It’s supposed to be in the 70s all week here. I’m leaving in less than 3 weeks, so I figured I’d better get it done now.
1 Like
I’m thinking about getting some quail. Does anyone here have any experience with raising quail? I’d like to raise them for meat and eggs, but to be honest, I’m too squeamish to kill them, so it will probably be just for eggs.
1 Like
I think I know someone who had a bunch of quail and raised them. He also had multiple birds of prey, so they were his birds he raised to feed his other birds.
This might not be particularly helpful.
I’d consider Bantams first. Just like chickens but smaller, treat them like chickens, feed them like chickens, don’t worry about weird crap like what you could deal with with Quail.
I can’t have chickens inside city limits, but I can have quail. They sound easy enough to keep.
I went to a local feed store and talked to them about quail. They were surprised at how much research I’d already done. The only question I have to answer is what to do with any extra that I end up with. They think that there is a market in town to sell them (which I’m inclined to believe since I can’t find any locally). I’d like to find someone who is willing to process them in exchange for quail meat (ie; get one quail for two or three processed), but I’ve decided to go ahead and do this.
1 Like
Now that I’ve decided to go ahead with the quail, I want everything to arrive so I can get started. The incubator is supposed to arrive Thursday, so the eggs can’t get here before then. After the eggs arrive I can start buying other stuff like a heat lamp, bulb, feeders, water station, feed, etc.
2 Likes
My incubator arrives today. Unfortunately, the eggs won’t be arriving until late next month. Oh, well, more time to make the coop and enclosure that I want.
I am having a hard time finding anyone to do the processing for me. I may have to learn to kill the poor things myself. 
I don’t know if I can do it.
Blessings in disguise: I ordered quail eggs a the beginning of last week, but found that they’re not going to ship until mid June. I was disappointed that they were going to take so long, but it turns out to be a good thing because the egg turner on the incubator I ordered is defective and will need to be replaced. (I tested it for 24 hours as soon as I got it and plan to do so again as soon as the new part arrives)
I have bean,squash, and snow pea sprouts (again). The house sitter managed to kill my entire garden (except for two of my ten tomato plants) in the month I was gone. I just replanted my carrots, radishes, turnips, and daikon today.
How do you kill radishes? I thought they were pretty much unkillable. Seriously, I don’t think she watered at all. I think the only reason I had two tomato plants left is because it rained.
Is this someone you paid to housesit? If so, I’d be asking for at least a partial refund.
1 Like
I’m doing all of my venting here because she offered to house sit without pay. If I’d paid her, I’d be really pissed. As it is, I’m annoyed, but feeling like I got what I paid for. The cats are alive and healthy (despite not getting their canned food, based on the amount left), and the house is in once piece (even if she did completely re-arrange my kitchen, wtf?)
2 Likes
I have daikon and radish sprouts.
I’ve tested my incubator, and all seems to be in order. I think I’m ready for the quail eggs to arrive in about 3-4 weeks. I’m psyching myself up to the idea that I’m going to have to do the butchering of extras myself.
1 Like
I want my quail eggs to arrive. grumble They’re due to ship in two weeks. They should hatch about two week after that (plus 1-3 days). The hens should start laying their own eggs at 6-8 weeks, and around 11-12 weeks it will be time for me to start eating the extras.
Edit: Sounds like I may have quail for Christmas dinner.
1 Like
I lost all my chicks two weeks ago. Last week I lost two full grown hens.
Most likely a family of raccoons that were seen relocating after the tornado.
locking them up every night again.
Oh, that sucks. I’m hoping the enclosure I have planned is predator proof enough. I live in the middle of suburbia, but there are raccoons, 'possums, and skunks around, and from what I’ve heard, they all like quail.
I just got the shipping notice for my quail eggs!
3 Likes
The eggs were supposed to arrive Saturday, but arrived today. Best practice is to let them sit at room temp for a day before setting them in the incubator, but it’s been so hot that I’m afraid they’ve already started to develop. I’m following the advice of the quail breeders in the backyard chicken forum and put them directly into the incubator. 28 eggs set.
2 Likes
Last night I picked an egg out of the incubator and candled it. I could see veins and a small moving spot. It’s alive!
Ugh. I’ve been sanding and painting all weekend. The quail hutch and run will be a thing before the quail need them.
My second persimmon tree has fruit on it for the first time. It’s about 15 years old. I’ve eaten the first radish and snow pea out of the garden, there are tiny zucchini on my plants, and I can see my first tomato coming in.
4 Likes
I really wish I could have planted a garden this summer. I did put in herbs, and a few pepper plants by the back door. I can’t wait to get home and see if the baby fruits have turned into real fruits in the last couple of weeks. Been rainy and then smoking hot so who knows what it will have done. It’ll be a surprise!