Processing Quail Pictures- WARNING Graphic!

[coondog74017]

When I want quail to eat I send my wife to the grocery store and they have farm raised quail in package of four for about $2.15 a bird already to cook. I can't raise or buy them that cheap live and I process alot of chickens for the freezer.

 

[Swamp Roo]

Quote:
Glass of wine per bird right? No wonder you like to have processing parties. "Sure, bring your birds over to my place... I'll whack 'em!" Building those pluckers was just an excuse to do more birds in one day!

Swamp

BTW, did you ever settle on a final design?

 

[First To Hatch]

Smacking the bird so it has no idea that its about to die is a good idea........but the arguements over which is better knocking them out or just doing it doesn't matter to me...my opinion is whatever way you do it just don't think about it.....ya know kinda like when your playing video games your playing and doing good but your mind is not really there? As far as quail go I've never had it... My mother has issues with eating "pets" she used to freak out when my brother, father, and I butchered our rabbits, and she complains when my father decides to buy a wether to butcher and she says that the meat tastes bad. So in translation when my stuff is set and its all hatching only people that will prolly eat it is my father and I. Five per person sounds like a small number maybe not for you guys but I'd think I might need 15 if I were grilling them maybe 7 if I had side dishes

Only reason I might keep the skin and wings on are to make it look pretty tho.... when my cousins and I butchered a buncha pigeons they cut the wings off and kept the skin on idk...



But I have some older quail that I want to be processing because you know they're old is the meat gonna be horrible should I even try them out? Maybe I can put em in a seperate bag titled quail for soup or something idk..


Again I'm really sorry this turned into one of my weird posts where I talk to myself.... it always seems to happen, again I apoligize.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

umm...just wondering, but whats the point of eating something the size of a q-tip?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Bigger than a q-tip, smaller than a breadbox but oh so yummy!

 

[First To Hatch]

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[mrsengeseth]

Our male quail was sad, lonely...and well, he was old enough and big enough to process. I didn't wanna. But every night come 3 am he started crowing...and crowing...and crowing. Sounded like one of the kids toy laser guns going off. I really psyched my self up for it...read all the processing threads. Watched you-tube things and so on. And finally I got to the actual deed. I think this thread is what gave me the confidence to actually DO it. It wasn't as hard as I feared. Although somehow, my quail is fully clothed in skin still. Feathers came right out. Skin didn't tear or anything. He's sitting in the fridge now, in a zippy bag. How long should he set there till I move him to the freezer? We'll neeed to wait till more quails meet the same fate. (Boys will likely go to freezer camp, females will be a laying flock and pets)

and wow, that dinner looks yum!!

 

[the_great_snag]

You people are terrible! Now I want to raise some quail! It would be nice to have birds that are so easy to process.

I hunt a lot in the fall and this is essentially the same way I process grouse and woodcock. Very quick and easy.

As far as the killing, I've always found the first one is the hardest and then it just becomes a chore. Several years ago I butchered several birds with my ex-gf and her kids. We were doing Cornish X Rocks and by the end of the day the kids were all asking to help kill the birds.

The first few birds the kids were all crying, but you soon harden to the task.

 

[Sierra pachie bars]

Yum I found this thread looking for some recipes for my box

Quail is yummie !! So easy to raise and process. And always good to know should something happen we have our own supply. I have a few quail in my freezer now, I'm drooling. Once my big batch is ready to go I have a feeling I won't have to many for myself as my family is now wanting some

Maybe I should buy another incubator ?

 

[recession_resilient]

Quote:
It's called spatchcocking (butterflying) Here's a video on how to do it with chicken. I don't roast birds any other way since I found this video. One suggestion is to slip thinly sliced lemons or oranges under the skin, season then roast at 400 degrees till done.

awesome!
knife skills and bird size aside, will this work on coturnix? as in same shaped, smaller keel?
...I guess me and an unlucky bird will find out soon enough...

thanks monarc23- this post taught me everything I needed to know on the "endgame"