What do you all do with Quail?

[Mahonri]

They and their eggs are so tiny?

Eat the eggs?

Eat the Quail?... but they are so little?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

I have been thinking of getting some just for pets for myself. All I know is that you can eat the quail and the eggs are supposed to be super yummy. I believe that some people only take the breast meat because everything else is just too much trouble. Sad in my opinion. Not wanting to hijack your thread but I want to know how loud the little buggers are. I know they make noise and I have looked up videos and such but I still need to know are they going to bother the neighbors? Loud like a peacocks? Loud like a rooster? Or maybe everyone will just think it is another wild bird and disregard it?

I am really glad you asked this question Mahonri.

Edit: Oh I held some button quail once...slippery little fellows. Almost like they are greased but not greasy. No not crazy. They are slippery!!!

 

[Paganbird]

Well, the buttons are pets. My kids love it when I fry the little eggs for them. I enjoy their whistles & "crows" in the morning. Makes me think of spring & summer birds.
The cortunix... so far... are kinda like pets too. It's too cold, so they're not laying. We plan on using the eggs when they start laying. My family likes pickled eggs & I hear that quail eggs are perfect for pickling. I also have a few locals that are interested in buying the eggs. They aren't loud at all. They mostly sound like crickets.
My peafowl can be loud. Compared to peafowl, quail are practically mute.

 

[ChOOkens]

I am thinking about getting them as pets as well. Quail sound nice!
I wouldn't eat the little birds. I am interested in having some of their eggs though...
It's good that they don't make to much noise.
And sorry, I don't want to hijack the thread either but can quail live inside? Sorry.
Yeah, when I first heard about quail I was thinking why anyone would want them...

 

[beerman]

I have been a chef for...well..years quail is very good to eat and not just the breast the whole thing is great and worth the work. The eggs are to die for also

Fry one sunny side up and put it on a salad. I just started raising them for food and pets

 

[BorderKelpie]

My quail make me think of crickets, too. Well, except Jerimiah, he sounds like a bullforg - a quiet-ish one, hence the name.

I was told that between the feather dust and the high ammonia output of the waste, I would be better off/healthier if I kept them outdoors. The ones I brought into the house recently to nurse back to health (I 'rescued' them) stank to high heaven no matter how often I cleaned them. (A&M's, and there was 20 of them).

 

[Paganbird]

Button quail need to be kept indoors during cold weather, but larger quail are too stinky to keep inside for long, IMO.
My buttons live in small animal habitats inside our house year 'round and I haven't had any trouble with them.
My cortunix are in a pen out beside the barn.

 

[saddina]

The eggs are used in bento boxes, I do them in cute molds for fun lunches. Quail is a rather rich meat, and pairs well with "heavy" flavors like smoked cheeses, red wine, and bacon. Since it's a small portion size, you can serve it with a large salad and a creamy dessert.

 

[kenman]

I started with Coturnix in late November. I purchased 44 birds total: some browns, whites, golden's, tuxedo's, and one Tibetan. We have culled down to 20 breeders. The culled ones were skinned and the breast meat and leg-thigh quarters were kept. We baked some of these, they were good. We deep fat fried some, that was awesome. We also buffalo sauced some of the leg quarters, that was truly amazing! We have just hatched out the first of what will be many hatchings and my brooder runneth over. The extra eggs (there is a bunch of them, I'm averaging 13-14 per day) I have been boiling, giving to relatives or to complete strangers, whoever will take them. I have found them a pain to try to cook with or fry (large hands verses small eggs). The boiled ones are rich in flavor and are wonderful in salads, or just to snack on. My overall opinion so far: the meat is good once in a while, but it won't be replacing chicken on the table yet. The eggs are worth the effort. However, I think 8-12 breeder birds would be sufficient for what I what.

 

[La Mike]

I raise mine to eat
I have bobwhites though which are much tastier than coturnix and worth every bite
I also eat the eggs they are great