Does Anyone Raise Quail? - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Does Anyone Raise Quail?

Posted: 7/29/2017 11:34:59 PM EDT

I used to have chickens before I moved, but my wife and I decided they were kind of a PITA and gave them away.

It's been about a year and I really miss the eggs. My new place isn't really conducive to chickens, so I picked up 12 coturnix quail from a guy who wanted to give them away.

They're only about a week old now hanging out in a 100º box with food, water, and a hideyhole. I think I have nailed down a small hutch/coop design, but I'm not married to it.

I've been reading a bit on the inter-webs, and think I'm ok -but are there any tidbits of knowledge the hive wish they knew?

Obligatory quail pic:

Posted: 7/29/2017 11:46:08 PM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
I used to have chickens before I moved, but my wife and I decided they were kind of a PITA and gave them away.

It's been about a year and I really miss the eggs. My new place isn't really conducive to chickens, so I picked up 12 coturnix quail from a guy who wanted to give them away.

They're only about a week old now hanging out in a 100º box with food, water, and a hideyhole. I think I have nailed down a small hutch/coop design, but I'm not married to it.

I've been reading a bit on the inter-webs, and think I'm ok -but are there any tidbits of knowledge the hive wish they knew?

Obligatory quail pic:

http://i64.tinypic.com/2629z7p.jpg

View Quote

I have nothing to add but I love that pic.

.

Quail is one of my three favorite wild meats. I grew up eating them and miss it, but we won't kill them to eat them now, as we'd rather watch/hear them. (They got kind of scarce around here--overhunted and habitat destroyed--for many years).

This is actually a tag. I don't know anybody who raises quail for eggs.

Posted: 7/30/2017 12:08:48 AM EDT

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:

I have nothing to add but I love that pic.

.

Quail is one of my three favorite wild meats. I grew up eating them and miss it, but we won't kill them to eat them now, as we'd rather watch/hear them. (They got kind of scarce around here--overhunted and habitat destroyed--for many years).

This is actually a tag. I don't know anybody who raises quail for eggs.

View Quote

I don't either. The guy I got them from raised them for meat only since he had chickens for eggs.

I haven't eaten quail since I was young. Same kind of thing were I grew up in Missouri with overhunting and the plethora of bobcats. They're just starting to recuperate.

I really only need two males, so I'll most likely eat the others once they become of age.

ETA: Thanks for the compliment on the pic. I like to think of myself as a semi amateur avian photographer.

Posted: 7/30/2017 12:44:01 AM EDT

[#3]

I don't where they came from but it's not unusual to see a small covey of quail driving down my road.

This morning when I went out to get some beans and vegetables there were 6 quail in my garden dining on my greens.

On the road, no problem, but if they keep hitting my garden, the .410's coming out and I do know how to bone, stuff and roast them.

Posted: 7/30/2017 1:01:44 AM EDT

[#4]

What is the noise level like? My biggest bitching points against chickens are that they shit everywhere and the hens are loud in the morning.

What's the egg turnaround too? Bitches love fancy omelettes.

Posted: 7/30/2017 1:41:28 AM EDT

[#5]

I have a lot of California Quail in my yard everyday. In the winter I feed them. I don't eat them but I love watching them. They are really quite astounding birds. They have calls or chat for every situation. Right now there are a couple of groups of youngsters with their parents. My cat gets one or two a year but they have his number. They are more like pets to me. I'm sure they would be tasty but I would rather go to the store and buy Chicken.

Posted: 7/30/2017 12:19:55 PM EDT

[#6]

Sorry no help here I've never raised quail. The picture made me hungry I loved eating quail and certain locations they sell like hotcakes. Our quail numbers have went way down over the years. I try to trap the raccoons, possums, bobcats and other predators to help them get a leg up but it seems like more just move back in. Good luck I think that selling quail for meat would be an excellent niche not to many people exploit.

Posted: 7/30/2017 2:59:27 PM EDT

[#7]

I've nothing to add, but my neighborhoods and surrounding are loaded with quail.

Posted: 7/30/2017 2:59:30 PM EDT

[#8]

OST.

The wife is wanting to raise some to release next year. Maybe sell some as well.

Posted: 7/30/2017 3:16:00 PM EDT

[#9]

https://youtu.be/11i3Qj3EfTA

How to raise Quail slaughter and cleaning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11i3Qj3EfTA

Posted: 7/30/2017 6:51:30 PM EDT

[#10]

Had a neighbor back home that raised them by the thousands for meat. He had a 1000 egg incubator. The guy threw away about 2 gallons
of quail eggs a day. I would stop by about twice a month and take a gallon bucket home. We even did a quail egg to chicken egg conversion so
the wife could use them in recipes.
The quail were kept in pretty simple enclosures that looked more like a rabbit hutch. He would hatch them out and put about 50 in these hutches
with an exposed light bulb for warmth. Not sure what he fed them but they lived in the same hutch until they were big enough to slaughter.

Posted: 7/30/2017 10:03:03 PM EDT

[#11]

Looks like I'll have to post more photos of my learning experience since there seems to be genuine interest.

I bought all the materials for the coop today. It's a simple 24"x36" layout with 12" of height in the coop. 24"x24" will be open and the other 12"x24" will be for nesting/brooding. I was going to have it on the ground since they are a ground bird, but I have a ton of predators in my back yard, so it'll be 4' tall overall. I should get it finished tomorrow.

Right now, the chicks are hanging out in a cardboard box. I'm feeding them 21% protein game feed that I have to grind up to almost a dust for the little ones. I'm also giving them some greens from my garden, mostly because it's funny to watch them fight over it.

If they're happy they're not vocal at all. You can't even hear their chirps from 10' away.

Anything can be better than the chickens I had.

