On April 1st I took in 11 domesticated quail. Until then I didn't even know such a quail existed. These birds were adolescents, almost fully grown. However, they could barely walk, they couldn't straighten up, they came with broken toes and feathers, and they were silent. They had no sense of objects, food, and space. In October 7 out of 11 were dead, too vulnerable and weak to even survive. During the last 5 months I’ve been slowly exposing them to objects they had to climb or move around to develop strength. Then I started to expose them to an increasingly bigger area. Later, every evening I let them out into the big yard watching them so they wouldn't get lost or eaten. By now they've learned to talk, to find each other by sound, to get along with the chickens knowing which one to avoid to not get hurt. They flutter and fly, know their paths through the blackberry thicket and where the best earth baths are. From the chickens they've learned to eat certain plants and to check the sky for predator birds. Yet they will always stay handicapped and clumsy, as for many generations, they’ve been bred in captivity only to become objects of consumption. Nevertheless their ability to learn and adapt reminds me of the intelligence in all of nature. Here's my question: Aren't there any regulations for breeders of quail regarding hygiene, health standards and humane treatment?
Firstly, congratulations on their recovery and current enjoyment of life. Secondly, to answer your question: yes. As always, rules and reg's vary between regions, some are voluntary, and you will always get the birds that fall between the cracks of the system so to speak, and the humans who accidentally, deliberately or however it happens cause harm to their charges. There was a big industry push for better regulation on battery quail keeping standards in Australia recently, in response to of course appalling conditions and suffering. But I think it's likely your quail were not from anything but a private breeder/keeper that didn't have to undergo inspections or adhere to a standard. Best wishes.
You have done a great job with them too bad more people don't feel like you do. Bless you. I saw a film done with out the Turkey factory farm knowing it, how in humane Turkeys are treated, I will never buy a Turkey from this huge company again. It was horrible and they should have been shut down. All life whether raised for the table or for pets should be treated with respect.
Since I first started living around chickens I stopped eating meat. A couple of years later, after experiencing these lovely animals on one hand and seeing all these infos and pictures about agro-business, small and big on the other hand, I stopped eating animal products all together. It goes against my conscience.
I haven't gone as far as not eating meat, but I do buy meat that says on the packaging humanely raised. But I surely respect your feeling and decision. I know I could never hunt I guess I'd have to dig roots.
thats really a wonderful story ( not the dying part ) that shows that if you don't give up even no matter all the blows you take doing it you in the end will get rewarded for what you did, 4 Quail are living a better life because of you and 7 may have died, but at least there last moments you know they had all the things they could ask for. we need more people like you that won't give up faith and can make a difference in this world
They deserve it. It's the least I can do. I can help a few of them live as good a life as possible. And so I started rescuing birds. I got so inspired by the first chickens I took care of. I was at awe and I made a photo book, story and text. It's called A Rooster's Tale. A rooster is telling the story of a year in the life of his family. The years creating the book were some of the best in my life, as I got to watch the birds very closely. It was an eye opener. I think there is absolutely no justification for treating a chicken or quail with disrespect.
Totally agree about treating the animals with respect, pet or livestock (or wild). Sounds like a good book claudiabruckert, personally I think we need more of these sorts of educational books being read to kids to help them reconnect to the lifecycle that humans are part of, it's just shocking when you see kids (and adults!) that don't know that the chicken and fish menu choices come from once-living animals, not vegetables. Likable animals at that, not the mindless things they're often portrayed as.
When you hunt an animal, at least it had a good life in freedom and a quick death. The meat we buy is usually the flesh of animals that experienced confinement and various degrees of cruelty. Not my thing!