Quail experts--I have questions...!

[miss_thenorth]

I am considering raising quail for meat.

1. Cotournix quail seem to be the best for meat--correct?

2. How well do they do in cold winter climates.

3. Do they set their own eggs--hatch and raise their own young?

4. What type of housing/special requirements do they need? (for hot summers/cold winters)

5. Anything else I might need to know/consider before ordering some?

Thanks!

 

[macnugget]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=13329


for alot of info this is the place to start I got mine in the basement now they are over 5 weeks. Next week I will make my first cull of the colney so to speak. A 2x3 by 10"H cage will get things going. How many do you want to start out with. I started with 40 now have them spaced out in 3 cages same size. Breeders, males and females once I start getting eggs I will hatch out another 40 and cull again before they are ready only keeping the biggest for breeding. Fully mature at 6wk and no most don't set on the eggs but easy to hatch in the bator

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Here is a link full of coturnix info. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=102281

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
Excellent post!! I wonder if it can be stickied. I tried doing a search, but so many hits came up- it was difficult to sort through all of them.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

I dont know. But I agree it should be stickied. It has a ton of helpful info in it. It took me about 10 minutes just to find it so I could get you the link.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Quote:
Well I profusely thank you for your effort. Wonder how we can get it stickied. thank you Monarc for all your hard work and dedication to putting that together!!!! All questions I have are now answered.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

No problem. Its my pleasure to help when I can.

You can report the post and explain why it should be stickied and the BYC staff will determine if it should be stickied or not.

 

[tomcio]

1. Cotournix quail seem to be the best for meat--correct?

-> No, Jumbos and Bob Whites are bigger, but Coturnix are the tamest (I mean you can open the cage and just shoo them. Sometimes they may 'fall out'. My males also think it's a great idea to 'do the deed' when I am filling up the feeder, thus getting themselves, the female and whomever is around directly in my way into a pile of cooing feathers.

2. How well do they do in cold winter climates.

-> Exceptionally well. They are out in the coop with my chickens (-40C was the coldest this winter) without heat and they are still laying eggs.

3. Do they set their own eggs--hatch and raise their own young?

-> I haven't had one even pretend to try to go broody. I hear it's unlikely, but anything can happen. They are very independent once hatched from an incubator.

4. What type of housing/special requirements do they need? (for hot summers/cold winters)

-> 1.5 sq.ft. of space per is a good amount, I have a bit less than that per bird right now, and they look a bit crowded. So, a cage of 10'x1.5' would easily house 10 birds, it only needs to be about foot, foot and a half tall. They do not fly, do not need perches either. I do provide a light in the coop for supplemental daylight.

5. Anything else I might need to know/consider before ordering some?

-> Not really. They are by far the easiest bird to take care of. If you leave them water and food (I feed 25% cracked cord, 25% seed, 50% duck grower) they will lay eggs for you non-stop. After 6 weeks they are full grown and ready for a cull.

If you consider them for meat, expect about 6oz cleaned meat portions. The easiest thing to do is to skin them and cutting off of the wings (this way you have breast & legs left. I'd say doing it that way, you can go from cage to freezer in less than 5 minutes per bird.

Good luck!

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
edited to add I don't mean to pick on your post here, and I'm not at all im just concerned...people are going to get upset when their birds arent layingn in a dark room, or in the winter with no heat and no light--- they need lighting. Also, people get suprised all the time when their coturnix bust out of their enclosure and fly away....they do fly... fly very well. I dont want people expecting something from these birds that isn't accurate. I'm seriosuly considering finding if any of my coturnix grew any of their flight feathers back (i clip their wings) anda if so tie a string to the bird to proove htey fly.

Coturnix after all are used for flush training.... they fly straight up and off they go.


heres about coturnix flying in flushing trials: http://ww2.dnr.state.mi.us/publications/pdfs/HuntingWildlifeHabitat/Reports/WLD-library/2100-2199/2149.pdf


"Europe's only migratory game bird, the fast-flying Quail winters in sub-Saharan Africa following southerly night-time migrations in flocks or smaller groups." http://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=035117

 

[sandspoultry]

For housing this is what we use for Coturnix. It's up and out of the way. It's 8 feet long and 24 inches deep. They did go into the closed end during the winter at night.

Steve in NC