Advice Needed About New Mexican Gambel Quail

[Patchesnposies]

A while back some folks brought us a pair of baby quail they had "found" and didn't know what to do with. Since we raise chickens they were sure we'd know what to do with them.

Well, we had a bunch of baby chicks in a brooder and stuck the two teeny tinies in with them and they have done amazingly well.

They are now all feathered out and while adolescents they are for all intents and purposes grown. It looks like we have both a male and a female.

They used to be quite tame and have actually lived with several sets of chicks in the brooder-we took to calling them the baby sitters. The baby chicks would huddle with the two of them and they'd learn to eat and drink by watching them.

They seem to be acting more "wild" now and seem intent on getting out of whatever cage we have them in.

Is it time to release them? What are the chances that they will survive?

Thanks,

Deb

 

[monarc23]

that's a tough situation....if they aren't tame and you know they will be able to forage on their own, you could secretly release them (in most areas what you've done and are wonderign to do is illegal) so keep it shhh

In my personal oppinon they should be released especially if they fear you and what not but the thing that worries me is wild quail with domestic chickens can make the quails harbor things that the chickens carry...and letting those quails go could endanger other wild quail they come in contact with. Other than that though, they do diserve to be back in the wild IMO and hopefully they will know how to make it

 

[Patchesnposies]

I never even thought that it might be illegal to keep them.

They have only been in the house with the different sets of babies, up until last week when I moved the last bunch into an outdoor brooder.

That was when they started acting like they'd like to be free. I was worried that one of the kids might accidentally let one out when they changed the feed and watered them so, I brought them back inside until we figured out what to do with them. (Hence my post!)

We have quail everywhere on our property. I think they come and glean whatever they can from what we feed the chickens.

Will they beat up these two if we release them? Is it illegal for us to keep these quail? So it was illegal to save them, and it is illegal to release them???

Hmmmmmm......what to do, what to do......

 

[JJMR794]

It May Or May Not Be Illegal To Keep Them. The Point Monarc Was Making Is That 1.,in Most States It Is Illegal To Release Non Native(exotic) Gamebirds---such As Coturnix Quail, Or Mexican Bob Whites If They Are Not In Your Area, And 2., In Some Cases You Must Have A Permit To Release Native Gamebirds. 3., Also You May Be A "typhoid Mary" In That The Baby Quail You Have Are Kept In Captivity With Other Fowl, Which May(actually Alomst Certainly Has...) Have Exposed Them To Illnesses That Would Be Contageous And Even Run Thru Your Wild Quail Population Like An Out Of Control Wild Fire!--- Kinda Like What The Spanish Did To The Incas---small Pox Nearly Destroyed The Indigenous Population When The Spanish Began To Explore South America Way Back When...

I'd Say To Quietly Investigate Gamebird Possession Laws In Your State And See If You May Legally Possess Them, And If They Are In Fact A Native Speces Can You Legally Release Them. You Could Always Donate Them To A Local Zoo Or Someone Who Does Possess The Proper Licensure To Possess Them

 

[citalk2much]

I would find a wildlife rehab to turn them over to

 

[farrier!]

They are local for you....

Others are doing well interacting with your birds so they will not have anything that the other wild quail do not have.

So...you can check to see if you need a qamebird license to keep them or you can just let them go. Either way would be fine and I would see nothing "wrong" with it.

I have some Mexican speckled quail in my brooding right now. Bold cute little things. I am finding them fun to have along with my other quail. They seem to like to be with a "flock" more then the other quil I have.