Quail for my husband

[CarolJ]

I am in the middle of hatching out our first chicks. My husband is intrigued, and when a friend told us yesterday about hatching quail eggs with her brother when she was little, my husband was definitely hooked. He wants me to try hatching quail as soon as this chick hatch is completed. I asked him what he wanted to do with the quail after they were hatched, and he said he wanted to let them out in the woods around our house. He also mentioned setting up a type of shelter for them to protect them from hawks and eagles. We live on 90 acres - most of it heavily wooded. Wouldn't quail that we hatch and release just make easy dinners for all the predators in the woods? Do they need a mother quail to teach them survival skills - or is it all instinct? I don't want to hatch quail to provide meals for the neighboring raccoons and coyotes.

And if we decide to give it a try, what kind of quail would do well in middle Tennessee?

I'm trying to read up on raising quail as much as possible so we'll make a good decision. Any advice or input is welcomed!

 

[TheRealTimShady]

if he is wanting them just to release them, you might have to check up on state laws, then again i won't tell lol. anyway, tennessee? why not Tennessee Red Bobs! i would go with bobs regardless as other birds might not make it as well there.

but i have to put disclaimer: check with your current state laws about releasing game birds into the wild, i don't know anything about it.

 

[bantamboy93]

There are ways of raising quail (if it's legal to do so in your state/area!) so that they are not tame and easier to be caught by predators. From what i've heard, the people set up their cages where they only have to go by the pen at night to feed/water them.... That way the birds aren't used to human contact.. Not sure if that's what you want to do though.

 

[CarolJ]

Thanks for the information. I hadn't thought about checking to see if it was legal. Am working on that now. Good ideas - thanks.

 

[rittert3]

Tenn. Reds won't have any regulations because they are a domestic variation. It is very hard to get domestic hatched quail to live in the wild and only live about a month tops, what about just keeping a few in a pen, they are fun birds to keep.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
INCORRECT WHILE THEY MAY BE A CREATED VARIATION, THEY ARE STILL BOB WHITES. AND TENNESEE AND KY HAVE SOME OF THE MOST STRINGENT RULES/ REGULATIONS OF ALL ON BOB WHITES. PLEASE CHECK YOUR STATE'S LAWS CAREFULLY.

 

[rittert3]

I appologize I was going off of MY state regulations, which discorage the release of domestic variations however they only govern wild found "types". A game breeders licence here (for northen bobs and any "game" kept in kansas) is required for breeding, sales, and release.

 

[Fat Daddy]

Quote:
Well actually you can raise, breed and keep as many as you want in kansas. You can't sell eggs or birds, or release into the wild, without a permit... Permit cost 12 bucks a year and your pens have to inspected by fish and game. And found to be suitable... But you keep and breed as many as you want for your consumption. I do... Bill