These little birds fill a great niche for me. I live in a suburb and require birds that don't make too much noise. I need a bird that produces a good amount of eggs and meat, while requiring a modest amount of feed and caring. The Coturnix Quail fits the bill for me.
The produce almost 1 egg per day, as long as they get enough light. I supplement their light in the morning and evening, so this hasn't been an issue for me. I typically equate 4 quail eggs to 1 large chicken egg. At roughly 6 to 10 week old, they are big enough to harvest for meat. After skinning and dressing, I end up with about (an estimated) 4 to 6 ounces of usable meat per bird.
I usually run a batch of 40 every 3 weeks. The eggs hatch in 16-18 days, then they spend the next 21 days in the brooder. Then they spend the next 21 days in my aviary, at which point I begin harvesting the majority of the males.
The produce almost 1 egg per day, as long as they get enough light. I supplement their light in the morning and evening, so this hasn't been an issue for me. I typically equate 4 quail eggs to 1 large chicken egg. At roughly 6 to 10 week old, they are big enough to harvest for meat. After skinning and dressing, I end up with about (an estimated) 4 to 6 ounces of usable meat per bird.
I usually run a batch of 40 every 3 weeks. The eggs hatch in 16-18 days, then they spend the next 21 days in the brooder. Then they spend the next 21 days in my aviary, at which point I begin harvesting the majority of the males.
