Recent content by James the Bald

The only way to know why a chicken would cross any road is to ask her.... She may be escaping an abusive relationship where she wasn't allowed to live up to her full potential. Or maybe she's answering a help wanted ad for "Hens, Hens Hens!" to supplement the family income. With a great...

And a very Happy Easter to you too!

Diane, I wouldn't mix the Jumbos with the standard quail. Just for the mere fact that the selective breeding to bring out the jumbo traits took many generations to accomplish. I did have an English white roo that I would put into the "egg" laying cage when I was cleaning his cage. He would go...

You can't use the 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth. I made my own cages using welded wire for the flooring.

When I got my eggs, I had to remove every other rail in my incubator as the eggs were so large they would rub against the opposing rail during operation. You won't be disappointed.

The breeders stock "may have been" jumbo at one time, but without selective breeding, the trait that produces the jumbo quail was lost.

An alternative to a quail run is to make a quail tractor (which can be moved from place to place). Here is a link from a former member who kept his quail in a tractor. I made one because I didn't like the fact that a quail run would be a permanent fixture.

The first time I spoke with Robbie, I had pen and paper and I was writing down as much as I could as fast as I could. During my phone conversation, his phone died ten minutes into the call. Three minutes later, he called me back on a different phone. I think my total time on the phone that...

Well, the only thing I would caution against is not grilling enough. I normally eat 2 quail myself, but there are occasions that I will want another for a late night snack. Quail will have a gamier taste, but otherwise, it's just like chicken. Let us know what you think. James

If you want to keep bobwhites, you will need spacious cages. Here is a link to the space requirements and other info. I hope this helps. James

Oh yeah, and they don't start to lay exactly at 6 weeks of age, so don't get upset when they're 43 days old and you still don't have a single egg.

One thing you will always want to pay attention to is the "depth" of the cage. You don't want it any deeper than your arm can reach (if that makes sense). If you have a quail (or egg) that you want to remove from the back of the cage and it is 48" deep, unless your arm is 48" long, you will...

Welcome to the Quail forum on BYC. The best advice that I can give anyone is to learn as much about Quail as you can before you make any purchase. Otherwise, you're placing yourself behind the learning curve. James

Here is an idea that is rather "far fetched": change you water daily. James

Quackers, to put it bluntly, none of the sizes you mentioned would work. The largest you would want to use for the sides is 1" x 1", and nothing smaller than 1/2" x 1/2" for the flooring. The 1/4" x 1/4" will not allow the droppings to fall though the floor, and it will pile up quickly. If...