Dreaming of quail in my tiny urban backyard...eggs.....but meat....???!

[The Backyard Bantams]

Thought I’d add this to the meat birds thread, if it’s relevant.

So....it’s the middle of the night.....ok this sounds weird, but I’ve basically watched a dozen or so quail butchering videos...I’m going crazy in quarantine...

I’ve only had chickens for 6 months! I dove in head first and don’t regret it! I currently have 3 bantam hens, an (illegal) sweet (but loud) little roo (will be rehomed), and 7 chicks. They are soooo cute!

I got into all of this stuff pretty quickly! I started watching some homesteading channels...this sounds dramatic, but it might’ve changed my life! Because, not only am I obsessed with chickens and gardening, but I want a mini hobby farm when I grow up! I don’t even think it’ll happen. But it’s so cool to explore!

Idk how long I’ve been wondering, but I want quail...! Now, to put this in context:

-I already have chickens
-I’m in lockdown
-all of my money is spent on chickens lol
-my parents are supportive, but not into this thing I’m obsessed with...
-boi, i’m a kid.

HOWEVER:

-even though my parents are not animal lovers, I SOMEHOW manages to convince them in chickens. In a WEEK. I don’t even know how that happened!!!
-I already have a suitable habitat...it’s a second hand mini coop, very small, but so are quail!! We’re talking 60cm x 180cm?? Plus a sleeping and nesting area! It’s made of hardware/aviary mesh, I can add a predator apron.
-already have small feeders
-so basically all I need is food, and the quail themselves!

So yeah...probs not gonna happen anytime soon but.....my 13th birthday is coming up in a month or two... >;3

Also, I tried quail eggs before, they were quite nice! I haven’t tried quail meat though!

Now for section two of this post lol

Meat..?

So...I love animals...never killed one. Quail are adorable ;-;

My big disadvantages:

-Never killed anythibg
-Quail are cuteeee
-Don’t really know anyone to help me?? Like learning from a friend would be amazing!
-A little squeamish? Not excessively.
-Nerve twitches would probably freak me out.
-Is my family seriously gonna let me do this?? Like, NO!
-TBH I’d probably get attached
-Better not mention this to my family, they’ll think I’m phyco
-I’ll probably vly wake up in the morning and think “no, why would I want to butcher quail?”

Good things:

-I’m pretty determined, Willing to try new things
-Excess males would probably need to be culled...
-I LOVE food. Homegrown meat would be an absolute first! Butchering is sad, but I think it’s good to know where it comes from! I know what goes into my food, I know it had a happy life.

I’ve mentioned I might grow my own meat when I grow up to my family, they laugh. It is pretty unbelievable. Don’t know how is do it, but I’m determined to look into it! I love research! I’m -2357% ready to butcher a chicken, even though quails are adorable, chickens are just another level, more space, more equipment, more work , more time, and it would be WAY harder emotionally!! Also, I live in a tiny backyard! I’m definetely NEVER raising anything for meat like that, even quail is extremely unlikely.

I think killing it would be the hardest part...once it’s cleaned up I’d be relived. I don’t actually know if I’ll be able to butcher something...wonder if I’ll ever find out? Attending someone else’s processing day would be very helpful! But, idk anyone... while I’m a little squeamish, I think i would be able to process it ok.

Btw, I’m thinking a flock of 7-12?? I have a pretty small, 10 x 10m sort of backyard, in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.

There is so much against me...mainly my family not wanting to, and me being a kid who has no idea what to do! Also, killing something...I think in theory I could do it...eventually....it would take some mental preparation! I don’t think I’d raise them specifically for meat, but If some are gonna have to be put down anyway, even if it’s hard, I feel like I’d honour that life more by making use of it? I guess it’s the “if you die would you rather be used?” Because, some people would go; “what bruh no, I don’t want to be eaten/used” or; “I’m dead anyway, might as well be if use”

ok that’s way too many emojis for sure...

Anyways there’s my rant. I reallyyyyy need to sleep to endure double engineering tomorrow...

Lemme know if you care! I’d love to hear your stuff....idk, opinion? Experiences?

