Quail Forum Information

[Mrs MIA]

I use the soda bottle waterers for the quail up above... the PVC pipe with the cup-waterers only runs along the bottom pens. I accidentally broke it last night... I slipped and my knee cracked it apart at one of the "T" joints.

Hubby came home and fixed it, but I tested it this morning and it's leaking so we'll have to replace one section.

I'm resorting to more pop-bottle waterers until we can get it fixed. One word of caution... if you DO build the pipe system, include a stop-cock on the tube leading from the bucket so you can limit the water flow. I lost about 2 gallons of water, and it all rolled under the silkie pen. I had to clean out their entire pen of soggy shavings.

But it's my fault... Just yesterday morning I had looked at the floor in there and thought it was time to get the mop out ...

Wasn't the method I had envisioned, but the vinyl flooring is clean!








(I'm still not sorry....)

 

[SportTees]

I have saw allot of people asking about Quail so i thought I would revive this thread

 

[papagoose]

Hi All,

I'm all in favor of reviving this thread as well so here it goes!

I'm in Central MN and the temps here have been as low as -33. I have 13 coturnix quail and they are perfectly fine with the cold weather. They huddle close together when it gets really cold. I have them in a breeding pen we moved into the barn that is about 8' long, about 3' wide and about 3' high. It stands on 4 legs about 2 ' off the ground and I have about half the sides covered with plywood for shelter from any drafts that might blow in. I have 2 flakes of straw in there for burrowing and shelter as well.

I plan on expanding my flock to over 100 birds (I hope) in the spring and keeping the eggs for pickled eggs and to sell at the local critter swap.

Can anyone tell me about their successes with quail eggs off of Ebay? Where would you suggest buying if not off of Ebay? Any thoughts on eggbid.com?

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
I personally would buy off of here from a BYCer before i'd ever buy from Ebay or eggbid...mostly because i dont have pay pal lol, and also becausei cannot log on to eggbid because of my free email he he heehe

 

[CARS]

papagoose, (and any other cold weather friends)

What are you doing for water in this frigid weather? I have a heated base for my chicken water but with small cages/hutches I don't think that it is an option.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
plastic dog bowl is their main waterer, and a metal waterer as a back up.

Frozen water I take out and tap the ice in the bowl off my fence gate and it comes out pretty well. On really cold days, when i know their water will freeze before i get back up to water again I throw snow in a pile of their hutch so they can eat that if they want as well as apple slices.

 

[Cason]

That looks like one of my quail in your avatar! Jumbo Cortunix? Is it the males that have the golden breast? Haven't needed to figure that out yet- but Spring IS coming!

 

[bigjohn]

I am in Ga. I have two small 2' x 4' outside pens with wire floors and fronts with plywood sides back for wind protection. I did order my start of eggs from an ebayer and had excellent luck hatching them with my Top Hatch incubator. I believe I set 97 eggs and got 64 chicks. I have the Texas A&M and am attempting to get the largest birds possible by breeding them correctly and periodically introducing a new line of large birds. I share the eggs with my friends at workd (they consume as many as I give them) and love to eat them in the same way I eat chicken eggs (scambled eggs). One friend takes the eggs, boils them for 3 minutes, peels them, wraps them in raw pattie sausage, dips them in eggs and flour and deep fries them. So you have a sausage ball with an egg surprise in the middle. These are very good even though a bit on the unhealthy side ...........

I love the birds since they are mostly quiet and calm. I keep only a couple or three males since they don't crow so much when they have so many hens to keep them busy in the open cage environment. I use the auto waterers from GQF connected to my hose pipe. It has only frozen about 3 or 4 times so far this year and some very hot water poured into the waterers melts the ice fairly quickly. I have my pens located in an area where the sun shines on them early during the winter, but a tree covers them in the summer for shade. I am amazed at how well they handle the cold. I put a plastic shoe box with a hole cut out of the side when it is going to be in the 20's or below and they can get in it if they like.

To me, coturnix quail are an amazing bird. They are so healthy and easy to raise. With all of the eggs and the fast breeding/growth you can produce a lot of meat in a short period of time. In an economy like we are in now, it pays to have a little 'backup' plan in place in case of a worsening situation. And I know that my birds are not eating chemicals and getting drugs so I am getting a healthier product that the stores can provide. And at a much cheaper and 'fun' price.

