Quail ?! !?

[boyd3]

Hi everyone! I've been lurking in the forums for quite a while now. I have done quite a bit with chickens over the years, and had a small herd of NZW Rabbits... But as life got a little complicated I cut back. Then I met a great woman and got married... Now eating chicken and all the free range eggs is fine with her, but she can't get over the fact that little fuzzy is now being served for dinner. I soon gave up my rabbits :)

I started Searching for some other alternative that would fit and was wondering if anyone here has tried quail?

I've dusted off a couple of older incubators, cleaned them out, spent a couple of days making sure I wasn't going to hardboil any eggs, and got some Coturnix Quail Eggs.

From what I've read, rabbits are a 4x1 ratio (feed to live weight) chickens are 3x1 but quail are a 2x1...... And they lay lots of eggs. I know they are small and it will probably take a whole bunch to make it realistic, but curious if anyone out there has tried this? (FRED?) :)

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

Here in NW Pennsylvania, quail were very popular as a means of extra income for those of us with a rural setting....

However, it wasn't for the eggs or quail meat, but rather to start them and then sell off to the Fish and Game Department. Fish and Game would come and collect the birds to be released on game lands, operated by the State. Then, that opportunity for income went away, when Fish and Game took on their own hatchery operation. At our last meeting, they were hatching by the 200,000 batch. And individual operations were "out".

Some of my friends attempted to recoup their losses by starting a side business, as you mention, growing out and selling quail as meat, eliminating the "hunting" stage. Licensing was a problem, as they are a "game-bird" in this State and didn't fall under farm animal classification. I won't go into the various non-indigenous types and varieties... those arguments fell on deaf ears.

So, for personal use? Yep, apparently that's ok... it's the marketing which stops the show.

It's true that quail come into lay earlier than chickens... possibly have a more efficient weight/feed conversion, but that varies based on the specific breed and species of quail/chicken. There are chickens (genetic mutants) with a 2 lb feed / 1 lb flesh ratio.... hard to beat if efficiency in this category is your meter for success. A chicken can feed a family, a quail is mostly a single serving bird. So, more prep effort there.

The other thing is management... chickens are much easier to manage than are quail... (personal opinion), quail don't like confinement and do fly, are also very nervous as compared to a laying flock of chickens.

Next is the blood testing for managed stock.... oy, they are at the bottom of my list to deal with, as are pheasant... just so small and again, high strung when handled.

A close friend gave it up when the quail turned on one another, ate their own eggs (which they hide) and killed one another due to density issues... he'd also lose half his hatch... though he and I went round and round about space requirements... he saw ($$$) I saw a challenge to rear them in a healthy way.

Not to preclude you from attempting it, as you may enjoy them, being that you already have poultry experience. I will say, that in the last 10 years here... of those who reared quail, none do it now, even though they have huge grow out pens currently un-used, and a sizable investment in cabinet incubators (look like refrigerators).

In closing.... quail? Do not taste like Free Range chicken... their eggs are tiny... but certainly would look cute, sunny side up on an english muffin!

Please let us know how you come out with your quail? I just consider them ornamental... along with some of the exotic pheasant varieties...

Fred

www.FredsFineFowl.com

[boyd3]

Hm... for personal consumption is what I am looking for. Depending on how you read the permit requirements in Michigan, the Japanese quail I am doing fall into the need/dont need. Right down the middle!

I called our local extension office, and they sent me info that left me more confused... Then I decided to get in touch with our local DNR.. I haven't heard anything back officially yet, but the reaction I got was "where you live, I wouldn't worry about it".

I'm thinking of converting part of an un-used garage for now, and I have lots of rabbit cage/wire/equipment left over from before. Oh well :) It'll be fun to try it out at least, otherwise maybe I'll just make a grow out pen for some more Cornish X's :)

Thanks for the info Fred!

[boyd3]

http://geeksinmi.com/images/375003438_1294334402_0.jpeg

Here's the first lil quail chick:)

[boyd3]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PHfRzxcLqn4/SbrcwffH9jI/AAAAAAAAACQ/J8Knck_hpOo/s320/376091924_1298445090_0.jpeg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PHfRzxcLqn4/SbreNWALNlI/AAAAAAAAACY/2BhzK0KQMmg/s320/376092563_1298447340_0.jpeg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PHfRzxcLqn4/SbrflbzrOuI/AAAAAAAAACg/mwP6lLKplA8/s320/376091788_1298444586_0.jpeg

Well, I wanted to let ya'll know that of the eggs I originally set, my final hatch numbers were quite a bit lower than I thought it would be. It was a good experiment and a learning experience because I've never done quail before.

I got my coturnix egg shipment today and set 49 eggs ( i broke one ...) :(

I am crossing my fingers, toes and everything else, because other than chicken, game birds are some of my favorite eating.... now if I could only encourage the wife and girls to quit naming critters anything except food...................

[boyd3]

Got some quail going, with more in the 'bator :) Freezer camp is coming up soon I think.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PHfRzxcLqn4/Sd_ihE49TdI/AAAAAAAAACo/BiRVsySe6rs/s320/385608297_1333326297_0.jpeg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PHfRzxcLqn4/Sd_ihOLLVZI/AAAAAAAAACw/O9nUD-SzJa4/s320/385608668_1333327631_0.jpeg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PHfRzxcLqn4/Sd_ihbJzJgI/AAAAAAAAAC4/EgtBOdsjnQs/s320/385608833_1333328235_0.jpeg

[Garden Green]

Very awesome! Good set up you've got going on there. How many quail do you plan on having at any one time?

[boyd3]

12 - 15 at a time for breeding, and I'll have some grow out pens elsewhere, where I'll keep all excess roo's. I figure I'll try to replace my hens once a year to keep as many eggs and freezer camp kiddos coming.