Ty for reading guys ♥

Quailiens I wish

 

[CurlyQuail]

Check Facebook groups, I found a quail group near me and have met quite a few people from there. Join, explain that you’d like to watch someone process a few birds, and explain your age and situation.

This may sound a little nerdy, but if you’re not sure if you want to raise them for meat or not, try making a pro/con list. Pro: you get meat, hands on experience, practical skills that help in agricultural jobs, etc. Con: convincing your parents, preparing yourself emotionally, so on and so forth.

 

[The Backyard Bantams]

Check Facebook groups, I found a quail group near me and have met quite a few people from there. Join, explain that you’d like to watch someone process a few birds, and explain your age and situation.

This may sound a little nerdy, but if you’re not sure if you want to raise them for meat or not, try making a pro/con list. Pro: you get meat, hands on experience, practical skills that help in agricultural jobs, etc. Con: convincing your parents, preparing yourself emotionally, so on and so forth.

There are so many pros! Not any actual cons except my guilt, but MANY things to get past. Another problem with having a bevy mainly for eggs, only processing excess males, meanies or injured bird etc. is I’ll probably get attached...I can’t speak from experience, my flock of chookens is just for pets/benefit of eggs! But... I have no idea, since I’ve literally never been in a situation where I physically had to put something down. Like I had a sick little pullet, some kind of stroke or disease, I knew she was never going to recover, and she was suffering. I didn’t do it myself. We gave her to a lovely friend of my mum's who did it. (She lives in a house near me, but goes up every weekend to her parents small farm she inherited, to take care of the animals. It’s a long drive, I went there once to get my first ever batch if pullets off her friend, it was so beautiful! She has a handful of sheep and cows, and a medium flock of chickens. I don’t think she raises any for meat, she isn’t actively expanding this farm, just caring for it. She know she how to care for them and cull them though.)

I was so attached to her, she was such a fighter too. I felt bad, I can’t imagine what killing her would be like.

I think quail would be a little better, the first is the hardest. I still it weird that I want to kill something? Obviously I’d NEVER look forwards to actually killing something, but having homegrown meat!!,!”’”)khhggghjk

Also I’d be so clucking proud of myself

Sometimes I think about it differently, I just can’t I imagine growing meat in my backyard. Having quail, yes, but meat? I mean, theoretically it’d be easy and fun and simple, if i didn’t have all of these obstacles, including emotions.

MEAT?!?

I THINK 8M GO8NG CRAZZY AHHHHHHHHH WHAT AM I THINKINH LIKE OBV I WANNA DO THIS BUT HOW AND LIKE ITS EVER GONNABHAPPEN BRUGHBSHSHSHHSHJSJJDJDJJDHDHHDHDHHHDHDHHDH

I’m kinda spazzing out. It’s basically the middle of the night. :0

Should probably get some sleep??

 

[CurlyQuail]

There are so many pros! Not any actual cons except my guilt, but MANY things to get past. Another problem with having a bevy mainly for eggs, only processing excess males, meanies or injured bird etc. is I’ll probably get attached...I can’t speak from experience, my flock of chookens is just for pets/benefit of eggs! But... I have no idea, since I’ve literally never been in a situation where I physically had to put something down. Like I had a sick little pullet, some kind of stroke or disease, I knew she was never going to recover, and she was suffering. I didn’t do it myself. We gave her to a lovely friend of my mum's who did it. (She lives in a house near me, but goes up every weekend to her parents small farm she inherited, to take care of the animals. It’s a long drive, I went there once to get my first ever batch if pullets off her friend, it was so beautiful! She has a handful of sheep and cows, and a medium flock of chickens. I don’t think she raises any for meat, she isn’t actively expanding this farm, just caring for it. She know she how to care for them and cull them though.)

Ahh well as far as not getting attached my number one tip is not to name them. I only name my pet quail, not my layers and sale birds so I don’t get attached. Good luck on your quail adventures, they’re very fun and very rewarding

 

[The Backyard Bantams]

Ahh well as far as not getting attached my number one tip is not to name them. I only name my pet quail, not my layers and sale birds so I don’t get attached. Good luck on your quail adventures, they’re very fun and very rewarding

Ok then...I will pick 1, JUST 8 to be my special one, I will name it nugget...

