I raised two hatches of coturnix quails in recent years, one of a jumbo Pharoah variety and another of the white Texas A&M variety. I found their personalities very similar, but I liked the Pharoah quails better as mine laid larger eggs. The meat all tasted the same to me. My family really enjoyed it.
Old World quails are a lot of fun...BUT: You really need to do your homework and talk to experienced, reputable breeders. I've heard a fair amount of complaining about quails, and I completely disagree with most of what I've heard. The thing is, they are not chickens and have different needs.
My experience was exactly what was described in the books I read. They are great little birds that are productive and require little space. The trade off is that you have to clean up after them, keep them safe, and be really deliberate in your care when they are little.
The biggest mistake I see people making is starting off too big, with way, way too many birds in their first hatch. I get the temptation, as folks are doing the math and thinking that they'll need dozens of layers to meet their family's protein needs; however, if/when you mess up (and we all do in our first hatches), it will cost you a lot more birds, money, and heartache. Just start with a few dozen, learn from them, and scale up with you own eggs!
In summary: Coturnix quails are worth a try and are amazingly productive little birds. Just do your homework and start small.
Old World quails are a lot of fun...BUT: You really need to do your homework and talk to experienced, reputable breeders. I've heard a fair amount of complaining about quails, and I completely disagree with most of what I've heard. The thing is, they are not chickens and have different needs.
My experience was exactly what was described in the books I read. They are great little birds that are productive and require little space. The trade off is that you have to clean up after them, keep them safe, and be really deliberate in your care when they are little.
The biggest mistake I see people making is starting off too big, with way, way too many birds in their first hatch. I get the temptation, as folks are doing the math and thinking that they'll need dozens of layers to meet their family's protein needs; however, if/when you mess up (and we all do in our first hatches), it will cost you a lot more birds, money, and heartache. Just start with a few dozen, learn from them, and scale up with you own eggs!
In summary: Coturnix quails are worth a try and are amazingly productive little birds. Just do your homework and start small.
