Tatanka Breeders Club: Meat Quail project with history, discussion, pictures and videos

[yinepu]

I am so sorry about your quail. Did the dogs get into the hoop house or were they in cages? I want to build a hoop house for my quail. I am concerned about predators though.

they were in cages in an outside shed at the time. The same dogs also destroyed my rabbit hutches and killed all the rabbits but one.

The dogs HAVE tried to get into the hoop coops... but always failed..they can destroy hardware cloth pretty easily.. but can't get through the cattle panels.



At first we assumed it was a pack of strays.. then found out that the dogs were local.. we confronted the owners who didn't care.. so since then we have "beefed up security" and keep a few loaded guns within easy reach

 

[Sycamore27]

Wow, that really sucks. So sorry you are dealing with that. I can't believe people like that, keeping no control and taking no responsibility for their animals.

It were me I'd definitely be filing suit for the cost of the cages and stock and filing complaints with animal control.

Cheers,
Jessie

 

[yinepu]

Wow, that really sucks. So sorry you are dealing with that. I can't believe people like that, keeping no control and taking no responsibility for their animals.

It were me I'd definitely be filing suit for the cost of the cages and stock and filing complaints with animal control.

Cheers,
Jessie

Our animal control is a joke. It consists of a woman with kennels in her back yard and a truck. If she doesn't have to come out she prefers it that way. Her advice was "shoot them if they harass your livestock, it's the law"

 

[Penny Hen]

Our animal control is a joke. It consists of a woman with kennels in her back yard and a truck. If she doesn't have to come out she prefers it that way. Her advice was "shoot them if they harass your livestock, it's the law"

I have had luck with shooting dogs with paintball guns. My property is in the city limits and I do not have 360˚ of safe fire to use a lethal weapon. I found that shooting dogs with paintballs resulted in them not showing up again. I have 2 theories about that. 1. It made the dog think he was really shot and bleeding and he never returned. or 2. His owners knew he was getting into things he shouldn't and tied him up to keep him from being shot for real.

You can also freeze the paintballs and they hurt a lot more although you will have some rupture in the freezer.

One shepherd I know runs electric wire to keep coyotes out. She baits the wire with strips of aluminum with peanut butter smeared on it. The coyotes will lick the peanut butter and get the shock right in the mouth.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
around here you have to "shoot to kill" otherwise it's considered animal abuse


I'm waiting for the day when it's open season on the stupid dog owners who don't bother to keep their pets on their own property

 

[blondeNchicken]

My University gives out research grants to students who are doing something productive, and my boyfriend and I are in the poultry business with chickens, ducks, turkeys and quail. So far, our jumbo coturnix are our favorites.

He is a biology major with an emphasis in genetics, and may be picking up an Ag minor. He's also incredibly detail oriented, and is absolutely intrigued with selective breeding and feed/meat conversion ratios.

Any way to still get in on this project?

 

[Potch Koekoo]

Hello African Dream,

My name is Rick, I'm an American living in Durban. I have been raising quail for about a year and would like to collaborate with you and others on our own South African Tatanka project if you like. I have 18 breeding hens and 6 cock birds with an average mass of 200gms. My biggest eggs are 12-13 grams, only about 8% are this size. I hatched my quail from eggs I got from Bruce Clark who lives in Northwest.

My work here in Africa is philanthropic, I am a medical doctor and have lots of experience with genetics and breeding of mice. If you would like to speak with me about your prospects of breeding, please drop me a line. Like the stewards of the Tatanka line in America, I would be looking to collaborate with other people who are doing this as a hobby, but not as their primary business. I have been supplying people I train with Potch Koekoek layer chickens, when I discovered the value of quail as egg producers and quick meat birds. I have a number of incubators at my house.

Kind regards,
Rick (076) 850-7738

 

[IcyOldHen]

I've been reading this thread with great interest! I'm almost through it.

I have had my quail for about 8-9 months and am thoroughly enjoying them. I tried to find out where they came from before they came to me but the gal that brought them to our area didn't remember who they came from.

I started with all wild color, yet got a few A&Ms and a white wing from my hatches. I have also been getting some big rough feathered quail.

I've been keeping the largest as breeders. With my last 2 hatches I only selected the visually larger eggs but will weigh them from now on.

Of the 23 eggs collected last evening I got a 16 gram, a 15 gram, four 14 gram, three 13 gram, six 12 gram & eight 11 gram eggs.

I weighed my largest quail from my most recent hatch today (hatched 8-21-13) one of my keeper males weighed a whooping 160 grams at 19 days! The female chicks I'd banded at a couple of days old as keepers were 138g, 131g, 139g & 137g and the males were 160g, 138g, 132g & 128g at 19 days old. I was going to cull the 131g female, and the 138g, 132g & 128g males. After checking with the Tatanka guidelines I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't be too hasty with all but the 128g male! Excited that I have a few that appear to meet Tatanka guidelines.

I have James Marie Farms eggs coming later this month. Very excited!

Thanks for all the great info and ideas presented in this thread!

 

[yinepu]

I've been reading this thread with great interest! I'm almost through it.

I have had my quail for about 8-9 months and am thoroughly enjoying them. I tried to find out where they came from before they came to me but the gal that brought them to our area didn't remember who they came from.

I started with all wild color, yet got a few A&Ms and a white wing from my hatches. I have also been getting some big rough feathered quail.

I've been keeping the largest as breeders. With my last 2 hatches I only selected the visually larger eggs but will weigh them from now on.

Of the 23 eggs collected last evening I got a 16 gram, a 15 gram, four 14 gram, three 13 gram, six 12 gram & eight 11 gram eggs.

I weighed my largest quail from my most recent hatch today (hatched 8-21-13) one of my keeper males weighed a whooping 160 grams at 19 days! The female chicks I'd banded at a couple of days old as keepers were 138g, 131g, 139g & 137g and the males were 160g, 138g, 132g & 128g at 19 days old. I was going to cull the 131g female, and the 138g, 132g & 128g males. After checking with the Tatanka guidelines I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't be too hasty with all but the 128g male! Excited that I have a few that appear to meet Tatanka guidelines.

I have James Marie Farms eggs coming later this month. Very excited!

Thanks for all the great info and ideas presented in this thread!

Good luck with your birds!

I have some eggs in the bator now.. not the Tatanka since all of mine were killed by dogs.. Since I haven't been having any luck getting Tatanka eggs again I'm going to have to start my own line of "monster jumbo" quail...
lol.. if you keep on having success with yours I may have to buy some eggs from you down the road a bit (assuming you're interested in selling any)!

 

[yinepu]

My University gives out research grants to students who are doing something productive, and my boyfriend and I are in the poultry business with chickens, ducks, turkeys and quail. So far, our jumbo coturnix are our favorites.

He is a biology major with an emphasis in genetics, and may be picking up an Ag minor. He's also incredibly detail oriented, and is absolutely intrigued with selective breeding and feed/meat conversion ratios.

Any way to still get in on this project?

I don't think there is.. unfortunately...

I have been trying to contact a few of the people who started it to get the Tatanka eggs again.. but have heard nothing back.

If I had eggs available I would hook you up with them.. but unfortunately I don't and I think I may be one of the only ones who still checks this thread from time to time..