Quail Keeping

[PapaGanj]

Just picked up a flock of breeders, as season is coming up. Does anyone else in the community farm quail for their eggs/meat?

I have 6 layers and rooster. They were initially a mating flock for selling chicks. Theyre just going on a year now soon, so previous owner is getting a younger flock, and I was happy to house his older one.

They're very tame birds. One in particular loves to be pet and held. Theyve been laying consistently since I've got them. (Quail typically lay 1 egg a day)

Im hoping to hatch some more out and get a nice flock of laying girls this spring.

Theyre coturnix quail, and this particular breed actually goes from egg to laying/mating quail in about 10 weeks. (18 days for hatching included in that) If housed correctly, they can survive outside in temperatures as low as -22°f.

Unfortunately they don't lay throughout the cold months, (unless artificial lighting is used , and temperatures are maintained) but these 3 months or so are a good time for a much deserved break. The quail egg may be small, but in comparison to the size of the bird its coming out of, itd would be like if a chicken laid eggs the size of DVD. [emoji23]

The eggs themselves are highly nutritious, and as far as birdkeeping/farming chickens goes, this is pure delight. Something worth looking into !

Cheers! [emoji485][emoji485]

 

[MT's AZ Ale Haus]

I hunt quail every year, they are delicious.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Quail eggs are quite delicious, do you have a restaurant or two lined up or are you just planning to produce for yourself and family?

 

[PapaGanj]

Quail eggs are quite delicious, do you have a restaurant or two lined up or are you just planning to produce for yourself and family?

Was kind of just interested in it for myself and the family, (My father is really excited for the quail meat) but i can see locally theres quite the market for them. Mostly eggs/fertile eggs and young laying quail for the new season, but at the hatch rate, and cheap cost of the upkeep, doesn't seem unfeasible.

Organic quail (eggs or meat) would look great on any menu though!

 

[PapaGanj]

I hunt quail every year, they are delicious.

Did you have any good recipes for quail? Or better yet, a good recipe that pairs well with beer or wine? [emoji3]

 

[bob1852]

http://www.nipissingquail.com/nipissingquailbaconwrappedgrilledquail.html

 

[MT's AZ Ale Haus]

1. Bacon wrap quail breast, grill on bbq.
2. Prepare a wild rice risotto
3. Lay into the risotto, the Quail breast for the last 5 mins.

I would pair with a Brut IPA, Belgian Tripel, or Belgian Wit

 

[Still Brewn]

Was kind of just interested in it for myself and the family, (My father is really excited for the quail meat) but i can see locally theres quite the market for them. Mostly eggs/fertile eggs and young laying quail for the new season, but at the hatch rate, and cheap cost of the upkeep, doesn't seem unfeasible.

Organic quail (eggs or meat) would look great on any menu though!

Check with your local grocer also, if you still have one. Our local grocer just started carrying 6 packs of frozen quail. I can't remember the price, I was about to grab one but realized I had no idea how to cook them so I thought I would wait until I found a recipe that I would like to try.

 

[PapaGanj]

Check with your local grocer also, if you still have one. Our local grocer just started carrying 6 packs of frozen quail. I can't remember the price, I was about to grab one but realized I had no idea how to cook them so I thought I would wait until I found a recipe that I would like to try.

Happy to report I come from a "village". So we have our 2 gas stations, local grocer, a few local restaurants, etc. And the motto here is "shop local, buy local".

Im not sure if I'd need some sort of licencing for selling thw quail commercially. I know in Canada home run businesses can make just shy of 30k a year without taxation and the big book bs. However since this is a food and bev type situation, I'm not sure.



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[Boilinginsc]

We ( ahem, me) just started reading up on Quail and decided to give it a try also
I’ll be watching here with interest.
I need to expand the chicken run so I am going to incorporate quail run and rabbit pens into the fence line, keeping all the food and water in one location.
I am going to build the pens with compost bins underneath for the fecal gold for the garden.

