If you have any questions about raising quail, please contact me or ask in the comments below. The idea just gets the zoologist in me giddy. Text or email for more information. I don’t know of any breeders in your area. For that reason, we start our birds out with a few soda bottle caps as waterers. In a cold climate, fewer daylight hours will curtail laying activities unless supplemental lighting is provided. With its fast reproductive rate, and turn over, the Coturnix is a wonderful solution for the backyard owner, the self-sufficient type, and the homesteader. Coturnix quail are gentle birds that come in many varieties and are easily raised in small spaces. The eggs are about ¼ size of a medium chicken egg and although they taste the same as a chicken egg the nutritional values are different. They would go through it even faster if their diet was supplemented with foraging and yard scraps. It is very common to get a mixture of feather patterns in a single hatching of Coturnix eggs. If you haven’t read Why You Should Consider Keeping Quail, I highly suggest you do. First domesticated in Asia, quail belong to the family of birds called the Phasianidae that include chickens, pheasants and partridges. They are a nervous bird so providing them as quiet of a space as possible will make for happier and more productive birds. Yup! Though quail waterers are readily available at most feed stores, the water bottles commonly used for rabbits are a far better choice. Subscribe to The Homestead Helper and receive a copy of my new book, Welcome to the World of Homesteading, your guide to setting attainable homesteading goals. They do seem to have a death wish and can easily drown in a quail waterer. Coturnix quail require a minimum of one square foot per bird, can be housed in rabbit cages or hutches. Please use the knowledge acquired from this site responsibly. I originally dismissed quail because it’s only about 2 lbs of meat but maybe my thinking was short sighted. Our smallest new breed this season is the Coturnix Quail. From the first day to setting eggs in the incubator to the first day they begin laying is only about two and a half months. Originally published in 2010 and regularly vetted for accuracy. Quail mature so quickly that they reach their top weight at 8 weeks old. 1. Quail are gentle birds, yet they can be a bit skittish. They can even make a great alternative to raising chickens for many reasons. http://www.hardinggamebirds.com/chick-egg-prices.html. With very little work, good feed and some great recipes, you can look forward to smooth quailing when you get started with quail farming! I live a nearly self-sufficient lifestyle with my three beautiful children on 5 1/2 acres in Maine. Quail Eggs. Granted, it takes two quail to make an adult serving, but at the rate you can breed and clean them, it’s not much cost or work for an excellent return. That’s where I found my breeder. Haven’t butchered any yet, and honestly I’m not looking forward to it, I’m a softy, but I will do so when needed. Quail hens require 14 hours of light per day in order to produce eggs. this is a great article and starting point as i know nothing about quail! Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Just to name a … Coturnix Quail go through rapid growth from hatch to week 6, so keeping up with their dietary needs is important at this stage to ensure you have a healthy adult flock. Wire also helps to keep the eggs and birds from becoming soiled. I am a busy mom on a small bit of property with not a lot of financial resources, but I am figuring out how to live the life I want. There may also be a demand for fully dressed birds in your area depending upon local laws pertaining to the slaughter of animals. They are used as meat birds and as training and hunting birds. This color mutation was imported with the German Collection & we isolated it & have worked to pure this line up & increase size. Stay tuned for more posts on raising quail! Their bodies are just small enough to fit in the tightest crevices. Your email address will not be published. Started with chickens many years ago, which was quite addictive. I love my burn barrel. Coturnix quail can be happy in an aboveground pen such as a rabbit hutch, guinea pig cage, or small cage made specifically for quail. Colors and patterns include tuxedo, brown, white, silver and more. If you live in an area with a growing Asian population, then you might want to focus on that segment of the market. Coturnix are the variety we have chosen for our homestead. 1 clove garlic, minced The jumbo Coturnix variety may offer up to 14 ounces of meat or even more. Genetics made my eyes glaze over in college, but once I was working in the field, it all clicked. It is mainly migratory, breeding in the western Palearctic and wintering in Africa and southern India. Coturnix quail are quiet little birds that do well in confined predator safe spaces. Hey Jessica my name is Victoria and I’m in Missouri how can I get the eggs? In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and minced garlic over medium heat. The common quail (Coturnix coturnix), or European quail, is a small ground-nesting game bird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. 2 tablespoons thyme, chopped Coturnix are the variety we have chosen for our homestead. Prized for their meat and egg production, they are considered to be fully grown at six weeks and begin to produce eggs at eight weeks. Like chickens, quail require heat from a heat lamp for their first few weeks of life. Your email address will not be published. Coturnix quail are part of the “Old World Quail,” a term used to describe quail in the phasianidae family of birds. Though sluggish at first, the chicks begin to eat finely crushed game bird feed and drink water within a couple of hours of their hatch and begin running around at top speed. An inadvertent chill can result in death within a very short period of time. Coturnix definition, any of several small true quails of the genus Coturnix, especially C. coturnix(common quail, or European quail ), a widespread game bird of Europe and North Africa, and C. japonica(Japanese quail ), breeding mostly in East and Central Asia and widely used as a laboratory animal. A single quail hen can lay between 72 and 120 eggs during that same time frame. Why? Coturnix quail are easy to raise. Four of the quail are male, so I can expect to get about 12 eggs a day and quail eggs go for about $6 for 18 in my area. we already have chickens so they will be a nice addition! I will let you in on what works and what doesn’t (such as “Will my males try to kill each other in a colony cage setup?”) Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any of the updates. If your family plans to eat the eggs and meat, then that may be all of the planning that you need. Learn how your comment data is processed. Remove from the oven and serve on a bed of rice. If you live close to a city, quail eggs are also highly sought after by caterers for use as deviled eggs. There are several varieties of quail available, but Coturnix Quail are one of the most popular choices. Raising Coturnix quail—also known as Japanese quail—is an approachable endeavor, made easier by the low maintenance habits of the birds and their hardiness against disease and climate shifts. The Coturnix Quail is the best quail breed to raise for meat and egg right in your backyard. Raise them for meat, or their distinctive spotted eggs. My name is Jessica Lane. I am not a doctor, lawyer, veterinarian or Martha Stewart. About 3 to 4 Coturnix quail eggs equals a chicken egg and to raise enough quail who will lay enough eggs to produce the equivalent of one dozen chicken eggs per week, … You can also harvest the birds for meat at 7 weeks as they reach their peak weight then. When the demand for eggs returns, fertile eggs can be set in an incubator. © 2021, Countryside - All Rights Reserved, Ask the Expert — December 2014/January 2015, Ask the Expert —December 2015/January 2016. Become a Contributor/Guest WriterAdvertise on The 104 HomesteadContact Me. Now for the problem, after a week of eating only quail eggs at breakfast we started having upset stomachs, especially my husband. I have a dozen chickens that empty a 50 lb bag of feed in two weeks. Most modern Coturnix quail begin their lives in an incubator, as their parents seem rather disinterested in hatching quail eggs. What is absolutely incredible is that in merely ten weeks, our eggs will be producing eggs. The best part is that they are so small! What is absolutely incredible is that in merely ten weeks, our eggs will be producing eggs. Meaning, their bodies produce eggs based on the amount of daylight in a day. Posting an advertisement on Craigslist might yield people interested in purchasing either hatching eggs or live birds. Females start laying eggs as early as 5 weeks of age and can lay 300 eggs a year. I want to grow the largest birds I can with the best color variations. I’d check out Craigslist. Coturnix quail are very prolific egg layers. Would it be okay to have just one female Coturnix quail like a pet? I have found with my quail in a colony, that the dominant male paired up with the dominant female, and then they attempted to drive away/kill all the other quail. Speaking of turn around, let’s talk monetary turn around. … I'd like to think we are the people who don't fit the mold. In my home state of New York, it is illegal to raise or release domestic game birds without a permit issued by the Department of Environmental Conservation. Unlike chicken roosters, the crow of a male quail is not as loud, nor does it carry as far. Once people try quail meat, they will keep coming back for more. Once a hen begins laying, she will produce approximately 300 eggs over the course of a year (about 210 if you chose not to use supplemental lighting). The average lifespan seems to range from 1.5 years to 4 years. Coturnix Quail are one of the most interesting types of fowl i have worked with. New posts will not be retrieved. Hi, I like your term “non traditional homesteader”. The most common reasons for keeping Coturnix Quail is for eggs and meat. Compared to other Coturnix quail, they tip the scale at 10-13 ounces in only seven weeks. I've got a long w, Burn, baby, burn! Each section of the cage should house only one male. Have a great day! Coturnix Quail. Friendly, sweet and easy to care for. In fact, many people offer only sheltered outdoor space. I am happy to answer any and all questions. I am a non-traditional homesteader. The recent surge in urban farming is shining a new light on these fabulous little birds, though they are equally suited to rural areas. Though several resident populations of this quail have been shown to winter in Japan, most migrate south to areas such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and southern China. If you are interested in breeding for color, this article on Backyard Chickens is the best (non-sciencey) one I’ve found. i just set 20 coturnix quail eggs in the incubator last tuesday. For those asking where to find fertile quail eggs, I actually got started by purchasing eggs through EBay. In the meantime, feel free to ask questions in the comments. It will take them a month to go through a 25 lb bag of feed. A mature Coturnix can lay over 300 eggs per year. You don’t have to pack them in if space is your concern with the commercially made cages. If I can homestead where I live, what's stopping you? I came from a city family, with a city life, but wanted to raise my kids away from all that. A regular Coturnix quail may give around 10 ounces of meat per bird. 1). Do you know where to get them. Their eggs take 17 to 18 days to hatch. The Coturnix quail matures at only 7 weeks old and begins laying eggs around that time. I can’t believe how much cheaper they are than chickens, though it does take a lot of eggs to make an omelet. Coturnix quail are a good choice because they do not need a lot of space, they grow quickly and hens lay about 300 eggs per year, given the adequate lighting. When it comes time to select a meat variety of quail, the Texas A&M is probably the most popular of quail species in America. Some homesteaders choose to add quail even if they already have other poultry on their homesteads. By Carolyn Evans-Dean – If you’re looking for an easy livestock addition for your backyard or homestead, you need look no further than the Coturnix quail for quail farming. However, quail eggs tend to not go to waste. Some hunters and dog trainers like to train their animals using live quail. A toxicological study was performed with 27 female quails that were assigned to three groups that received by gavage 0, 1.0 or 3.0mg of KCN/kg/day, for 7 consecutive days. I’m not traditional either, so it’s always nice to see another. 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped Season to taste with salt and black pepper. The present work aimed to describe the toxic effects of cyanide, and to determine whether cyanide interferes with diet selection in quail (Coturnix coturnix). To keep the same number of quail, you would only need 15 square feet total indoor/outdoor space.