Going through different posts, Marty1876 and others have wanted a new thread to talk quail. I think that's a great idea. To keep things a little more manageable, we'll be talking about cots except when we're not, lol. Basically all info ideas shared here will be about cots unless you specifically bring up another species. Disagreements are allowed, but please back up your opinion with something other than "My friend down the road..." or "The guy at the feed store said..." Facts are awesome and maybe we can all learn something new along the way. Experience is a great teacher too. Keep in mind different climates will mean different strategy for raising them...
So I'll Start: I have some quail. I have a lot of quail. I have over 100 breeders, 10 different colors to included pure white. At any given time there are at least 100-150 chicks at different age groups up to 6 weeks around here on the farm...spring months that number can get up close to 600....Have incubators going 24/7. I raise cots for home use meat production as well as sell birds for ornamental, new flocks, and consumption purposes. I do sell tons of eggs for both incubation and consumption....mail eggs, no birds. Don't have a jumbo on the place...yet. "Bob-bird" is a dirty word. Your turn, tell us what you got! Whatcha wanna talk about?
all I got to say, Wow, thats a whole lot of quail... I have blue scale that come and visit, just wish I had more wild ones around
Would you believe several years ago, Only started out with 6? Liked'em so much wanted this color or that...then found some folks here that said when you mix this with that ...that color or this should appear...and low and behold had quail running out of my ears just from trying for new colors....it went from that to wanting to help others catch the quail bug too. You can not make money at quail...but someday hope to break even The little bugger are pigs, lol. Blue scale are awesome! Anymore wild bob's are even scarce in these parts...would love to see a blue scale in the wild! I have a small covey, but they're nothing compared to seeing in the wild I bet. Can you put out feeders to encourage them to stop by for a visit more often? Take pics if you can!
I have browns and whites. I have culled all my other colors to focus on the "splits". when I started I scoured the country and did my research. found the biggest browns, in Kansas, from fatdaddy and my whites came from JJ and a lady named Miss Ruth. interestingly, Miss Ruth got her whites from GQF many years ago, her quail had never been to Texas...
Haven't been here in a while....But because I see such good folks posting on my favorite thing...I dusted off the cobwebs and stepped back in. I have finally broken the 100 mark in hatched...Now...I know the percentages are "against me" in male to female and that number will come down a bit...but with a little help from my friends and "connects" (yeah I speak "quail junkie)...I'll get there. Goal is 120 or better during any one time for laying eggs for consumption. Bfrancis is now quickly becoming someone who I feel I need to consult with on the management and husbandry. I live on a small lot in town and it is legal...A funky little legal loophole where fish and game left out the common European or Coturnix Quail...Totally did not include them...Municipal law did not include them and with with my bigger than average lot..being surrounded by one of our community's first "green park" (no spray, no pesticide..for 2 yrs now) and a 6' fence + an 8 tree orchard of big old mature fruit varieties...well a micro farm heaven...to me. I have a mix of the colored variety and what my dear friend Model A has. (Which I hope to be a repeat customer again buddy). So I feel my lines are a combo of good layers, and big birds that lay big eggs. I have to make a quota of 560 per month at staggered delivery times at natural food stores and private buyers at the north end of Colorado and all the way up in Montana...I was kind and told Montana mama she should get with JJ to save herself on shipping ...grow the Coturnix hers self for her egg reactive 3 yr old twin boys.... and join us. I HEART my old school BYC friends and wanted to pop in and say hello and thank you bfrancis for starting this thread. Thanks to your suggestion I switched from shavings to pellets in the drop trays for better compost breakdown. Limited space requires faster composting. I also purchased a barrel spinning com poster as I am disabled (for the moment darn it) and spinning sure beats digging in and turning. Now thanks to Millebantam...I am getting serious with my meal worm farm. I take the advise of my friends here seriously. I don't argue about..hey I heard it from a guy down the road. I look for citations and information that would back my peers here so that OUR information is solid. I keep hatching and just got a bunch from a loving family in IL. I love my Quail Family so much that at times it has brought me to tears, because of the generosity and kindness in sharing of information. Have worked in many animal fields (many species that is). This by far has been one of the most friendly group of people. I house my quail inside an insulated, plastic (shower insert) walled, linoleum floored house with canned an track lighting, outlets and now this summer a separate wash room for the eggs and their refrigerator (required by law to not be in the residence by State of Colo). I WILL expand as I have farm/ranching family out on the mesa where we keep most of the chickens. I find Quail to be a great kid bird (Coturnix) especially if the child is taught to hold a meal worm for them. The way they lower their head and "porcupine up" is SO cute and makes my little boy giggle from the belly. We swear we saw one little golden female "moon walk" all poo fed up in reverse from us one day. Love the eggs as I am a poor eater. Pain and the meds as a result have taken my nutrition levels down and this egg is fabulous to help me combat that. Nothing better than a Model A Tractor sandwich....(He'll have to explain that to ya, if you don't know yet). Good and good for you. Well that is all for now. It's an honor to be on a thread with bfrancis and Model A...
Going have to think about this, Pharaoh, Roux Dilute ( pharaoh pattern that's red), Goldens- both Manchurian and Italians, English whites (with spots and pure white), Dark Range or Tibetan, Dark Range Tux, Red Range, Red Range Tux. I do have a new project color, maybe I'll get some pics up. My wife calls them "Turkey" patterned. The base is Dark Range color with a little of this and a little of that, but has come out to have some distinctive striping in the plumage. Got a tux model too. Thanks for your kind words Kahlertm, I'm not the brightest duck on the pond...heck even list to the right in big circles most days, but will do my best to help you or anyone out with anything I may know or do here on my little farm.
Hi all. I raise a bunch of Coturnix. This is my specialty. I am working on the Jumbo "meat bird" varieties and also the other cool colors. Quality overrules quantity though so I do a lot of culling. I have Jumbo browns, Jumbo whites/Texas A and Ms, and then colors of the rainbow. Love the birds to death and no one can take that passion away from me. I post all over here, website, and work on educating others on picking out the right bird and how to raise them, pick out the resourceful breeders and so on. My mentors in quail have been Jodi McDonald, Buttercup, Myers Poultry Farm. I have 8 bloodlines of Jumbo in my birds. I do selective breeding and have a research facility and work with a person in Louisiana and in Maine on perfecting the birds for standards. This has been going on for many years and if you have any questions feel free to ask. Quail is all about collaboration and helping others out. Everyone deserves the best there is. I also breed Georgia Giant Bobwhites, Valley Quail, CBBQ, African Harlequin Quail, and working on more exotics as well. Quail are my life. I raise my birds indoors with artificial lighting and feed them 30% GBS for chicks but add in thistle seeds and finch seeds to breeders. Oyster shell is given in dust bath. I live in Florida, have a lot of predators and invested a lot in the birds so cannot afford to lose them. I do sell eggs and adults but it pays the feed bill and continue raising them. The farm is my full time job so I need to make money somehow, however I do not sell horrid stock. I swap/trade often as well.
Ok, Quail momma I will take you up on this. All kidding aside I would most definately take your advice.
