Why keep quail?

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

First, let me make it clear that it is not me that needs convincing. I love them! I have never had any, but any time I see wild ones it just brightens my day. I think they are about the cutest bird possible and I want some!
That being said, I must confess to being an animal lover to the extreme. I am sure I am not the only one here who wanted to be a zookeeper as a child, am I?
Well, if it were just up to me, I would have quail already on order since I am in the process of buying a house with over an acre of yard. But it isn't just up to me. My room mates have to keep my pet crazy urges from going too far and they don't see the point of quail, especially since we already have chickens and they have enough trouble convincing me I don't need every possible color of chicken out there.
So Quail lovers help me! What can I say when the ask me why we should get quail?
From my understanding (and please do correct me if I am wrong!) they are basically like miniature chickens at least insofar as their basic needs, habits, and egg laying.
Like I said I have never had them, but I want help putting up a good argument as to why we SHOULD have them.
So, anyone have good arguments for (or even against?) keeping quail?
I am eager to find out what you all have to say!

 

[jerseygirl1]

The eggs, I'v e heard are a delicacy and can fetch much more per dozen than chicken eggs

I have two males, don't know where I am going with that.....Someone gave them to me as male and female, the female not laying
I figured out why. But, I am going to get more in the spring - females

 

[Overeasyplz]

I'm getting hatching eggs soon for the simple fact that i enjoy watching them. Also I hear they are delicious, so we are going to try that too but for the most part they are beautiful little birds. Good luck!

 

[95yj]

#1 food, their great [if your into raising your own meat and such] and their eggs are great
#2 smaller than chickens
#3 take up ALOT less space than chickens, even if you don't cage them
#4 their alot cheaper than chickens since they eat less and stuff
#5 their way quieter than most other birds, including wild birds
#6 their pretty low maintenance
there's tons of reasons for them, but do your self a favor and get coturnix, bobwhites will just annoy you and buttons are useless and eat each other...

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
WRONG--- QUAIL (ALL SPECES) ARE GAMEBIRDS. THEY ARE WIRED MUCH DIFFERENTLY IN THAT BEADY LIL BRAIN THAN A CHICKEN. THEY REQUIRE SIMILAR YET DIFFERENT CARE.

1ST OFF WHAT TYPE OF QUAIL--- THERE'S A WORLD OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ALL THE SPECES IN CHARACTERISTICS AND NEEDS. PICK A BREED/ SPECES AND I'LL SEE IF I CAN SHED A LIL MORE LIGHT ON IT FOR YOU!

 

[Tam'ra of Rainbow Vortex]

Well, as for species, I am partial to the little "top knot" found on the wild quial around here. Based on that, my research leads me to think I want the California valley quail, or the gambel quail. Since it will be some time before I am ready to get quail, I have yet to research the price/availability of each as that might change before I need to know. Right now I am just in the research stage. I want to know what I am getting into before I commit to anything - as I feel anyone should when getting a pet. It is, after all, a lifelong commitment. If I am taking on a new pet, I am gonna do it right and make sure I really want it, I will still want it after I have had more experience with it, and I am able to care for it till the end of its natural lifespan. Of course with all this talk of eating quail, I suppose that if I didn't want to keep them, that wouldn't be a problem... except I am likely to get attached. I dunno. I figure I could google facts, and call that good, or I can google facts AND ask people with firsthand experience. I have months to reach a decision, I am just hoping this forum will help me narrow down the options.

 

[ice329]

I got Georga Giant Bobwhites and Jumbo Wisconson. Got several of each, they hatched together and they all live together. Now people have said there nervious and hurt each other but I dont see that at all. There the best bird I have. There much cleaner then chickens and there poop is much dryer. They sing, they play and they alarm when something is not right. I like that you can tell males from femals apart. Its been snowy here and kinda bla so I gave them a few inches of hay to sleep in and you want to see Bobs have a ball... they played in it for hours. I have heard the gables are very high strung, just from reading about them. I needed a permit to raise even just the few I got but it was fair enough priced so I got it. They eat basically the same feed I feed the chickens but I feed upwards of 20% plus is about mixed half gamebird half chicken grower, they when its cold at night I give them some scratch. They dont fling there food all over the place like chickens. I am new to chickens also and 3 or 4 is enough for me... 4 chcikens is 10 times the work then 15 Georga Giants... G/L

Here is a good little page I found, you can also go back to its homepage for more info. its a little info on the differnt types http://www.howtoraisequail.com/species.html

 

[Boyd]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=102281
read the first page or two. It'll cover a LOT of info

 

[Wifezilla]

They dont fling there food all over the place like chickens.

You must be joking. My quail throw food EVERYWHERE! They make the ducks look neat and tidy!​

 

[Byrdj]

Quote:
You must be joking. My quail throw food EVERYWHERE! They make the ducks look neat and tidy!

Ditto on that! I had to put my feeders in a tray or saucer to keep most of the feed from being flung out and wasted by falling through the wire floor.