Showing Quail?

[Susan Skylark]

We are just starting out in coturnix quail, one of us being a 4-Her, and we planned on exhibiting eggs and static projects (posters, etc.) with the quail at our county fair, as I'm assuming that live birds would be just too stressed to go (they'd need to live at the fair for about 3 days during the heat of the summer plus endure the actual show). I'm guessing this is a great way to kill quail, but has anyone ever exhibited live birds before? Thanks!

 

[Patiocoturnix]

We are just starting out in coturnix quail, one of us being a 4-Her, and we planned on exhibiting eggs and static projects (posters, etc.) with the quail at our county fair, as I'm assuming that live birds would be just too stressed to go (they'd need to live at the fair for about 3 days during the heat of the summer plus endure the actual show). I'm guessing this is a great way to kill quail, but has anyone ever exhibited live birds before? Thanks!

I would think it would be a ton of stress on the birds. Chickens are larger and more domesticated so they are used to it quail are always on the lookout for predators thinking they’ll be eaten the constant flow of people as well as the travel and having to live at the fair would put a lot of stress on its little body.

 

[scyllarus]

We are just starting out in coturnix quail, one of us being a 4-Her, and we planned on exhibiting eggs and static projects (posters, etc.) with the quail at our county fair, as I'm assuming that live birds would be just too stressed to go (they'd need to live at the fair for about 3 days during the heat of the summer plus endure the actual show). I'm guessing this is a great way to kill quail, but has anyone ever exhibited live birds before? Thanks!

I'm not really sure it would be all that bad, actually. It would be important to make sure the birds could stay cool? I know that several quail keepers on the forum live in Arizona or Florida (myself included) who have been able to keep quail outside without them dying from the heat. Personally, I keep a wading pool and a fan on them in the heat and they do fine.

As for people, I think it would be okay? People aren't allowed to handle the birds willy-nilly at county fairs, last I checked. Your hens might stop laying for a couple of weeks, but otherwise I wouldn't be too worried as long as the cages aren't so big/small that they can easily flush and hurt themselves.

However - I *would* worry about contamination. There are generally other poultry and gamebirds at county fairs that could pass on a disease that your quail aren't resistant to, which could lead to the whole flock catching the disease - and it seems that birds don't really fully 'heal' from diseases but instead become healthy carriers.

 

[Patiocoturnix]

I'm not really sure it would be all that bad, actually. It would be important to make sure the birds could stay cool? I know that several quail keepers on the forum live in Arizona or Florida (myself included) who have been able to keep quail outside without them dying from the heat. Personally, I keep a wading pool and a fan on them in the heat and they do fine.

I am also included in the Florida keepers I use frozen water bottles as well as containers with water for them to stand in they do fine.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I showed them at fair one year. They were judged in their cage for the first show, and then the winner of each sex was taken up to the table to compete with the other poultry winners for over all. Once they felt secure in their handler's grasp, they were pretty calm. The judge didn't handle them during the show (he said he was too afraid of them getting loose compared to the waterfowl, turkey and chickens), which certainly helped

 

[Patiocoturnix]

I’m glad people with experience showing them are chiming in I woulda thought it was way to much stress on their little bodies

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I’m glad people with experience showing them are chiming in I woulda thought it was way to much stress on their little bodies

The 4 I showed, 3 of them were handled somewhat regularly. Thankfully the one which wasn't didn't win, so she didn't come out of her cage. They were in rabbit stickers and both stickers were right next to each other, so they could see and hear another quail, and the trays were accessible without opening the door. The only time the door was open apart from arrival and departure was to refill feed. A watering can was used to add water through the wire.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Good to know, thanks all! Good to know it’s an option but not too excited to test them for S. pullorum so they’ll likely be staying home this year