Coturnix Quail - The Survivors

I raise my poultry on a large 200 acre farm in central Kentucky, there are few predators other than the stray cat or dog and coyotes far from the house. Two ears ago I purchased coturnix quail on Craigslist to try out raising them since I had raised most else (Guinea, Geese, Ducks, Chickens) ... Why not quail? Once I purchased the trio I noticed that my idea of allowing them to roam my entire 30 x 60 coop was drastically different from other's ideas of raising them in small pens. The quail had large runs and ate more bugs than grain, yet inevitably just past a month of getting them they made their escape.

I assumed they would have been a quick hawk snack, yet for the past two years I've seen them two or three times a year near the house in late summer. This last time I saw them I counted a group of 7. Not only are these quail surviving, yet they are reproducing. Despite all of the forums claiming the quail would be dead in a day, I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with coturnix quail surviving in the wild.

BTW: I am aware of the impacts and laws against releasing foreign animals or plants, yet this was purely accidental.

I do not know about Coturnix Quail, but Quail are actually a native bird here in the plains, I am from Nebraska. It does not surprise me too much that you had survivors, if you have good forage and places to roost.

Accidental or not, you really should try to capture them. They can survive on their own but give it time and they will slowly dissipate just like most wild populations. It's good to see that they did reproduce but these are not native birds to the US. You need to capture them... Just like starlings (as cool and pretty as they look) they all should be eradicated... Because they are not native.

Invision said:

Accidental or not, you really should try to capture them. They can survive on their own but give it time and they will slowly dissipate just like most wild populations. It's good to see that they did reproduce but these are not native birds to the US. You need to capture them... Just like starlings (as cool and pretty as they look) they all should be eradicated... Because they are not native.

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Don't; eradicate everything none native.... or there would be a lot less humans there too! ha ha.

jak2002003 said:

Don't; eradicate everything none native.... or there would be a lot less humans there too! ha ha.

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Lol Agreed. Non native is only a problem if they have the potential to become invasive. There are quail here, and plenty of predators for them, these quail will not become a problem.