What breed?

[Jocasta]

Hiya.

I'm wanting to start out with quail. I want a good dual purpose bird and am planning on buying from two different supplier so as to be able to breed my own - thus having a continuous supply of meat and eggs. I'm looking a the Jumbo Italian quail and was coming round to that way of thinking but have just seen that ebay have some Texan A&M, that I've heard talk on here that they are pretty large, fast maturing birds.

I'm also concerned that there may be a breed I'm completely over looking lol.

So, would you wonderful knowledgeable folk be kind enough to offer some suggestions?

TIA

 

[JJMR794]

Coturnix Are Your Production Birds--- Fast Growing, Fast Maturing, Fast Laying, Etc...

Any Strain Of Coturnix...

All Are Pretty Much Equal With End Growth Being The Only Real Difference. Some Strains Tend To Be A Tad Larger Than Standard Birds, Both Standard And Jumbo Tend Mature At Very Similar Rates Tho Jumbos May Lag By A Week Or So.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The jumbo Italians are just another type of coturnix. Personally, if you want 'big' birds that lay 'big' eggs I would go with jumbo browns. The other jumbos (except maybe for whites) just aren't as big in my experience. I've had english whites that laid huge eggs (comparable to the J.B. eggs) but the birds themselves are not that big. So your best bet would be jumbo brown coturnix.

 

[joe125]

I would go with coturnix myself! Unless you want 12-14 oz. quail at 8 weeks, then I would suggest...Fantasy quail!

Please remember that any fast growing quail eat and and poop at the same rate as their slower growing cousins +GBS to weight ratio. Jumbo or not! No quail species converts game bird feed more efficiently than any other.

The larger and faster growing the bird, the more feed they need.

The only bad thing I can say about coturnix is....They don't grow to 12-14 oz. in 8 weeks no matter what you feed them, and no strain/color tastes like a bob white! They taste exactly like COTURNIX. Other than those points............I'm coo coo for coturnix puffs!

 

[gamebirdboy]

Coturnix, any color is fine. They're all the same, at least mine are... I would get a lot of different colors and find out which one(s) you like.

 

[MobyQuail]

Quote:
lmao,
mr. joe, if you have room in your sig line, you need to add this- I'm coo coo for coturnix puffs!

 

[Hoss1975]

 

[Jocasta]

Thanks everyone. I'm not sure what I'll be able to get regarding colours - I'm pretty restricted to what ebay have to offer (I'm in the UK). I'm tempted by the Texan A&M's tbh.

I understand that regarding the feed - it's impatience more than anything!

I've never eaten quail! The birds I raise myself will be the first I taste!

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
are you on the quail board over there there were a coupla ladies on your side had almost every color and or species of quail that we have I think one of them was Emma ??

 

[Jocasta]

Ooo! Thanks for that - I'll pop over to the quail index later and see if some peeps are in my neck of the woods!