Contemplating Quail...

[FourRingCircus]

OK, soooooo... I am contemplating getting quail. I would like another meat source aside from rabbit (switch it up every now and then, plus most people are horrified by the thought of eating rabbit, so maybe this would be an option for guests? My MIL has already told DH that he better not sneak any to her b/c if she ever found out she would never eat our food again... and that's not a threat. There's a lady at church that uses venison in place of beef sometimes - she refuses to eat her food). I loathe butchering chickens. I do it when I have to, but I have purposely not purchased any meat chickens b/c I dislike butchering them so much... and I don't even pluck them! I just skin them to make it easier. Anyway, when I saw in another post that someone can process one in 27 seconds I thought, hey, that's my kind of bird! :lol: I watched a couple videos on youtube and it definitely looks like something that wouldn't be nearly as annoying as a chicken. (I really really want to get away from store bought meat entirely. We rarely eat anything other than beef (from out back or down the road) because the thought of how the local chicken houses smell, and the sight of them on the trucks going down the road just grosses me out.

I contacted on person on CL about some chicks, just to get an idea on cost. Thinking through how many to get. It looks like they don't get broody often, but I usually have multiple chicken hens that do each year so I could just hatch them out that way I guess. Or borrow a friends incubator... I read that they feather out much faster than chickens so I wouldn't have to deal with a brooder for nearly as long so that's a plus as well!

Also, trying to repurpose some things around the yard for a coop. I have this crate that was a makeshift dog house when we had 7 puppies running around (some straight line winds blew the metal off). I am thinking I can enlarge the holes. Cover what is currently the open top with wire (the lid is just propped on it right now, then flip it over and that would be the bottom. Set it up on some 4x4s (thinking through that even more, if I made a poop chute, then I could have the bottom be a grow out pen eventually). Cover 3 sides with wire, make 2 simple doors for what would be the front. Maybe set it up at an angle to make gathering eggs easier. Still in the research phase so I am sure I will tweak those plans as I learn more. One thing I haven't yet figured out is how much space they need... that will determine how many I get.



Or, could I do something with this metal rack maybe? Currently it's just a place to put junk as we clean up the yard

 

[II Arrows]

I'm also thinking about raising quail, on a small scale of course. I keep going back and forth with it. If I decide too, I would be going with the Bob white quail instead of the cortunix. Cortunix quail is a dark meat bird while the Bob white has white meat. I don't know to much about them other then what I read and seen on YouTube. Please keep us informed on the new adventure if you decide to travel down that road.

 

[Dood]

It looks like they don't get broody often,

Actually never. A hen may look like she wants to settle on eggs but they rarely last more than a week and the eggs need to incubated 16 to 18 days.

I usually have multiple chicken hens that do each year so I could just hatch them out that way I guess.

Chickens, even bantams, are usually too heavy and will crush quail eggs

Or borrow a friends incubator...

yes

I read that they feather out much faster than chickens so I wouldn't have to deal with a brooder for nearly as long so that's a plus as well!

Wrong. They do feather out very quickly but because of their small body mass they chill and do need a heat source. Here in southern Ontario the hatchlings need heat for 3 weeks even in the summer when the temperatures are in the 80's and chicks and adults need heat in the winter.

Also, trying to repurpose some things around the yard for a coop. I have this crate that was a makeshift dog house when we had 7 puppies running around (some straight line winds blew the metal off). I am thinking I can enlarge the holes. Cover what is currently the open top with wire (the lid is just propped on it right now, then flip it over and that would be the bottom. Set it up on some 4x4s (thinking through that even more, if I made a poop chute, then I could have the bottom be a grow out pen eventually). Cover 3 sides with wire, make 2 simple doors for what would be the front. Maybe set it up at an angle to make gathering eggs easier. Still in the research phase so I am sure I will tweak those plans as I learn more.

That would work. Quail, even week olds, are VERY good fliers so dont make the doors too big or they can slip past and escape. I use all wire rabbit cages for my breeders, the 1 x 1/2 floor is fine for adults but my birds under 5 weeks old are on solid flooring.

One thing I haven't yet figured out is how much space they need... that will determine how many I get.

