City Quails?

[Sill]

Question for all city quail keeps, how do you deal with their droppings. What goes in comes out so say two 50 lb bags of feed per month for 40 to 50 birds. that's like two or three maybe more bushels of dung. Any processing tips for dealing with that? What do you do in the winter with it?

It can go into a compost pile any time of the year. Make sure if you do to cover it with brown materiel like crushed leaves to deter flies or put it in a "closed" composter like Quail Jailer suggested. If your city situation does not allow for compost you can give or sell it to gardeners in your area who would be more than happy to compost it for their own use. Like all poultry dung/manure it is a "hot" manure and should be composted before use or it can burn your plants (unless you risk using it in tiny amounts, not worth the risk IMO). We have people here that post poultry, goat, horse and rabbit manure on our local Craigslist in the farm and garden section for free or a low fee. Just think, people might pay money for your animals' dung!

That being said out of 50 pounds of feed much of that goes to waste since quail are adept at billing their food out of whatever container you put it in. The little darlings. I have yet to find a feeder that does not waste feed.

 

[cotquail]

Thanks Sill I'm not in the city but thought that the concept might help those interested. If you have any idea of quail feeder design your absolutely right about the darlings doing damage to the quota just can't seem to stop the little peckers. Here in the winter we get 35 below zero ,biological activity seems to go catatonic with that , last winter was harsh ,cruel to be exact , a new meaning to cryogenesis. I mix the quail with my rabbit complete uber plant nutrition when properly cooked with a little lime.

 

[Quail Jailer]

It's the busy season at the shop but as soon as things calm down a bit I am going to machine some drop in inserts to cut waste in a standard feeder (the round ones with quart jar threads)
on my lathe (which was built in 1892, yes 122 years ago)

 

[Dragons4u]

Nice Q.J., my machines were built in 1919 and 1922. Hard to find parts for, and not the cleanest things, but still run like champs. Only have a major break down every 10 years or so.

 

[Quail Jailer]

The most surprising thing about mine is I have all the dogs,wrenches and stuff that usually would've been lost 75 years ago.

I've had to make a few repairs but only wear and tear issues, the power feeds still work, but it takes a "new guy" days to find the controls.

It was of course built before electric power was commonplace and was made to run off a line shaft powered by a waterwheel most likely.

Now it has an old gmc truck transmission and electric motor instead of a waterwheel. ; )

Its a George W Fifield machine Which became Fifield machine tool or something in 1894

 

[cotquail]

What,s the thread cutting capacity, American ,British ?

 

[Quail Jailer]

On an old machine like that you vary the speed of the leadscrew with changeable gears, This machines plate is only marked in inches

However, if one can do the math and cut a gear you could cut any thread within the limits of the machine. I think mine swings 16" and 36" or so between centers

 

[USAmma]

The big issue for your neighbors is going to be flies. I am dealing with this right now and I live in the suburbs. It has been very labor intensive to keep the flies down in the warmer weather, even with frequent cleaning and poop removal and other things that were suggested as natural bug repellant. In close quarters this would be a very big problem. However if you keep them in a garage with some air conditioning or if it doesn't get warm enough to have flies, it would be fine.

Poop was already mentioned. The poster was not kidding about the amount of poop they make. It truly is about what they eat (and they have big appetites).

The quail make very little noise. The native birds are much louder. And I love collecting eggs every morning.