how old is too old to eat a japanese quail?

[yallapilko]

Hi,
I wonder if you could help me.
I would like to know what is the maximum age you can eat your Japanese Quail.
Many thanks!

 

[Redoliveberry]

They are best at about 8-10 weeks, the older they get the tougher the meat. You can eat old birds, but they have to be prepared differently I guess. Boiled or stewed for a long time.
Commercial producers butcher them at 6 weeks.
I tried an 8 month old bird once and it was already pretty tough. Still edible though.

 

[underground chickenman]

Unrefrigerated at room temperature: 3-4 hours, max
Refrigerated: 5-7 days
Frozen: 9-12 months if wrapped well

UGCM

 

[yallapilko]

Redoliveberry - brilliant thanks! I had got no guidelines, but this will do - excellent!
undergroundchickenman (great name!) - that was my next quesion... I was wondering how long I could keep them for too.
So, it seems that they begin to get tough at around 8 months. That's really good to know. Thanks all!