Food procurement

[kellerbomb]

Got a hutch built this past week. Got two silkie hens to attempt to use as brooders, and three female and one male bobwhite. The silkies aren't old enough to brood yet, but the quail are putting out eggs. I have a feeling I will have to resort to an incubator if I want to produce quail in any kind of numbers as food.

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[echotadog]

BWQ aren't likely to hatch, but if you incubate those eggs, you can. Japanese/ Cours quail will be larger in a much shorter period of time and tend to make a better( richer) freezer reserve of food for Hawks. Another bonus is they lay eggs around 6-8weeks, prolifically.

I raise and raised BWQ for release on my farm in middle TN. I still see some rarely, but not in the numbers I was hoping for.

[kellerbomb]

Ya that's why I only have a few bob's. I haven't found a local option for Coturnix yet, watching Craigslist.

[richindecatur]

Why don't you just order a bunch from poultry sellers, there are bunches of quality sellers of day old chicks of any variety, and they ship to your local post office and you pick up there live and fresh. You rear them in a brooder, and can raise them from what you order to breed , or feed as needed. It's seasonal on most species. But now is the time to order a bunch. You will never get enough food from 1-3 pairs !!! But if you got em in bulk, and had plenty to choose from as breeders.... Then you can have a worthwhile supply of food , and plenty as food for now..

[kellerbomb]

First batch of quail are starting to hatch. I ended up getting bobwhite, coturnix, gambels, button and snowflake quail. The coturnix are the main ones being used for food, but the kids are having a blast learning about the incubation process, candling and hatching. Apprentice app is finally turned into the state.

imgur.com/a/49OK7

[echotadog]

You're playing with fire having the quail inside your mews. There are quite a few parasites and pathogens they can spread to your hawk through their mutes. For my quail coop, I kept it 30-40 feet away from my mews to metigate cross contamination.

I would suggest using a vet approved , barn stall cleaner or a 10% bleach solution to wash down the mews wall and floor 2-3 weeks before you get a hawk.


Outside that : I'm looking forward to see how your BWQ and snowflakes turn out. I wouldn't mind attempting a release of some snowflake and TN reds on. Our farm in Nashville.