Coturnix Quail Basics- Information and Pictures Galore

[teradragon]

Yeah, to neck them means twist and pull the head off. I'm most worried that I might not cut through properly and that they might suffer :-/ might do minethis weekend. They will be almost 8 week old.

 

[GBov]

Thanks for the tip on scissors, I ordered them.
My quail are getting processed Saturday.
Do any of you ferment feed?
That's what I did for meat birds/turkeys to cut down on waste. Haven't been doing it for chickens/quail mainly because it's more work when it's so cold!!! I should get back into it. I'm also on a fodder thread, going to try to do that as well.
I couldn't do rabbits! Little too cute & furry. I have a hard time with the chickens even though I make DH do it all alone.

Rabbits stop being cute and fluffy after the claw your arms to bits a few times. They become tasty fur wrapped packages then!

 

[dutchbunny83]

Haha I don't know.
They had some kind of rabbit dish on our cruise & I tried it just because I like to try everything, but it wasn't my favorite.
We have 2 pet angora mix rabbits, but they have become free range haha. They would watch the chickens & look sad being in their hutch so we would let them run around for a few hours in the yard with the chickens. Over time they started building a burrow under my husband's shed & made it clear they didn't want to go in the hutch, so live under the shed. They've been out there for a year now & never leave the yard (they could dig out if they wanted, but we live in town with a fenced in backyard). They have fresh food & water everyday and our kitchen veggie scraps, but they eat grass and what I let them have in the garden. They seem happy. Every week I'll catch them to check them for their nails being long and make sure they're healthy, but other than that we don't handle them much. But they won't run away or anything, they just hang out in the yard with my chickens, kids & other animals

Side question-- anyone ever get involved with aquaponics??? I would LOVE to be able to raise my own seafood.

 

[mckeesbackyard]

Wow i need to look for them! I have 13 to process this weekend.

Thanks, just ordered it.

 

[DHinton]

Yeah, to neck them means twist and pull the head off. I'm most worried that I might not cut through properly and that they might suffer :-/ might do minethis weekend. They will be almost 8 week old.

the dispatching of the tiny animals is the hardest part for me. i use a hatchet. the little birds are dead very instantly.

 

[teradragon]

Well I did them this afternoon. I bopped the head then snipped it off with some scissors. I did not enjoy doing it. I won't be doing it again unless they taste amazing.

One thing that cheered me up is that the birds I am keeping each laid an egg for me today.

 

[GBov]

Well I did them this afternoon. I bopped the head then snipped it off with some scissors. I did not enjoy doing it. I won't be doing it again unless they taste amazing.

One thing that cheered me up is that the birds I am keeping each laid an egg for me today.

How are you planning to cook them? I cut off the breast meat and the legs, double dip them in seasoned flour (milk, flour, milk, flour) and then fry in a skillet with grape seed oil till golden brown. Then pour off the oil and make gravy from the drippings.

OMG it is SO GOOD!!!

So good, in fact, that processing them becomes a joy.

My freeloaders are still not laying. I feel like quail tonight! Mwaahahahaaaa

Oh, and the left over bones from cutting the meaty bits off makes great stock. Simmer with onions and garlic till the bones fall apart and then strain it. Sometimes I take that stock, cook a thinly sliced mushroom in it with added ginger powder, paprika, white pepper and soy sauce. Dished up in a bowl wiht crispy fried onions and it makes a wonderful clear Japanese onion soup.

 

[TherryChicken]

I will be incubating eggs this month of coturnix

 

[racinchickins]

Haha I don't know.
They had some kind of rabbit dish on our cruise & I tried it just because I like to try everything, but it wasn't my favorite.
We have 2 pet angora mix rabbits, but they have become free range haha.  They would watch the chickens & look sad being in their hutch so we would let them run around for a few hours in the yard with the chickens.  Over time they started building a burrow under my husband's shed & made it clear they didn't want to go in the hutch, so live under the shed.  They've been out there for a year now & never leave the yard (they could dig out if they wanted, but we live in town with a fenced in backyard).  They have fresh food & water everyday and our kitchen veggie scraps, but they eat grass and what I let them have in the garden.  They seem happy.  Every week I'll catch them to check them for their nails being long and make sure they're healthy, but other than that we don't handle them much.  But they won't run away or anything, they just hang out in the yard with my chickens, kids & other animals

Side question--  anyone ever get involved with aquaponics???  I would LOVE to be able to raise my own seafood.

I've dabbled in aquaponics with Tilapia. That would need to go to a different thread though.

 

[teradragon]

How are you planning to cook them?  I cut off the breast meat and the legs, double dip them in seasoned flour (milk, flour, milk, flour) and then fry in a skillet with grape seed oil till golden brown.  Then pour off the oil and make gravy from the drippings.

OMG it is SO GOOD!!!

So good, in fact, that processing them becomes a joy.

My freeloaders are still not laying.  I feel like quail tonight!  Mwaahahahaaaa

Oh, and the left over bones from cutting the meaty bits off makes great stock.  Simmer with onions and garlic till the bones fall apart and then strain it.  Sometimes I take that stock, cook a thinly sliced mushroom in it with added ginger powder, paprika, white pepper and soy sauce.  Dished up in a bowl wiht crispy fried onions and it makes a wonderful clear Japanese onion soup.

Sounds awesome!

I'm gonna wrap them in bacon, stuff with sausage meat and bake in the oven. Not sure on timings yet. 20-30 mins? They are currently in the fridge with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and paprika.