Which quail breed is best?

[TwoCrows]

DC is correct here in that Bobs are not easily tamed and not recommended for first timers. Coturnix are great starter birds.

BUT...once you get the hang of quail keeping, Bobs are a wonderful addition to your quail quarters as they are quite interesting to keep. They are quite smart and real characters! Mine are clicker trained and some of them even know their names. Fun birds to keep, but you will raise a better flock of Bobs if you start with Coturnix first.

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

Well, from what you said you want a bird to eat and to enjoy watching. I got bobwhites first which is not recommended but I did ok, but the chicks are extremely fragile and you need to take measures to make them peaceful. I had them in a round brooder with little cardboard huts for them to play around on, the got treats all the time to try and tame them, they need branches and what not to hide in too. I kept making the brooder bigger and bigger until they were ready to go outside. Once they went outside it was much easier, I had them in an aviary with in ground bushes, grass area, rocky area and bare dirt spots to dust in. They are still in those conditions today but seperated into pairs now and they seem happy. They still get treats so they arent completely wild.

When I got coturnix, I got them as adults and they are pretty much the same temperament as chickens, they are super easy and lay tons of eggs with a couple extra hours of light each day. I hatched out my own chicks later and they were a breeze

But with all that said, bobwhites are still my favorits

 

[Westcoaster87]

dc3085- From what I have read online (and heard here) your information on the meat type is correct.

nayeli- It doesn't seem you read the thread but thanks for taking the time.


TwoCrows, WaterfowlWeirdo and dc3085- We have a space by our garden that would make a perfect quail aviary. I think I'll give it a go in the Spring to raise some bobwhites from chicks and hopefully they will flush less as adults with all the handling and hugging my daughter dishes out. She's pretty gentle though ;-)

If that doesn't work, I will still get to enjoy watching and listening to their calling

 

[dc3085]

DC is correct here in that Bobs are not easily tamed and not recommended for first timers. Coturnix are great starter birds.

BUT...once you get the hang of quail keeping, Bobs are a wonderful addition to your quail quarters as they are quite interesting to keep. They are quite smart and real characters! Mine are clicker trained and some of them even know their names. Fun birds to keep, but you will raise a better flock of Bobs if you start with Coturnix first.

There is no comparison when it comes to personalities, its the bobs by a mile. With bobwhites their intelligence and instinct show more and it makes them, at least to me, more interesting to watch.

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

There is no comparison when it comes to personalities, its the bobs by a mile. With bobwhites their intelligence and instinct show more and it makes them, at least to me, more interesting to watch.

Definitely!

 

[teradragon]

****! I've been mis-sold a&ms!

 

[dc3085]

****! I've been mis-sold a&ms!

You aren't the only one by a longshot. I had read and heard the same thing. You can imagine my surprise butchering my first group of A&Ms waiting to find even one that actually had white meat.

 

[James the Bald]

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.

still tastes pretty good. http://thesurvivalrevolution.com/?p=1017

 

[nayeli]

So Bob Whites are the only white meat ones? I had also read A&M's were. =/

 

[dc3085]

So Bob Whites are the only white meat ones? I had also read A&M's were. =/

I've only eaten a few hundred, so my plan is to keep at it until I find one with white meat

honestly like James says they are so tasty you won't care. Valley quail are white meat but not worth the cost to raise for meat. It's not a greasy dark meat like some turkey and chicken can be.