How do bobwhites compare to Coturnix?

[OklahomaRose]

I'm in Oklahoma and so far I can only find breeders of Bobwhites. I would like to get quail for breeding, pets and eggs. The Coturnix seemed liked the best option but I cannot find any local. So how do they compare to each other? Also, if I tried to get Coturnix shipped how well do you think they'd do and can you recommend someone?

 

[Fat Daddy]

I'm in Oklahoma and so far I can only find breeders of Bobwhites. I would like to get quail for breeding, pets and eggs. The Coturnix seemed liked the best option but I cannot find any local. So how do they compare to each other? Also, if I tried to get Coturnix shipped how well do you think they'd do and can you recommend someone?

Good morning Rose, I know a good breeder in OK. He is a old friend. bfrancis is his member name. He started this thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/593863/lets-play-the-color-game-pic-heavy He raises all manor of fowl. He has several colors of coturnix as well as bobs.... He ships birds when he has to, but its expensive to ship live birds. He mails eggs and is certified and licensed.... He, like so many others, is no longer active here. But try sending him a PM.... It should go to his email and let him see your message. Yes, coturnix will ship fine.

Edit to add: Bobs and coturnix are very different birds. bobs are new world quail and alot more aggressive than coturnix, a old world species.... Bobs are much slower to mature and have a white meat breast. Bobs are a "first spring breeder in nature. Coturnix can lay at 6 weeks and are ready to butcher at 8...All coturinx are dark meat. Yes, even the white ones..... ;-)

 

[dc3085]

No one ships small orders of live quail (250 chicks is usually the least they'll ship live) so you'd have to get eggs and hatch them. Being a first time quail raiser you'll most likely want to start with coturnix though. Bobs don't really tame down and even with lighting can't produce more than a 200 eggs a year. Coturnix will lay around 280 eggs a year without lighting and that can be pushed up well past 300 by adding lights.

 

[Sushi Ferret]

No one ships small orders of live quail (250 chicks is usually the least they'll ship live) so you'd have to get eggs and hatch them. Being a first time quail raiser you'll most likely want to start with coturnix though. Bobs don't really tame down and even with lighting can't produce more than a 200 eggs a year. Coturnix will lay around 280 eggs a year without lighting and that can be pushed up well past 300 by adding lights. 

Cackle hatchery does. They're not jumbo, just the standard Pharaoh Quail. The ship 50 is the smallest batch this year. They used to do smaller batches last year but things ie, pricing & shipping sizes, have changed this year.
http://www.cacklehatchery.com/gamebirdpage.html#pharaoh

 

[dc3085]

I pretend cackle hatchery doesn't exist. They sell cross bred pheasants that aren't sterile in large numbers and that alone would be enough to make me avoid them. Pheasant genetics are getting more diluted by the day in America all while they are getting more rare in the wild. Cackle, far from trying to preserve ornamental pheasants that breed true to genetics, is pooing on them instead. Their coturnix dress out around 4 oz according to their website so they are truly standard sized birds, i doubt they ever reach past 10 oz. live. Whereas if you order jumbo's from JMF, vails, or strombergs and hatch eggs you'll get birds that reach 14 ounces regularly. Jumbo birds will lay a much larger egg as well. Be aware sometimes one dies during shipping and the others will eat it. Make sure if this happens you keep an eye out for cannibalism among the ones that do live.

 

[Sushi Ferret]

I didn't know they were that bad. My friend ordered me some chickens from there when she got her own. I asked on another thread but maybe you can tell me, is there a difference in JMF's XL Meat birds & specialty? Do the meat birds lay well? I'm just starting out I have one single quail it's from a batch my neighbor tried to raise but they all died early from piling up & she lost a few when her cage got left open from her kid. She decided they were to much trouble & gave me here 1 left. I don't know if it's male or female but since there's no calling, just peeps I assume female. Anyways I love the taste of quail & quail eggs so. I'm looking to start my own flock, if that's what they're called. I have an incubator for my chickens so I'm in the process of purchasing quail rails, continuing research & coop design.

 

[Sid Post]

Quote:
Check the other thread

 

[dc3085]

They aren't that bad, cannibalism is just part of raising game birds. Coturnix are the least cannibalistic of all but it still can happen pretty easily. All coturnix lay the same pretty much. An egg a day until light gets to short. With artificial lights any coturnix can be made to lay over 300 eggs a year. With JMF birds you are looking at one is for meat production one is sort of dual purpose but both will lay essentially the same number of eggs. Size of the egg will be different between the two. The Americans IIRC are the medium birds that lay extra large eggs.

 

[shortgrass]

I didn't know they were that bad. My friend ordered me some chickens from there when she got her own. I asked on another thread but maybe you can tell me, is there a difference in JMF's XL Meat birds & specialty? Do the meat birds lay well? I'm just starting out I have one single quail it's from a batch my neighbor tried to raise but they all died early from piling up & she lost a few when her cage got left open from her kid. She decided they were to much trouble & gave me here 1 left. I don't know if it's male or female but since there's no calling, just peeps I assume female. Anyways I love the taste of quail & quail eggs so. I'm looking to start my own flock, if that's what they're called. I have an incubator for my chickens so I'm in the process of purchasing quail rails, continuing research & coop design.

I just ordered bobs from McMurray; they go in batches of 30 for eggs...cant remember how many live they would ship, but they had a cutoff date...cant remember that either.. Im in a rush, or id cut and paste the link....
Anyway, pm me if you have had good lyck and want to help out a fellow newbie; im looking at coop plans etc too... Ill check the other thread too, see what thats all about

Edit: took time to look lol, McMurray sells bobs in batches of 100 for live chicks; all the way through September.