I raise Coturnix quail because I'm a really impatient person and like how quickly they reproduce. They're also easily one of the most beneficial barnyard birds to have around the home.
- They are more efficient producers of eggs than even chickens. It takes less feed for a quail hen to produce a pound of eggs than it does for a chicken.
- They lay practically every day, so you can expect a ton of eggs to do whatever you want with. The eggs taste just like chicken eggs, only with a little more flavor.
- They hatch out at 16-18 days and are laying their own eggs at eight weeks. At eight weeks some of my jumbos weigh in at a pound and can be butchered.
- The males make a funky little noise that isn't loud enough to be intrusive. For people who love their chickens but can't hatch out their own chicks due to city laws, quail are a great alternative. Especially since you can keep them in the house if you really want to - they make great pets.
- Since they reproduce so quickly it's easier to play around with the color genetics to see what wild mutations crop up. Instead of spending years messing with chickens, you can get through five generations of quail in a single year.
Once we're through the winter I plan on setting up a section of my barn specifically for quail. I wanted to do it this year but I keep getting talked into selling chicks I planned on keeping back for myself. When I don't have to worry about breaking ice or keeping heat lamps in the barn (that could just as easily be on me all winter) then I'll set up space for at least a few hundred quail so I can mix and match colors until my head explodes.
Summary: You must have quail. Quail are good for you. Join the addiction.
- They are more efficient producers of eggs than even chickens. It takes less feed for a quail hen to produce a pound of eggs than it does for a chicken.
- They lay practically every day, so you can expect a ton of eggs to do whatever you want with. The eggs taste just like chicken eggs, only with a little more flavor.
- They hatch out at 16-18 days and are laying their own eggs at eight weeks. At eight weeks some of my jumbos weigh in at a pound and can be butchered.
- The males make a funky little noise that isn't loud enough to be intrusive. For people who love their chickens but can't hatch out their own chicks due to city laws, quail are a great alternative. Especially since you can keep them in the house if you really want to - they make great pets.
- Since they reproduce so quickly it's easier to play around with the color genetics to see what wild mutations crop up. Instead of spending years messing with chickens, you can get through five generations of quail in a single year.
Once we're through the winter I plan on setting up a section of my barn specifically for quail. I wanted to do it this year but I keep getting talked into selling chicks I planned on keeping back for myself. When I don't have to worry about breaking ice or keeping heat lamps in the barn (that could just as easily be on me all winter) then I'll set up space for at least a few hundred quail so I can mix and match colors until my head explodes.
Summary: You must have quail. Quail are good for you. Join the addiction.
