How I process Quail... My 6yr old helped... WARNING: Graphic Pics

[itsy]

Wow. I'm glad this thread was revived - otherwise I'd have never seen it. Makes me want to raise some quail!

 

[the4heathernsmom]

I could do this.....uhmmmm maybe....now I need some quails !!!!!

 

[PikeCo]

What a small world. I am from Piketon too. How funny.

 

[Animalian]

I am a vegetarian but I have so much respect for people who raise and eat their own birds. I probably would if I had the space, might come back to these instructions one day if I send up getting more! I'm only vego because I don't like how meat is raised 'efficiently for the masses' now a days, I like to be sure the animals have had a good life and killed quickly and without fear. It's also why I raise chickens for eggs so I know they have a good life.

You can tell the bird is relaxed even when you have the seceteurs against his neck, oblivious to whats about to happen and probably happy he's full of seed

You are a good person and are raising your daughter to be the same, well done!

 

[shellstewart]

Thanks so much for the tips! I am so glad you posted that you put the bird in a bowl with salt and water. Maybe that will help get the gamey flavor out of my home processed birds.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

one more thank you for reviving this thread - a great tutorial.

 

[galanie]

Just to clear up a common misconception: A&M Quail have lighter colored meat than other Pharaoh quail but they still don't have true white meat. It's dark meat, but the color is lighter. I know that sounds like HUH? but it's true. Look at the texture of the meat on a chicken thigh and compare to the breast meat. You can bleach out that thigh meat but it's still "dark meat." Same as on A&M Quail. Lighter meat, but still not "white" meat.

To me, they taste a lot the way a chicken thigh tastes but with a tiny bit of gaminess in there, which I suppose could be compared to rabbit meat. I only ate rabbit once and didn't like it, but I do like quail. I, too, am raising quail for meat and my happiest days are those days when the chicks get put outside! I get really tired of messy critters in my messy house hehe.

 

[MobyQuail]

great thread.

 

[KittySparkes]

Wow, this is great! I've never thought about keeping quail (just nuts about chickens at the moment!), but it doesn't sound like a bad "someday" idea. My husband I haven't officially bet on it yet, but he doesn't believe me that I'll ever process my own chickens. We don't have them yet, so I don't know how attached I'll be to them, but I think even a city girl like me can do it if I know going into it that I'll be eating my wee chicks some day. This thread was very helpful (can I say inspirational?) to me.

I'll only have two problems, once I get over my hang ups: 1) My husband doesn't want to know where his food comes from, and 2) My 5-year old son has seen "Chicken Run" too many times.

 

[LittleDarlings]

This was an amazing educational thread! I don't have my little feathery friends yet, and I had only eyes on chickens until this!! :0) (I don't know if my hubby will agree...lol) But I can definitely see quail in my future. I love how you involve your daughter too. For the beginning at least, my 14 year old son will be the "Reaper". My girls will all learn how to pluck, clean and dress. All of them will definitely be able to cook our birds. I too, feel it's important for my kids to realize their food wasn't made at Big Box Mart, but were living breathing creatures. We have a small garden and a pair of dairy goats as well.

I am so happy to have a place that has so much respect for the animals living in this world.

My dad said quail are fantastic and if I can get them, I should!