So Quail.......

Well, I have just started keeping coturnix. I like them because they mature quickly - they are laying by six weeks and ready to be processed too. They are also large - you can get jumbos that reach a pound, and lay big eggs. They also come in a lot of colors, so if you want them to be pretty as well as productive, you have lots of color choices.

 

I've been raising Coturnix for just shy of 2 years. The hens lay roughly 300 eggs per year (one each day or so). The main reason is the eggs. I love eggs, and there are so many different theories on cholesterol with chicken eggs. In comparison, a chicken egg has roughly 98 calories per egg, whereas a quail egg has 14 calories. With about 3 quail eggs to equal one chicken egg, I'm still getting more nutrition and less calories with quail eggs. Plus, the quail egg is said to h ave more of the HDL cholesterol compared to chicken eggs. Sundays, I prepare myself a 10 quail egg omelet loaded with tomatoes, onions and peppers... and my nutritionist keeps telling me to keep up the good work, so I must be doing something halfway decent with quail eggs.

As for the Roos.... they mature rather rapidly (compared to chickens) and you will get more out of your investment with quail. They are best sauteed with onions, mushrooms and whatever else I can get my hands onto. My kids won't eat it, but that's more for me. Once they hit 12 or so weeks (the quail, not the kids), I reduce their food one day and the next morning... OFF WITH THE HEADS!!! Into the freezer. This summer, I was grilling quail every other week or so.

I will just warn you... raising quail is addictive, and if you ever want to discuss "why you need a cabinet incubator", stop on by and I'm sure nobody here will try to talk you out of purchasing one.
James