eggs
I like them pickled they have a firmer and richer texture versus pickling a chicken egg (I dont like pickled chicken eggs,lol)
before we got chickens I used them for breakfast and everything else... just took more of them

the meat taste like... quail, its close enough to chicken and doesnt have a gamey taste to it so anybody can eat it
but its just a really small bird and it takes some care to not dry it out
mainly quail are very easy to process. most people dont pluck them and just skin them out
they have paper skin and it comes off insanely easy
can take a quail from live to dressed and ready to cook in seconds

ETA: should have kept reading... already answered haha

Posted: 10/18/2014 4:13:25 AM EDT

[#27]

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Quoted:

you laid your guns down in bird poop?

TRG

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Put new bedding down before the shoot. Of course they pooped even why laying bedding down but it was minimal and took photos quickly and cleaned guns.

Posted: 10/18/2014 4:19:19 AM EDT

[#28]

Quote History

Quoted:
eggs as mentioned pretty much taste like eggs

I like them pickled they have a firmer and richer texture versus pickling a chicken egg (I dont like pickled chicken eggs,lol)

before we got chickens I used them for breakfast and everything else... just took more of them

the meat taste like... quail, its close enough to chicken and doesnt have a gamey taste to it so anybody can eat it

but its just a really small bird and it takes some care to not dry it out

mainly quail are very easy to process. most people dont pluck them and just skin them out

they have paper skin and it comes off insanely easy

can take a quail from live to dressed and ready to cook in seconds

ETA: should have kept reading... already answered haha

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

Cool thread.

What do the eggs and meat taste like?

eggs as mentioned pretty much taste like eggs

I like them pickled they have a firmer and richer texture versus pickling a chicken egg (I dont like pickled chicken eggs,lol)

before we got chickens I used them for breakfast and everything else... just took more of them

the meat taste like... quail, its close enough to chicken and doesnt have a gamey taste to it so anybody can eat it

but its just a really small bird and it takes some care to not dry it out

mainly quail are very easy to process. most people dont pluck them and just skin them out

they have paper skin and it comes off insanely easy

can take a quail from live to dressed and ready to cook in seconds

ETA: should have kept reading... already answered haha

My understanding is the eggs healthier than chicken eggs

http://skipthepie.org/dairy-and-egg-products/egg-whole-raw-fresh/compared-to/egg-quail-whole-fresh-raw/

Posted: 10/29/2014 12:58:02 AM EDT

[#29]

Well 4 weeks old now

From this

To this in 4 weeks.

And here are some more photos.

These things grow so fast. I really did not expect it.

Posted: 10/29/2014 2:44:57 AM EDT

[#30]

cool!

Posted: 10/29/2014 11:20:30 AM EDT

[#31]

they really do grow crazy fast... they almost double in size every day for the first couple days

Posted: 10/30/2014 2:20:21 AM EDT

[#32]

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Quoted:

they really do grow crazy fast... they almost double in size every day for the first couple days

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Only 5 0r 6 of the 18 are ladies so I have a bunch to cull. Plus I have another 24 eggs in the incubator from another breeder. I have 10 or so plump mails that will be good around Thanksgiving..

Posted: 10/30/2014 2:53:14 AM EDT

[#33]

Nice dinner pic OP.

]

Posted: 10/30/2014 9:03:17 AM EDT

[#34]

How hard or easy is it to prepare a quail for eating? I have had them twice in restaurants and they were delicious.

Posted: 10/30/2014 9:11:53 AM EDT

[#35]

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Quoted:
How hard or easy is it to prepare a quail for eating? I have had them twice in restaurants and they were delicious.

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" quail cleaning with scissors "

Posted: 10/30/2014 10:57:03 AM EDT

[#36]

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How hard or easy is it to prepare a quail for eating? I have had them twice in restaurants and they were delicious.

