Which quail breed is best?

[Westcoaster87]

There are two main species carried in our area- bobwhites and coturnix quails.

I have an unexplainable preference for the bobwhites however I know very little about either breed.




What are their temperaments like? How large are each breed?

Why do people seem to only eat the bobwhite breast? If handled daily as chicks, are the bobwhites less flighty as adults?


Any info would help

 

[The Farm]

There temperament is normally flighty. But if they are handed then they are young yes they will be more layed back. They are not very big at all. I am not sure about the there ???s

 

[Westcoaster87]

How big are they in comparison to the cortunix quails? We want them for meat and enjoyment.

Does anyone have any experience with the taste between the two birds? I have read that cortunix is very dark meat while bobwhites is white meat- is that right? How do they compare in size to each other?

 

[The Farm]

I think they are the same but not for sure. Any one else???

 

[teradragon]

Texas A&M are renowned for mainly white meat, which is why I hatched some... a good few weeks off processing any yet though. They are a breed of jumbo cortunix (I think)..

 

[TwoCrows]

Bobwhites are about the same size as Coturnix. As for which breed to keep, it depends on what you want to do with them. Coturnix quail mature very fast and will be ready to lay at 8 or 9 weeks old. Where as Bobwhites take 6 months or more to start laying. Coturnix quail are kept in harems, 1 male to 5 or 6 females, where as Bobs are kept 1 male to 1 female. Coturnix can get by with 1 or 2 square feet per bird, where as Bobs need a minimum of 4 square feet per bird. Coturnix can be handled with minimal stress, Bobwhites panic and can stress heavily, depending on how they were raised. Coturnix are calmer over all, Bobwhites are known to flush easily.

But as far as beauty, calling and over all intelligence, I am all for the Bobwhite.

 

[Westcoaster87]

Oooooo, now you see, that is what I keep thinking when it comes to the bobwhite. They are just so beautiful and they make such a wonderful call.

It sounds then that the Coturnix is the better quail for a first-time quail owner. Space is not an issue for us though so we could bring in the Coturnix and then start a small flock of bobwhites later on.

 

[dc3085]

I hate to burst any bubbles but any coturnix including the A&M are dark meat. I'm not sure where the white meat misconception came from but a cot is a cot a cot and and they all have dark meat. Bobwhites and Chukars have white breast meat.

 

[nayeli]

It seems pretty simple from the responses that if your wanting quail for meat rather than pets you shouldn't get the bobs..

 

[dc3085]

It seems pretty simple from the responses that if your wanting quail for meat rather than pets you shouldn't get the bobs..

Not quite. It depends on the meat you want. Refer to my last post bobs are white meat breast coturnix are all dark meat. The trade off is you can butcher coturnix from 8 weeks on but bobs will take 16-20 weeks to grow out. Really as far as quail for pets go coturnix are much easier to gentle. As TwoCrows said bobs tend to flush more and more aloof in general. They take more work to be tamed. I wouldn't recommend trying to tame northern bobwhites for a first timer but some bobwhite mutations aren't too bad.