Raising Quail

Jack's PA

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Do any of you raise quail?

I am thinking about doing so just to see what it is like. I have designed a coop and have ordered chicks to be delivered in May. I hope to be able to have them produce eggs and meat.

I might even consider selling some.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Back in the 80's a good friend of mines' father in law raised quail for meat and eggs, he built a raised pen for them with a raised bed of dirt below it. In that dirt he raised some of the biggest nightcrawlers and wigglers that I've ever seen. We never had to go far for fish bait as one turn of a pitchfork would get us plenty of bait for the whole day.
He raised Georgia Giant quail which were much larger than a bobwhite and had a lot of meat for such a small bird.
 

fdtrucky

Six Pointer
Yes we raise the Texas A&M quail they are a larger breed of quail. They are fun little birds and seem to be much hardier than the Bob white quail we started with.
 

Cape Fear Logan

Guest
raised a few - they definitely can lay some eggs - started with a few from a Chatham Co breeder - fly ready - had a few Tenn Reds that were super fast to the wood line

good luck
 
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lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
I used to go to the NCSU research farm and buy eggs for eating. Big bowl of those things hard boiled and it was like eating popcorn watching a movie. I'd definitely be in line for some eggs if you sell any.
 

jenkinsnb

Ten Pointer
I was really hoping this thread would go further as I have been seriously contemplating the switch from chickens to quail myself.
 

fdtrucky

Six Pointer
Why not raise both each has their place and then you can decide if you want to keep up both chickens and quail or if one works better for you. We have both I will say that the quail are a seasonal bird for both eggs and sales were as chickens seem to be a year around thing.
 

Blackwater

Twelve Pointer
If raising them just for meat and eggs, the Coturnix or Japanese quail is probably the best producer and most popular. I had considered raising them at one time but had no one to look after them on the occasions when I had to be out of town so shelved the idea.
 

gremcat

Twelve Pointer
We raised Coturnix once. Eggs were good buy for 50 birds maybe 1 egg a day if we were lucky. The are straight run IIRC so we could have had a lot of males. They were good table fare though.
 

luckybuck

Old Mossy Horns
Why not raise both each has their place and then you can decide if you want to keep up both chickens and quail or if one works better for you. We have both I will say that the quail are a seasonal bird for both eggs and sales were as chickens seem to be a year around thing.

Did you used timed lights to trick them into laying more?
 

fdtrucky

Six Pointer
Did you used timed lights to trick them into laying more?

no we just let our quail lay during the long days of the year and rest through the winter. The chickens usually lay right through the winter as long as they are laying before the days get short.
 
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