Culled (for eating) some quails today... my observations

Date sort Score sort
monarc23

monarc23

Coturnix Obsessed
11 Years
Jul 18, 2008
8,670
161
301
Indiana, Pennsylvania
and get this.. the roos (mature) were SOOO FAT!? They didn't *look* fat but upon pulling up the skin layer, FAT everywhere!!! The one roo was so fat the upper part of his heart was entirely encased in FAT!!! Many of his organs as well!!! One might be like "oh that's great!" but kind of worried me.... fat all around the organs like that and only a few months old (mature but young not a year old)? I know fat like that isn't healthy on a human, so what about my roos im intending to keep for breeding....? Makes me wonder if they won't live long just because I'm apparently making chunky monkeys out of them lol! All the hens had the normal fat deposits (just slightly around the lower rib area)....but the roos.... on the lower stomach, internal organs, crop area, legs and BACK!? It was gross lol!!!!

Has anyone else noticed this when butchering mature roos??? Or doesnt' anyone let them get that old?
lau.gif
I also butchered a Tenn. Red hen I wasn't using for breeding and for her size, she has much more meat than a coturnix on her breast area ....was interesting to see the difference. I also finnally butchered for eating, an A & M roo, he was young (not yet crowing but around crowing age) his flesh color is only SLIGHTLY different from any of my other coturnix colors flesh. I also culled a tuxedo hen who had stopped laying....her flesh was normal colored. After seeing this, I really do believe that theres really no difference between an A & Ms flesh and another coturnix's flesh...I just don't see it....I'll check it on flavor this weekend when we have them with bacon YUM!
smile.png
 
Last edited:
I have never noticed a lot of fat on my corturnix when butchered. What have you been feeding them? They should have a gamebird starter until they are about 8 weeks, then I butcher before they molt the first time.

Oh, I also wanted to mention that I thought your comment on the corturnix vs the A&M very interesting. I wondered if there was much of a difference but I haven't butchered any A&M yet.
 
Last edited:
I had a few of the older roos with a lot of fat on them I think it was the extra corn I was giving them this spring. I know with chickens we finish them off the last week with corn to give them a little yellow fat
 
Yes, corn will definitely add extra fat and I have never butchered older quail so I don't know if they get more fat as they get older.
 
Quote:
I feed all my birds game bird starter because of the higher protien, my choices for adult formulas around here have drastic lower protien which I avoid so me feeding starter may deffinatly be the reason for my issue
smile.png
Also this isnt teh first time ive butchered quails this is just the first time i've butchered fatties
lau.gif
and a bobwhite, and an A & M....I had been avoiding butchering my A & Ms fo ra while because i only had enough for breeding and not enough excess for culling until today
smile.png
So yeppers that's my observations for them.

What I find odd though is out of my quails, my males are hte most active (chasing hens, crowing, displaying etc) yet its the males that are the chunks.... I dont get it
idunno.gif
lol
 
Quote:
I feed all my birds game bird starter because of the higher protien, my choices for adult formulas around here have drastic lower protien which I avoid so me feeding starter may deffinatly be the reason for my issue
smile.png
Also this isnt teh first time ive butchered quails this is just the first time i've butchered fatties
lau.gif
and a bobwhite, and an A & M....I had been avoiding butchering my A & Ms fo ra while because i only had enough for breeding and not enough excess for culling until today
smile.png
So yeppers that's my observations for them.

What I find odd though is out of my quails, my males are hte most active (chasing hens, crowing, displaying etc) yet its the males that are the chunks.... I dont get it
idunno.gif
lol

The females are doing more work than the males are, a lot of what they take in goes into egg production. Maybe you could feed them all lower protein feed, and just treat the girls to the worms? I agree that all that fat on them can't be good for them!
 
Quote:
I feed all my birds game bird starter because of the higher protien, my choices for adult formulas around here have drastic lower protien which I avoid so me feeding starter may deffinatly be the reason for my issue
smile.png
Also this isnt teh first time ive butchered quails this is just the first time i've butchered fatties
lau.gif
and a bobwhite, and an A & M....I had been avoiding butchering my A & Ms fo ra while because i only had enough for breeding and not enough excess for culling until today
smile.png
So yeppers that's my observations for them.

What I find odd though is out of my quails, my males are hte most active (chasing hens, crowing, displaying etc) yet its the males that are the chunks.... I dont get it
idunno.gif
lol

The females are doing more work than the males are, a lot of what they take in goes into egg production. Maybe you could feed them all lower protein feed, and just treat the girls to the worms? I agree that all that fat on them can't be good for them!

I'll take that into deffinate consideration, i'm just paranoid to lower the protien if they can last out until winter then I deffinatly will
tongue.png
(as by then i wont be worried about egg production)
lau.gif
But yes the fat was so bad... I need to do something lol!!! My train of thought was that the males are always running around like banchees but you're right the hens got it way worse...avoiding the roos when possible, squabbles, egg laying egg producing lol!
 
Quote:
Quote:

oh i deffinatly agree...I was just havint this conversation a few days ago with Ironsun about how A & ms are pretty much reverted back to English Whites... theres a difference still but they're pretty much the same bird.
smile.png
What I never understood is that you can get A& M via many other colors, with that said you (IMO) can't call them A & M when that happens because A & Ms were selectively/strictly bred birds...so when crossed it totally ruined that about them... so that's like the chicks im getting from my tuxes that are all white or white with spots...I've decided for my own personal records they are NOT A & Ms, and rather, highwhite tuxedos (just like in rats).
smile.png



ETA: I just went to that site, haven't seen that one before.... um.... what i find funny is if he got his eggs from the original source shouldnt he be saying "from Texas A & M..." instead he says "from the ones" that doesn't mean much to me
tongue.png
Yeah, a dollar an egg and never heard of the guy...doesn't sound too promising lol
 
Last edited:
I was disappointed too at my first processing and meal. I think mine are dark meat.

So who really knows what Texas A&M did to breed an all white meat bird? Is it in the archives of the college or did they keep it a secret????

I found fat on mine too but hey, fat adds some flavor
thumbsup.gif
 

Similar threads

C
    • Like
My coturnix hens are not laying eggs
Replies
5
Views
756
ClownCockatrice
C
Susan Skylark
    • Like
What a hatch!
Replies
3
Views
449
Susan Skylark
Susan Skylark
HoneyBeeHomestead
Quail aviary vs tractor - Opinions?
Replies
8
Views
908
HoneyBeeHomestead
HoneyBeeHomestead
bearcreekbees
    • Like
How much fat is too much in layer ration?
Replies
3
Views
1K
U_Stormcrow
U_Stormcrow
als77
Green slime under skin of quail
Replies
6
Views
2K
als77
als77

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom