Walk me through keeping quail for meat........

[doubleatraining]

I just finished keeping some Cornish Xs but I don't think I am super eager to do that again. They are gross. I'm intrigued by quail and am curious about keeping them. There is a local guy that sells Texas A&M White Coturnix Quail. I have a 7x2x2 off the ground wire pen with a box at the end for shelter. The top of the run is tin.

I already have a tractor for my 4 laying hens that I move around the yard some.

So tell me everything I need to know.....

 

[Chikndinner]

click here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=102281

 

[doubleatraining]

OK I read that post....very informative.

I do have a few more questions......

If I get 3-4 hens and 1 rooster....will they raise/brood on their own so I can raise them for meat? I can buy another pen for the younger stock to grow up in.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

99% of quail hens do not go broody(tho i've heard that buttons do moreso, but they don't have any meat). you will have to incubate the eggs yourself if you want any to hatch.

 

[doubleatraining]

Grrrr I don't want to incubate......I'll have to find another source of meat birds......

 

[TheRealTimShady]

sorry, you should check out the meat bird forum, i've heard that cornish hens are good.

 

[doubleatraining]

Would it be wrong to use a broody hen to raise the quail eggs? Can you cross species like that?

 

[saddina]

Quote:
Size is your problem, the quail eggs are ~ a quarter in size, a hen could crush them. Silkies have been used before incubators came along in asia, but you're at the mercy of when the henwants to hatch eggs, not at your convience. With a do-it-yourself stryo it costs about $10 and 20 minutes.

 

[doubleatraining]

Hmmmm it might be worth a shot....there was a local hatchery trying to get me to buy a super broody bantam hen a few weeks ago...might call them about her.

The problem with the incubator is time. I work 24hr shifts and live alone....there would be no way to turn them and I really don't want to buy one of the super nice ones.

If the broody hen doesn't work out I can ask another local guy to put them in his incubator for me...

 

[TheRealTimShady]

i have heard of people using chickens to hatch quail, rare tho, but i guess its possible, only problem is she kinda has to be in the mood for it