 

[The Backyard Bantams]

I’ve had some small pets and distant family members die, but I’m so oblivious of death. But things literally thrive off death. Things can’t live without death. Obviously we need to eat. One roast chicken I don’t buy from the store, a big fat broiler, living in a cage for its 8 week long life, would I rather eat a little quail, which I raised outdoors with its friends, lots of places to play, healthy organic food, a happy life...trading a life. Something is going to die every day I live.

YES! ABSOLUTELY!

But getting to that point would be so hard! This is probably never going to happen, it’s probably a phase...If so, I’m going to keep wasting my time on stupid dreams!

I’m getting too deep now. I’m a 12 year old on the chicken forums in the middle of the night. I can’t express this, I don’t know why I bother. I know this’ll never happen, but I’m trying anyway. I’ll probably change my mind and never do any of this. I don’t want to change my mind. But what if future me is different? Clearly adults are basically different creatures

Being a kid, I feel like I have no control over my life. I’m so stuck, and obviously covid makes it worse.

Gosh what am I doing on the chicken forums it’s 1am

Idkidkidkidkidkidkdidkdiidkkdikdidkkdidkkdidkdikdkdkkdidkidiididk

IDK

OK IMMA WAKE UP AND BE WEIRDED OUT AT MYSELD LOL

YE IM PRETTY INSANE HAHAHAHHSHSHHSH

goodnight OwO

 

[The Backyard Bantams]

One more:
Pros:

-Yummy meat
-OMG I RAISED THAT ME
-OMG WAOW
-OOOOO
-JSJSJJS
-YAYAYYY MEAT I KNOW IS HEALTHY AND HAPPY AND ETHICAL
-I GET TO COOK QUAIL
-OOO I GET TI TRY QUAIL
-ooo I get to raise quail! So fun and exciting! Some eggs too! Maybe I can sell them and make a profit?
-EXTREME PRIDE
-AMAZING EXPERIENCE
I will tell everyone I meet, gonna come off a little weird
-getting EXTREMELY out of my comfort zone
-being a smidge more sustainable
-LEARNING NEW STUFF
-Cooking! Never had quail!
-Convenient! How am I gonna re-home a couple of random male quail?
-Super easy! Ok, this’ll be one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, but apparently quail are superrrrrr easy to butcher compared to others.
-not much equipment- buckets, knives, sharp scissors ;-;
-a better appreciation for meat, more awareness what I eat.
-the actual meat, eggs, maybe broth from the leftovers? All you really eat us the breast and tiny drumsticks, right?

I never saw myself doing this, but was interested in selfsuffiecientme’s quail and system!


Cons: not many, but BIG ones!

-guilt
-killing something
-how must i even convince my parents?? They would never let me do this! I legit can’t imagine!
-Will cost a little money, I don’t have much.

My brain tells me to just tag along to a butchering, but I’m TWELVE, covid, and finding one seems far fetched. I can’t imagine imagine my parents taking my taking me too? Driving me so I could so i can kill something?

I feel like there so something wrong with me for wanting to raise meat, but people forget a chicken they buy was a living thing. I want a better appreciation for meat.

 

[Ridgerunner]

-Better not mention this to my family, they’ll think I’m phyco

Probably, are you ready for counseling? Would be interesting to hear what the counselor says if it comes to that. Are you a budding serial killer of just a normal kid. I'd bet on the second. In some ways you may be further along than a normal kid your age. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I know some 50 year olds that are not very mature and some kids that are.

I grew up on a farm. By the time I was your age I was killing and cleaning chickens, then giving them to Mom to butcher and cook. I considered it a normal part of life, but I did not grow up in a world-famous city. Life is different for you.

I live in a tiny backyard! I’m definetely NEVER raising anything for meat like that, even quail is extremely unlikely.

Have you checked the Melbourne laws? In many cities it is illegal to butcher in your back yard. It can be complicated.

How are you doing taking care of those chickens? Are you paying for everything and doing all the work? By showing you are responsible you can go a long way to convince your parents you can handle other things.

