Quail help

[Lily the poultry keeper]

I'm looking into raising quail, I live in WV, and I heard you had to have a license to keep certain quail. Is there a kind of quail I can keep without a license in my state? I know everything on taking care of them and when I was looking up something I came across on the whole license thing and I wanted to be sure before I purchased quail.

Please help me out, thanks!

 

[CoturnixComplex]

I'm looking into raising quail, I live in WV, and I heard you had to have a license to keep certain quail. Is there a kind of quail I can keep without a license in my state? I know everything on taking care of them and when I was looking up something I came across on the whole license thing and I wanted to be sure before I purchased quail.

Please help me out, thanks!

I will look for WV-specific information, but in general it is for native species like bobwhites, mearns, valley, etc and not so much non-native like Japanese Coturnix and Chinese button

It is also usually pretty easy to get and worth the time if you're going to keep the former species.

Also, hi! I lived in WV for a year. Beautiful state

 

[Quailguy728]

As the poster above stated, those law in the states pertain mostly to native species of the new world. You wouldn't need a license for Old world species... I believe. Keep covering as much ground as you can. Better safe than sorry.

I imagine some pretty steep fines for holding the wrong type of wildlife in captivity.

 

[WVduckchick]

I’m in WV also, and used to have coturnix. Pretty sure bobwhites were the only ones listed as needing a special permit, when I researched a couple years ago. Pheasants need a permit here too (also as of last time I checked)

 

[Lily the poultry keeper]

I’m in WV also, and used to have Coturnix. Pretty sure bobwhites were the only ones listed as needing a special permit, when I researched a couple years ago. Pheasants need a permit here too (also as of last time I checked)

So I could most likely on Coturnix without a license? I want to look into as much as possible before I do anything.

 

[WVduckchick]

So I could most likely on Coturnix without a license? I want to look into as much as possible before I do anything.

Definitely safe with coturnix, yes.

 

[davidwhit]

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/wvcode/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=20


Under definitions
“Wild birds” shall include all birds other than: (a) Domestic poultry — chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, peafowls and turkeys; (b) psittacidae, commonly called parrots and parakeets; and (c) other foreign cage birds such as the common canary, exotic finches and ring dove. All wild birds, either: (i) Those occurring in a natural state in West Virginia; or (ii) those imported foreign game birds, such as waterfowl, pheasants, partridges, quail and grouse, regardless of how long raised or held in captivity, shall remain wild birds under the meaning of this chapter.


Game birds” includes: (a) The anatidae, commonly known as swan, geese, brants and river and sea ducks; (b) the rallidae, commonly known as rails, sora, coots, mudhens and gallinule; (c) the limicolae, commonly known as shorebirds, plover, snipe, woodcock, sandpipers, yellow legs and curlews; (d) the galliformes, commonly known as wild turkey, grouse, pheasants, quails and partridges (both native and foreign species); (e) the columbidae, commonly known as doves; (f) the icteridae, commonly known as blackbirds, redwings and grackle; and (g) the corvidae, commonly known as crows.

Under section 47
§20-2-47. License for private game farm for propagating animals and birds for commercial purposes.
The director may issue a license for the operation of a private game preserve for propagation of wild animals and wild birds for commercial purposes. The license shall authorize the holder to breed or raise animals and birds as specified by the license, to sell the same dead or alive, or to sell the eggs of birds in accordance with regulations prescribed by the director.

Application for a license under this section shall designate the property whereon the preserve is to be established. Before the license is issued, the director shall determine that the property is properly enclosed, that the provisions for housing and sanitation are proper and adequate, and that the safety of the public is protected.

The annual license fee shall be $10.