Ranges from 8 square inches per bird to 12 sq inches. Just like rabbits, some bloodlines are more social than others. My first birds were HORRIBLE and were pecking each others eyes out and scalping each other. I quickly culled the aggressors and started hatching out 60 chicks every 2 weeks so I could select out the docile ones. I am pretty happy with their temperaments at the moment but I must introduce new birds to the covey VERY carefully or there will be blood

Or, could I do something with this metal rack maybe? Currently it's just a place to put junk as we clean up the yard

That could work too. Quail are not that picky about housing as long as they are out of the wind, rain and sun

 

[FourRingCircus]

Thanks for all the info, Dood! I hadn't thought about the chicken being too heavy and crushing the eggs... I can see that happening though! Bummer that that part of my plan might not work out. I did see a few videos where they had broody bantams hatch out so I guess it is possible, though not common (they had them on the ground, in more of a natural surrounding which likely made a difference).

 

[Dood]

I'm also thinking about raising quail, on a small scale of course. I keep going back and forth with it. If I decide too, I would be going with the Bob white quail instead of the cortunix.

Bobs are only recently domesticated so they cannot be housed like coturnix. They are very flighty and prone to damaging themselves, they are also much more aggressive with each other over territory so they need more room for each bird and a flight pen is often recommended. They also are seasonal layers so chicks are usually only available in the spring and summer, while cots produce eggs all year.

 

[FourRingCircus]

I'm also thinking about raising quail, on a small scale of course. I keep going back and forth with it. If I decide too, I would be going with the Bob white quail instead of the cortunix.

Bobs are only recently domesticated so they cannot be housed like coturnix. They are very flighty and prone to damaging themselves, they are also much more aggressive with each other over territory so they need more room for each bird and a flight pen is often recommended. They also are seasonal layers so chicks are usually only available in the spring and summer, while cots produce eggs all year.

The egg laying is why I am staying away from pheasant. At least the little I read on them said they only lay seasonally as well. If I am going to have something around our house, it has to earn it's keep somehow

Chickens: eggs (and occasionally meat, but again, I hate processing them so it's not often)
Rabbits: meat (and hopefully eventually pelts)
Dogs: Dave Ramsey says they are the cheapest alarm system you can buy, and I agree, 100%
Cat: she's a fantastic mouser
People: everyone chips in around the house once they are walking and talking

 

[GBov]

I love quail! And all wire rabbit cages are your friends. Quail are sooooooo MESSY with their food :evil: but I found a way to combine their sand bath with catching spilt food that worked GREAT.

Right under the J Feeder I cut a hole in the floor and slot in a shallow plastic tray. I keep the tray half full of sand and when the quail throw feed round it all falls into the pan and they eat it later.

Most of the eggs get laid in the sand as well so fewer breakages.

And I toss the oyster shell grit in the sand too.

ALL the sand gets tossed out by the quail over about 3 days if I dont keep it topped up daily but its not a chore to take a scoop of sand in one hand, a scoop of feed in the other and put them in their places and then take the eggs inside.

In hot weather mine need another shallow container of water to stand in. They will drink from a chick auto watering cup but they really like the cooling bath.

Watch out if you have a watering cup though, we had a raccoon reach through the gap caused by the cup attaching to the back of the cage and it ate all of one quail through the gap and part of another but it left most of that one on top of the watering cup. It was in the high 90s that day and I only give them their bath water in the afternoon. By the time I reached them several were dead from lack of water.

So far though, quail are really trouble free, easy, fun to raise and super good to eat. Do get an incubator though, you can raise so many more that way than tryign to get a broody hen small enough to hatch them for you. It takes two at least per person for dinner so, with my family of 5, we need at least 10 birds per dinner and a few extra never last long. With my last flock of 12 I would save eggs for 6 days, incubate those while eating what they flock laid and, 5 days before they were due to hatch, start saving the eggs again. The bator never cooled off for long.

Neatly packaged quail is a fantastic Christmas Prezzie, all my family now look forward to different meat for the holidays. With a vacuum sealer (it keeps the meat fresh in the freezer for many months and even, in the case of one pig, for years!) I work all year long raising different meats for presents so the holidays are stress free and everyone is thrilled with what I give them.