The Poultry Keeper The Independent Forum for Poultry Keepers    FAQ   Search     Register   Log in  Quail Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next          The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Breeds Author Message phil and charlotte Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 114 Location: South Somerset Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 7:48 am    Post subject: Thanks PP - all good stuff. Sadly, 2 died over the weekend, but still have 8 looking healthy. Back to top poultry poofs Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 1808 Location: Wensleydale,North Yorkshire. Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2006 10:45 am    Post subject: I started with that many, before I knew it I had 30 but they are nice to keep and worth the effort.Had to sell them due to me moving but I would definately have some more. good luck rich Back to top jackbish Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 7 Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 5:16 pm    Post subject: hi everyone this is jack I've also got quail 4 females at the mo,2 Japanese and 2 Chinese painted. hoping to get more soon.had problems with foxes and incubating was very unsuccessful as well.anyone got any tips on breeding them. Back to top chrisk Joined: 12 Feb 2006 Posts: 13 Location: Derbyshire Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:47 am    Post subject: Quail Hi, we are thinking of keeping quail for eggs. This may be a stupid Q but how do you despatch a quail if needed or for meat Thanks Chris Back to top CP Moderator Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 16098 Location: Hampshire Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 9:55 am    Post subject: Probably the same way as for chickens, I guess? You'd either have to do it by hand, or use a dispatcher. Back to top poultry poofs Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 1808 Location: Wensleydale,North Yorkshire. Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:26 am    Post subject: Exactly the same,use a chick despatcher, thats the best. rich Back to top phil and charlotte Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 114 Location: South Somerset Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:28 am    Post subject: Quails released I eventually released my 8 6-week old quail into the garden yesterday. I wanted to do it sooner but some building work got in the way and I reckoned that like my chickens, the Quail needed a week in the coop to accustom them to its being a safe place. Who told me that they don't fly over waist high? The first one out flew onto the top of the shed, then 10 minutes later flew over the wall into my next door neighbour's garden. I rescued him yesterday evening, christened him 'Biggles' and (rather unwillingly) clipped his right wing. I rather hoped that the Quail would do the same as the chickens and return to a lit coop when it started to get dark, but they stayed out in the garden. God knows how I'm going to collect any eggs, I couldn't even find the birds at 10 o'clock last night. They look a bit more confident this morning and I managed to count all eight. Having been in aviation training most of my working life, I'd give them the following basic scores, remembering that it was their first day out: Take off: 4/5. Flight: 2/5, just don't ask them to fly in a particular direction, speed or height. Landing: 1/5, normally achieved by flying into something (bush, wall, etc.,) and falling to the ground. Navigation: 0/5, absolutely no control over where they go. The garden should be safe enough for them, it is surrounded by an 8 ft high wall and (touch wood) we don't seem to have any cats around since the Black Rocks took them on and won. Back to top CP Moderator Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 16098 Location: Hampshire Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:43 am    Post subject: Back to top Fenn Joined: 16 Jun 2005 Posts: 2292 Location: Shrewsbury Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:48 am    Post subject: Back to top traditionalbritishfowlco Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 243 Location: lancashire Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:21 pm    Post subject: Noooo, last time I had quail they were all total nutters, living free, and all comitted suicide in some way or another....this time they're all much calmer and, satisfyingly fat They're kept safely locke dup this time! Very appealing things but I have four amles to eat - better be yummy too! Back to top jackbish Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 7 Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2006 10:00 pm    Post subject: hi everyone this is jack again I've got 11 quail 5 Japanese and 6Chinese has any one got any tips on breeding them.I've had them for 4 months and haven't had a single egg anyone no why.i wondered if it is the hot weather we have had. Back to top phil and charlotte Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 114 Location: South Somerset Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 7:32 am    Post subject: QUAIL F.T.A.G.H.* *Free to a good home. See Poultry Mart. Back to top phil and charlotte Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 114 Location: South Somerset Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 10:30 am    Post subject: Sadly, end of experiment. Quail seem to have some sort of death-wish. Found the remaining 4 a good home with a poultry keeper not far from here. Back to top poultry poofs Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 1808 Location: Wensleydale,North Yorkshire. Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 2:32 pm    Post subject: jackbish wrote: hi everyone this is jack again I've got 11 quail 5 Japanese and 6Chinese has any one got any tips on breeding them.I've had them for 4 months and haven't had a single egg anyone no why.i wondered if it is the hot weather we have had. Hi Mine took 6 months to start laying.Weather (or extremes of weather) does affect them and their egg production as does availability of water.If they are inadvertently deprived of water(dries up)the stress will stop them laying.Put them on smallholder layers pellets too,which are smaller than most chicken layers pellets.I used the special quail mix which was very expensive but found it useless it stopped them laying and they went through it in no time so then mixed a small quantity in with the pellets.Eventually I stopped using the quail mix and bought the small seed cage and aviary or garden bird mix the cheap ones from pet supplies just as a mixer while feeding them pellets and grit.The bigger ones also like wheat or barley. They plumped out very well and were prolific layers much better than the chooks.Take them inside in the winter in a shed and they will carry on laying as normal as they dont cope well with the cold and wet winter weather. DONT let them out free in the garden,they do fly very well and dont normally stop till they have covered half a mile!They MAY come back but it is actually illegal to release them into the wild either deliberately or accidentally as they are not native species to the UK.A huge outdoor aviary can be made quite cheaply with sturdy framing and nylon game netting which is cheap ,but remember to net the floor with chicken wire to protect them from rats.I have a run in the garden that once painted green with the brown netting is hardly noticable.Put plenty of ground cover in like conifer trimmings or potted low conifers and they will lay under them. If you are breeding them you need to keep all one species together or you will end up with crosses obviuosly.One male to about 6 females.Its best to keep each breeding group separate as the males WILL fight to the death. Expect some serious injuries to the females too from the mating males as they are not the gentlest of maters.I have had a fair few with torn scalps and necks which have had to be despatched.The males will generally get on together if theres no females in with them or near them and probably long enough in most cases to fatten them up for eating.Once they start fighting they need to go or they will kill each other. The Coturnix Japanese and Golden Italian and Jumbo varieties are all good layers and good eating(breast meat is the only part worth bothering with) and dont waste time plucking them just skin them. There are countries that boil the whole birds up in a pot and strain off the bones Some may think its cruel but its inevitable you will end up with more males than females and its better to make use of them than cull them and throw them away The chinese are very flighty and the eggs are too small really but they are attractive and good foragers for the bottoms of ornamental bird aviarys. A final point about getting them indoors at night.They will roost outside and if there is a light on outside or the moons out they wont go in willingly A simple trick I used to get them in was to turn off the security lights and stand a bright torch in the back of the quail house or fix a switchable light inside.Within a few minutes they will all go in and you can shut them in.Saves hours trying to get them all in which I have done in the past until I discovered that trick. rich Back to top jackbish Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 7 Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:00 pm    Post subject: Thanks very much that's a great help i will definitely try the torch trick takes me hours. The quail live in a large run 8ft square and a night box.I am doing some modifications at the moment as i know exactly what you mean about rats they are little buggers killed 4 of mine the other night sorted it out now i hope.Just one more question if the female does sit on her eggs what should i do because if i put her in the night box she wont be able to sit on her eggs and if i leave her out i don't know if she will be safe. thanks for the advice. jack Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         The Poultry Keeper Forum Index -> Breeds All times are GMT + 1 Hour Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4  Next Page 2 of 4 Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group