Thinking of raising quail for meat, but...

[ggschulz]

Chirping and "clucking" will be the extent. I honestly don't think a rooster would be a huge problem but your neighbors might disagree. Good luck!

 

[AutoAnne]

Thanks for the input! I do have a lovebird and I figure if my neighbours don't have a problem with her, they aren't likely going to have a problem with the females, but the males have a loud call.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

Some handle it better than others, but since I hatch raise and sell as well as keep some, there is always that need to keep the ratio.

Yes, I sometimes balk at the thought until I actually initiate the role, but mainly it is because I cannot make up my mind on which to keep in the pen to continue for next year. "I want strong healthy birds" to make it though the winter. Still, the hatch out produces about as many males as it does females which puts the ratio about 1-1, when I want 1-5.
When they hit the frying pan, my attitude changes quickly and the task becomes more easy to accept.

 

[RichardandTresa]

Similar situation here (at first), I'm not a hunter, but grew up fishing (salt water), and have never had a problem killing, gutting and fileting the meat...

Now, war blooded animals? OMG!

I read the threads, watched the videos and decided on a new slightly curved SHARP set of shears to be used only for the Quail... I lined a 5 gallon bucket with black trash bag, held the head down and "snip"... Done quickly, it's instant and I was in position to hold the body, neck down in the bucket to bleed it out without mess... The rest was fairly easier... I chose to cut off the wing tips and feet, small incision in the breast and peel the skin with feathers off... Use the same shears to cut up the spine on both sides, remove the neck and spine and gut it. Into a bucket of ice cold water and ready for next....

After the first one, it becomes so much easier!

Now... Rabbits! Ha! My wife and I cried the morning of our first dispatch session BEFORE we even begun! I again researched and actually built a captive bolt gun to make sure the death was instant. it's on the top of their heads where they love being petted and I built a small "kill cage" that opens on top... treats and petting and wham. It's over.... We've now gone through several rounds of rabbits and too many quail to count...

I'm not disconnected... in fact, it's just the opposite... If I'm going to take care of them during birth/hatch, feed, water, keep warm, treat them as pets (we NEVER name those destined for "freezer camp")... We give our rabbits toys, cat balls with bells, toilet paper tubes stuffed with treats... The quail get garden greens and custom built sand boxes... I have decided that my participation in their "dispatch" is just as important as bringing them into the world and caring for them until their last minute...

Someone here or on a rabbit forum said: They get the best lives possible, with lots of love and care and only one bad day that they don't even know is coming" How many of US would wish the same?

Good luck to all who are raising for meat... The reward of filling your freezer and sitting down to a meal that you grew yourself goes beyond words to describe the pride, satisfaction while honoring the animal on a very personal level... as opposed to being so far removed from the meat being sold in the grocery stores, wrapped in Styrofoam and plastic (never mind the chemicals, hormones etc....

Oh... and by the way... we have 4 breeder pens, 6 grow out pens and 8 individual "quail jail" cages (for those who are misbehaving or are injured (quarantine)... I keep buying food for all even though quite a few of the 70 plus birds we have are "over-due"... Too busy? maybe? procrastinating? maybe... Just not wanting to do it again? Probably... but I will and we will eat well.

Best to all,

Richard & Tresa