I do love chickens, but my city life won't allow them. But the quail are GREAT!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Well, I haven't posted here in a long while so I re-read everything

I finally have some quail - I traded ShelleyD three chickens for a set of 6 jumbos. They are only about a month old right now, but they are already pretty big looking for quail. I didn't expect them to be so tame - the buttons I have are freaks when ya go anywhere near them. Shelley said her 4 year old son used to handle them all the time though

so I guess they're used to people.

I am already thinking I may have to expand on the quail - cause I had a neighbor mention he might be interested in buying some for eating. My brother in law, also, wants me to send some home with my sister when she comes down to visit this summer.

I guess it's just because I've never hunted, but it seems a lot easier to raise them to eat than to hunt them

. We do have wild quail out on our property - a couple of them flew up right under my horse's nose last summer while I was out riding him. He didn't even flinch at the quail, yet he jumped a mile at a downed fence post - stoopid horse

he's not living here anymore - he was too mean to the donkeys.

Anyway, I digress..... I have never eaten quail before, but I am looking forward to trying it. My hubby has hunted quail before, but he said he's never eaten it, they always gave their quail to the neighbors to eat.

So I have two pair of button quail, and 1 male and 5 female Jumbo Browns. I am keeping them in the house for now - but the jumbos will probably go out this spring when it warms up a little (and they are a little bit older).

I haven't decided yet whether I want to hang a cage inside the chicken coop for them (better weather protection) or build them their own cage - like a rabbit hutch type and put it somewhere out of the wind and sun. -- Or if I want to have them on the ground. It gets VERY muddy here in the winter, so I'd have to have a ground cage for summer, and a raised one or inside the coop one for winter, I think - I'd rather just have one cage and not have so many different ones. With the raised cage, I could always give them all the greens and grasses they want, so it might be better than a ground cage.

I already have holding cages (for spare birds and "for sale" birds) hanging inside the coop - so adding another wouldn't be a problem.

I have button eggs in the bator right now... I can't wait to get some Jumbo eggs.

meri

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Mojo Chick'n :

Well, I haven't posted here in a long while so I re-read everything

I finally have some quail - I traded ShelleyD three chickens for a set of 6 jumbos. They are only about a month old right now, but they are already pretty big looking for quail. I didn't expect them to be so tame - the buttons I have are freaks when ya go anywhere near them. Shelley said her 4 year old son used to handle them all the time though

so I guess they're used to people.

I am already thinking I may have to expand on the quail - cause I had a neighbor mention he might be interested in buying some for eating. My brother in law, also, wants me to send some home with my sister when she comes down to visit this summer.

I guess it's just because I've never hunted, but it seems a lot easier to raise them to eat than to hunt them

. We do have wild quail out on our property - a couple of them flew up right under my horse's nose last summer while I was out riding him. He didn't even flinch at the quail, yet he jumped a mile at a downed fence post - stoopid horse

he's not living here anymore - he was too mean to the donkeys.

Anyway, I digress..... I have never eaten quail before, but I am looking forward to trying it. My hubby has hunted quail before, but he said he's never eaten it, they always gave their quail to the neighbors to eat.

So I have two pair of button quail, and 1 male and 5 female Jumbo Browns. I am keeping them in the house for now - but the jumbos will probably go out this spring when it warms up a little (and they are a little bit older).

I haven't decided yet whether I want to hang a cage inside the chicken coop for them (better weather protection) or build them their own cage - like a rabbit hutch type and put it somewhere out of the wind and sun. -- Or if I want to have them on the ground. It gets VERY muddy here in the winter, so I'd have to have a ground cage for summer, and a raised one or inside the coop one for winter, I think - I'd rather just have one cage and not have so many different ones. With the raised cage, I could always give them all the greens and grasses they want, so it might be better than a ground cage.

I already have holding cages (for spare birds and "for sale" birds) hanging inside the coop - so adding another wouldn't be a problem.

I have button eggs in the bator right now... I can't wait to get some Jumbo eggs.

meri

Would you be able to post a pic of how you hang your cages in the coop..I'd be interested to try that but need a visual.