 

[bracconiere]

Do the European quail taste different then the new world mountain quail? i tried pheasant once, was kinda disappointed....thought it'd taste like mountain quail...

 

[Kirkwooder]

My wife and I keep poultry of all kinds. Chickens, both for eggs and meat, turkeys, ducks, pheasants, and yes quail. I haven't had any quail here in a couple of years but have a neighbor who has asked me to raise a few for him to train bird dogs with.

They are prolific. They can fly within days of hatch and start laying before they are even full grown. The eggs are indeed very tasty, but the meat is truly a delicacy! They can be very difficult to properly butcher for the table. They are a very small bird compared to a chicken, for example. It is difficult to remove all the lung/throat entrails when butchering them. Most folks who do their own butchering of these birds have specialty tools to remove the lung material. A poultry gut hook also helps if you have fat fingers like mine.

They are wonderful deep fried, roasted, or grilled. A little salt, pepper, and garlic are really all they need. If you grill them, I find it best to split them along the spine and cook them open. Wrap the whole bird in bacon, grill until nearly done and drizzle with maple syrup for a true delight.

They are a great source of income if you can cultivate a market for them or their eggs. They eat very little, and don't need a fancy coop. Although you need to keep any area they can get to very tightly fenced. They can fly high and will find any hole that they might be able to slip through. One issue that will need to be addressed is that the small eggs seem to attract rats, even more than other poultry. Be preemptive and treat your set up before this problem manifests itself.

They are a lot of fun. Enjoy!

 

[greywolf]

what has happened to all the quail. I grew up hunting quail and now there are none. Are the herbicides to blame.

 

[Kirkwooder]

what has happened to all the quail. I grew up hunting quail and now there are none. Are the herbicides to blame.

It has more to do with the lack of pesticides, or at least the discontinuation of DDT to be precise. DDT adversely affected the egg shells of raptors, like the red tail hawk and bald eagle. Causing drastic declines in their numbers. In turn, causing prey species like the quail, to have population explosions.

Since the discontinuation of the use of DDT and the protection of raptors from hunting, both needed to restore raptor numbers, there has been a boom in populations of birds of prey. With no control on the predators, the prey have no chance.

Lots of hawks, owls and eagles, along with low fur prices causing booms in land based predators, like fox, coon, coyote and skunks, makes for a very hostile environment for all the critters that we like to prey upon. Wild animals don't abide by hunting seasons or bag limits.

If you want to see more pheasant, quail, rabbits and grouse, buy a fur coat and lobby your congress person to drop the protections on the over abundant birds of prey.

Very politically incorrect answer, but true.....

 

[bofos]

what has happened to all the quail. I grew up hunting quail and now there are none. Are the herbicides to blame.

In Texas, the fire ants have hurt the quail populations as well. Armadillos will also raid nests. In the caprock areas, I have seen more armadillos and less quail. I'm not a wildlife biologist but I agree, things are different than they were 30 years ago.... just my 2 cents

 

[PapaGanj]

There has also been a big drop in the northern bobwhite quail,which used to be very common in my area and is now on its way to endangerment. :/

Very happy to see this has sparked some conversation. Id love all the info you guys are willing to share on rearing quail and ways to enjoy their meat and eggs. Ill be happy to do the same!

Cheers [emoji485][emoji485]

 

[Redpappy]

I’m sure I will get slammed for this one. Things that have been posted for the decline, Birds of prey, lack of pesticide, foxes, rodents... all of which are Mother Nature. Yes I would agree that they may contribute to the issue. The creature that has not been brought up is Humans. Humans are very destructive, and we refuse to share any blame. I remember areas that were great for hunting, but are now filled with buildings, roadways.

I’m not saying that Mother Nature is not at fault at all, but if we are going to point fingers, we need to include all.

As far as OP, my wife is allergic to chicken eggs, however she can eat quail eggs. With that, I have been teetering on the thought of getting some. I’m still in the research phase, not just raising, but butchering as well.

 

[Nagorg]

Just an informational site that came to mind...

https://www.quailresearch.org/