ISO Coturnix quail near Ann Arbor

[RobPS]

Any breeders out there with chicks that are about ready to sell??

I prefer to buy from a breeder who's on this forum, but so far I've seen no posts from breeders looking to sell chicks.

I will consider incubating as a last resort, because I'm so new at this whole backyard quail idea. I'm also hoping to keep just females for eggs (eating) initially...

Any advice is welcome, even if you don't have chicks to sell yet. Thanks!

 

[birdmanmax]

I suggest you go to Michigan bird and game breeder bird swaps they are all over the state and usually start in mid spring and continue through summer into fall. I have been to many swaps held by this organization and coturnix quail chicks have been at every swap. You could also go to there website http://www.mbgba.com and call around. Coturnix quail are usually pretty easy to come upon I raise them but don't have chicks right now.

 

[RobPS]

Thanks Birdmanmax--I appreciate the suggestion. It looks like the closest swap that MBGBA has on the calendar is about a 1:45 drive from my home. Not bad, but if there are any breeders closer to AA, I'd love to hear from them.

 

[birdmanmax]

I will look around I know quite a few breeders across the state and I'll see if I can find anything close. I would still recommend going to a swap meet they are a lot of fun and have way more animals then you would expect.

 

[RobPS]

Thanks! I will try to make it to one of the swap meets if I can. It all boils down to the dates for us... we have two very active kid-athletes who keep us running all over the place for competitions.

I'm also contemplating buying an incubator and just going all-in on this whole backyard quail plan. I think it's smarter for me to get young chicks first , and make sure that I can keep them happy with my setup. But if it's too difficult locating a breeder with some female chicks to sell, I may change my mind. Wish those incubators weren't so darn expensive!

 

[birdmanmax]

Before I go to far in depth looking for breeders I found this ad located in Ypsilanti just a little ways out of Ann Arbor I believe.

http://www.hoobly.com/search?area_id=12014&cat_id=110&q=quail

 

[RobPS]

Before I go to far in depth looking for breeders I found this ad located in Ypsilanti just a little ways out of Ann Arbor I believe.

http://www.hoobly.com/search?area_id=12014&cat_id=110&q=quail

Well now, you are more talented that I am on locating these things! I have no idea what "hoobly" is, but I'm guessing that's some sort of site like Craigslist?
I will have to check that out!!

 

[birdmanmax]

Yup that's exactly what it is.Although during this time there are lot less bird ads, in spring and summer there's 50 to 60 ads up at one time just for poultry all across the state that update every other week. In my mind it's a pretty good resource when it comes to adding on to or starting a flock. Hope you find something that works out.

 

[RobPS]

Before I go to far in depth looking for breeders I found this ad located in Ypsilanti just a little ways out of Ann Arbor I believe.

http://www.hoobly.com/search?area_id=12014&cat_id=110&q=quail

Say Birdmanmax--thanks so much for this tip. The guy still has 8 quail hens!! They are 4 weeks old and he said fully feathered. But he keeps them inside at 40 degrees (i assume a partially heated garage). Temps outside my home are still likely to be below feeezing at nights and even some days.

Do you think I could house these babies yet? Or is it just too cold still? My coop does have a section with walls and a roof, plus an open area.

I can close the door to the open area too, and restrict them to the "house" portion.

 

[birdmanmax]

Personally I think that it is a little to cold at that age here in Michigan. But I also think you could do it since there fully feathered I would cover all the walls with a tarp and maybe over the top to just prevent from wind and snow and if the are all huddled to together you could easily place a 5 dollar broody light in the coop. And also the wire flooring could contribute to a lot of heat loss, until they get larger I would cover the bottom with straw. (You could also keep them in the house for a week or two and by that time they would be far old enough to be out in the cold.)

I put my babies out at 5 weeks old and it was the middle of November and they were and still are doing great.