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the LaRue posted video pretty much shows it

personally i use Gerber Game shears
they work and I have 2 or 3 other pairs of shears that failed on me

but while we are here...
like anything else people do things differently
this is how I do it
I dispatch my quail using a steel bar and a blow to the base of the head
sure you can just snip the head off but the quail freak out and make a mess of it

if you hold a quail in your hand and extend your hand downwards the quail will bring its head out and up
using a stick or bar or whatever I place it on my forearm and bring it down the top of my arm
by doing this the quail now wont flip out when you cut the head off, I can place the quail head down above a bucket, quick snip and mess contained
I snap the legs and wings at the first joints you break them backwards and they will show you were to cut cleanly at the joint
then with the quail breast up at you hold it with a thumb on each breast and then pull like your opening a bag of potato chips
skin comes off like a latex glove... its paper thin

again people dress quail differently but i take my shears and run them down each side of the spine
grab spine and pull and most of the time the guts go with it in a neat package
and thats that...

Posted: 10/30/2014 1:34:17 PM EDT

[#37]

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" quail cleaning with scissors "

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Quoted:

Quoted:
How hard or easy is it to prepare a quail for eating? I have had them twice in restaurants and they were delicious.

" quail cleaning with scissors "

Wow. Didn't know it was that easy. I already raise chickens maybe I should add a small pen next to them for quail next year.

Posted: 10/30/2014 9:07:21 PM EDT

[#38]

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Quoted:
Wow. Didn't know it was that easy. I already raise chickens maybe I should add a small pen next to them for quail next year.

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View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

How hard or easy is it to prepare a quail for eating? I have had them twice in restaurants and they were delicious.

" quail cleaning with scissors "

Wow. Didn't know it was that easy. I already raise chickens maybe I should add a small pen next to them for quail next year.

I'd keep them separate. THey have diseases that can cross and get in trouble.

Posted: 10/30/2014 9:22:17 PM EDT

[#39]

Gamble are native here where I live, I could of just caught some wild ones, but I chose to buy some eggs and raise them, they only lay eggs in the spring, they are more like pets, I enjoy their call, and just their overall apperance

Quote History

Quoted:
Coturnix quail are my first adventure in to poultry. I might have to try other quail but everything I read makes Coturnix ahead of the pack. Why gamble?

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Ive got some gamble and coturnix, the coturnix are great egg layers

bought the eggs off ebay, pretty easy to hatch

here are the gambles

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-06-18195235_zps5418e44b.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-06-18195154_zps32ef695e.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-05-21204937_zps476fef71.jpg

Coturnix quail are my first adventure in to poultry. I might have to try other quail but everything I read makes Coturnix ahead of the pack. Why gamble?

Posted: 10/30/2014 9:23:23 PM EDT

[#40]

My pen is fully enclosed or they would fly out, it is 10ft tall, I enclosed a mesquite bush witin it for natural habitat,with electric fence around it, to keep the coyotes out, I lost the first batch to coyotes, the electric fence works great

Quote History

Quoted:

Your pin looks good. Does it have a top?

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Ive got some gamble and coturnix, the coturnix are great egg layers

bought the eggs off ebay, pretty easy to hatch

here are the gambles

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-06-18195235_zps5418e44b.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-06-18195154_zps32ef695e.jpg

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn45/cj7365/2013-05-21204937_zps476fef71.jpg

Coturnix quail are my first adventure in to poultry. I might have to try other quail but everything I read makes Coturnix ahead of the pack. Why gamble?

Your pin looks good. Does it have a top?

Posted: 10/30/2014 9:31:13 PM EDT

[#41]

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Quoted:
" quail cleaning with scissors "

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Quoted:

Quoted:

How hard or easy is it to prepare a quail for eating? I have had them twice in restaurants and they were delicious.

" quail cleaning with scissors "

This, There are some other good videos that show dispatching quails to just type "how to dress a quail" in youtube and there are a bunch of techniques all pretty easy.

Posted: 11/4/2014 11:45:15 PM EDT

[#42]

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" quail cleaning with scissors "

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Quoted:

Quoted:
How hard or easy is it to prepare a quail for eating? I have had them twice in restaurants and they were delicious.

" quail cleaning with scissors "

That beats the hell how I did mine a few weeks ago. Thanks! Now to get me a good pair of scissors

+1 on what matefrio said. I raised them in the coupe seperated with chickens this year for this first time and they did horrible.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Quail! Quail! Quail! Who is raising Quail...

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