I like the idea of finding someone in the area and letting them be your mentor. Help them out, find out what is actually involved. When we were on a hobby farm my wife said we should get milk goats. She was buying goat milk from a lady that had them. I told her that she needed to help her friend once a day every day for a month, learning how to care for them and milk them so that when she got goats she would know how to milk them and take care of them herself. And she would better understand that a milk goat is a twice a day every day. You don't miss a milking. If she wanted to see the grandkids that were a full day's drive away (a three or four day trip) she had to be the one to get someone to take care of them. That's the last I heard about milk goats.

When we sold our hobby farm with a fruit and nut orchard, lots of berries, a big veggie garden, and chickens the people that bought it sold it within a year and a half. It was too hard to take care of. I loved it there but I was retired and did not mind the work. We moved to be closer to out grandkids.

Don't give up on your dream, you never know what life has in store for you. Hard as it is, patience may be your best friend. Good luck!

 

[The Backyard Bantams]

-Better not mention this to my family, they’ll think I’m phyco

Probably, are you ready for counseling? Would be interesting to hear what the counselor says if it comes to that. Are you a budding serial killer of just a normal kid. I'd bet on the second. In some ways you may be further along than a normal kid your age. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I know some 50 year olds that are not very mature and some kids that are.

I grew up on a farm. By the time I was your age I was killing and cleaning chickens, then giving them to Mom to butcher and cook. I considered it a normal part of life, but I did not grow up in a world-famous city. Life is different for you.

I live in a tiny backyard! I’m definetely NEVER raising anything for meat like that, even quail is extremely unlikely.

Have you checked the Melbourne laws? In many cities it is illegal to butcher in your back yard. It can be complicated.

How are you doing taking care of those chickens? Are you paying for everything and doing all the work? By showing you are responsible you can go a long way to convince your parents you can handle other things.

I like the idea of finding someone in the area and letting them be your mentor. Help them out, find out what is actually involved. When we were on a hobby farm my wife said we should get milk goats. She was buying goat milk from a lady that had them. I told her that she needed to help her friend once a day every day for a month, learning how to care for them and milk them so that when she got goats she would know how to milk them and take care of them herself. And she would better understand that a milk goat is a twice a day every day. You don't miss a milking. If she wanted to see the grandkids that were a full day's drive away (a three or four day trip) she had to be the one to get someone to take care of them. That's the last I heard about milk goats.

When we sold our hobby farm with a fruit and nut orchard, lots of berries, a big veggie garden, and chickens the people that bought it sold it within a year and a half. It was too hard to take care of. I loved it there but I was retired and did not mind the work. We moved to be closer to out grandkids.

Don't give up on your dream, you never know what life has in store for you. Hard as it is, patience may be your best friend. Good luck!

Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M BACK AHHHHBHHHB C.F. DGVGJJ C.F. RFH

I'm so happy to be here again!! Was banned for 2 months

Currently have 3 hens, 7 pullets and 2 baby nuggets we hatched. No quail yet.

I really like to write plans lol, I spent hours writing a quail plan. My mum listened and thought it was very interesting, said that if I could make a business out of it would be really cool, selling eggs. She said that I might be able to do it oneday, but is have to get other things sorted. I hope I will be able to get my life together and get some quail! Maybe In the next few months.

No, not a budding serial killer

I don't enjoy hurting things, however i do enjoy food and raising my own.

I dont think quail are mentioned in my council laws, will have to check again.

I care for my chickens very well! They are my children. Technically, i don't just for them, but I singlehandedly care for them, and don't get picket money anymore. I know how to organise money. In my research I have found that with 12 quail, I could make >$2000 a year. BUTTT that's at top selling capacity, if i earned a couple hundred I'd be ecstatic!

Seems like a possible thing, in the future.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[JadeFarms]

So I’m a young teen too so I understand your love for quail. I have some and I LOVE them. Some things I’ve learned though:
-they aren’t cuddly
-they taste AMAZING, I love fresh quail meat
-they take a lot more time to tame down
-they fly very, very far
-they throw their food when they eat, they don’t peck it like chickens so they’re extremely messy

But I love mine more than anything. They are so fun and smart. They are hard to hold because they almost squirm out of your hands. If you get quail you will LOVE them but just make sure you can take care of them.