Attached File

Posted: 7/30/2017 10:05:21 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
What is the noise level like? My biggest bitching points against chickens are that they shit everywhere and the hens are loud in the morning.

What's the egg turnaround too? Bitches love fancy omelettes.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:
What is the noise level like? My biggest bitching points against chickens are that they shit everywhere and the hens are loud in the morning.

What's the egg turnaround too? Bitches love fancy omelettes.

They should lay an egg a day.

With a 4:1 with a chicken, it should be about perfect.

Quoted:
OST.

The wife is wanting to raise some to release next year. Maybe sell some as well.

Bobwhites probably require a permit since they're native.

Posted: 7/30/2017 10:21:18 PM EDT

[#13]

We do, almost lost them all but are rebuilding the team. Just hatched two more and 44 eggs are in the incubator.

Pain in the rear if you ask me, but the wife loves them.

I'm currently building her a new hutch for them. I've ripped all the wood, but i have an early flight so it has to wait till I get back.

Posted: 7/30/2017 11:17:30 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
OST.

The wife is wanting to raise some to release next year. Maybe sell some as well.

View Quote

Quail releases don't work. They have almost 100% mortality rates. You are better off improving your quail habitat if you want more wild quail, otherwise you are just feeding predators. It's a shame, really, that you can't make wild release work.

Quail release stats

Posted: 7/30/2017 11:22:37 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Quail releases don't work. They have almost 100% mortality rates. You are better off improving your quail habitat if you want more wild quail, otherwise you are just feeding predators. It's a shame, really, that you can't make wild release work.

Quail release stats

View Quote

That's what I always thought it would be, but never saw the stats.

Animals we raise just don't know what they need to know to make it in the prey/predator chain.

Mama teaches them stuff they can't learn from us.

Posted: 7/30/2017 11:48:16 PM EDT

[#16]

I raised them in Houston TX in the backyard.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_19/644856_-ARCHIVED-THREAD----Back-Yard-Meat-Eggs---Coturnix-Quail---Page-2-Update--8-18-11-Female-Lost-.html&page=1

Posted: 7/31/2017 12:11:44 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
I raised them in Houston TX in the backyard.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_19/644856_-ARCHIVED-THREAD----Back-Yard-Meat-Eggs---Coturnix-Quail---Page-2-Update--8-18-11-Female-Lost-.html&page=1

View Quote

Awesome thread!

Posted: 7/31/2017 7:31:23 PM EDT

[#18]

Of course I had to work late today so I didn't get much done. Here's how it sits:

Attached File

Posted: 7/31/2017 7:47:23 PM EDT

[#19]

Quail are meat plants.

They'll stand up against a chicken-wire pen wall and let a hawk work out how to pull them through, a bite at a time.

Good luck!

Posted: 8/1/2017 8:15:13 AM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
Quail releases don't work. They have almost 100% mortality rates. You are better off improving your quail habitat if you want more wild quail, otherwise you are just feeding predators. It's a shame, really, that you can't make wild release work.

Quail release stats

View Quote

Survival skills are not inherent to quail, they need parents that have already figured out how to thrive in their specific area to teach the offspring. In areas that aren't particularly tough on quail you might get a year or so before domestic quail die off. However, if your release integrate with indigenous quail you could have some success. If you have wild quail, I recommend not raising other quail species and releasing, so that you don't run the risk of diluting that species.

Posted: 8/1/2017 3:10:26 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:

Survival skills are not inherent to quail, they need parents that have already figured out how to thrive in their specific area to teach the offspring. In areas that aren't particularly tough on quail you might get a year or so before domestic quail die off. However, if your release integrate with indigenous quail you could have some success. If you have wild quail, I recommend not raising other quail species and releasing, so that you don't run the risk of diluting that species.

View Quote

Or introduced diseases like coccidiosis.

Posted: 8/1/2017 6:04:57 PM EDT

[#22]

Used to have a lot of cotournix.

Little bastards start laying at 6 weeks!

Birds tiny, not much meat, eggs tiny.

Kids dyed the eggs for Easter, picked and roasted birds on tiny platters with peas and baby carrots for Mini Thanksgivings.

Probably had some old threads here but pics kicked the Photobucket

Posted: 8/2/2017 7:57:24 AM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:

Bobwhites probably require a permit since they're native.

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Yeah, that's what the wife said. She's going to look into it. She's the expert on all the animal stuff, I get all the mechanical and electrical

ETA: Looks like the license is $15, pen will need inspected before the license is issued and some basic record keeping requirements. Nothing too bad.

Posted: 8/2/2017 8:00:50 AM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
Quail releases don't work. They have almost 100% mortality rates. You are better off improving your quail habitat if you want more wild quail, otherwise you are just feeding predators. It's a shame, really, that you can't make wild release work.

Quail release stats

View Quote

Interesting, thanks!

We have a lot of CRP ground around us and are starting to get a lot of pheasants and rabbits back. Few local guys have really put a hurt on the coyote population the last couple years as well. Sucks the odds are so low

Posted: 8/2/2017 8:37:05 PM EDT

[#25]

Quote History

Quoted:

Interesting, thanks!

We have a lot of CRP ground around us and are starting to get a lot of pheasants and rabbits back. Few local guys have really put a hurt on the coyote population the last couple years as well. Sucks the odds are so low

View Quote

I read this book about coyotes. Long story short the coyote was only in the Southwest 100ish years ago. We've killed millions of them but they are now in every state except Hawaii.

When you start killing their friends and put pressure on them, the females become more fertile, having more litters per year.

Interesting read for sure.

Posted: 8/2/2017 9:00:15 PM EDT

[#26]

Around here people raise them (and chukars) for dog training. There's a market for that.
NJ stocks 15,000 quail and they buy them from a breeder in S.E. Pennsylvania.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Does Anyone Raise Quail?

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