The Poultry Keeper

mojo · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:11 am Post subject: qwail

quail taste nice limit to my knowledge.sorry..mojo

jaydee67 · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:37 am Post subject:

How many quail make a meal - and is it really worth the effort? I baulked at prepping the last male banties we had to get rid of!

Knobby · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:38 am Post subject:

Do home grown chooks really taste better than sainsburys ones ?

jaydee67 · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:42 am Post subject:

WE've only tried it once - and they were a bit small but were getting noisy - I made them into soup - everyone ate a bit but there was lots left - don't think we really had teh heart for it then. May try again if I get a lot of males from my marans - they all look alike and you can't tell as easily who's who! I'll be back asking questions later in the year!

Gina · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 471 Location: Kent

I don't know about home reared chicken tasting better as I haven't gone down that road yet (Will though but need someone to show me how - anyone in Kent offering?).

However I brought some corn fed free range chicken and it was lovely...much better than normal stuff in supermarket.

alexa · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 336 Location: wiltshire

ooops! ive let my quail into the wild i didnt know it was ilegal

rich u mentioned feeding them quail feed what is that! i feed my layers mash and some corn, i didnt know there was such thing.
i dont sound like i know much!

alexa Very Happy

debcat · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:00 pm Post subject:

home grown chicken tastes totally different from shop bought, much nicer
Debs

pollypekin · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 183 Location: Kent

ALexa, I feed my quail on chickcrumbs or layers pellets - these are very small pellets especially for quail.

HTH,
sally xxx

poultry poofs · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:59 pm Post subject:

Quail will eat chick crumbs but it doesn't contain the proteins etc they need.Quail feed is nothing like chick crumbs or pellets its more like budgie seed in fact that is predominantly what it is ....seeds and fine chick crumbs can be added to make it go further as it is more expensive than chick crumbs and the little blighters eat like its goin out of fashion.
Quail like I say will eat the crumbs but if you expect them to mature and breed and lay eggs quickly you have to feed them on the feed designed for them.
The only drawback is its twice the price of chick crumbs.
The same principle applies to hens if you don't feed them properly they wont lay properly.

Alexa ...that really is a wierd eye Confused

poultry poofs · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 11:10 pm Post subject:

Quail MUST hve fine grit like pulverised oyster shell too or you will get problems with the shells and their growth too.

Quail are very easy to keep the Italian or Japanese occasionally make a little more noise than a lot of squabbling sparrows but most of the time they just call or warble to one another quietly. At night you don't hear them at all,hardly a reason to not have them in a town,cats,dogs and foxes make more din-,oh and yobs.
They just need water grit and quail feed availble all the time or they will go off lay.
If they have been seriously deprived of water ie you forgot to water them one day when you popped out to the shops and came back when it was dark several hours later and remembered you didnt check their water you could regret it for months as that is how long they can go off lay.
Look after them well and they will be good to you Very Happy

poultry poofs · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 11:19 pm Post subject:

I am afraid it is illegal to let non native quail into the wild as they can do untold damage to the natural bird eco system.

If you need examples just look at the plight of the red squirrel now almost extinct by the introduction of the grey squirrel.

Mink are also having a devastating effect on the wildlife in the countryside since they were released into the wild by animal liberationists who 'rescued' and 'liberated' them from the mink farms in the last few decades.

You weren't to know obviously but its a big no no

Lisa · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 6:55 am Post subject:

Hi Guys, thanks for all the extra info about Quails - much appreciated Smile

alexa · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 336 Location: wiltshire

ok thanks for all that!

alexa

chicken jules · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:44 pm Post subject:

Hi

We keep quail, the males do chawtle at night but it is not to bad at all........ if you shut them in at night they don't seem to do it. We have found that if you keep several males together they will fight. But they are soon stoped by my OH he loves quail for dinner. No wounder I'm a veggie!!!!!.

We feed ours on mixed finch seed, layers mash, wild bird seed,and layers pellets. I know but they seem to thrive on it.........well we have 24 now and we only had 3 in October last year.

We must shoot the stalk.............LOL

OH has the quail for the eggs , he pickles them ........they really are great.

The birds themselves are really great they are busy little things and have great fun in the flight with all the others.

Hope this helps, you won't regret getting quail, just don't get Bob whites HE IS NOISY.

Luv Jules

debcat · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:53 pm Post subject:

OOHH
now finch and wildbird feed I will be able to get Very Happy

just need to sort out accomodation now then.
What size wire do you use? - thats a bit limited here as well
How long do they take to hatch?
Debs