Yesterday while flipping through a magazine, i noticed an add to introduce a wild quail population using a "covey base system". Now im not sure how many quail you would get with this thing, or if it would even work, but what is the best way to A) Introduce a formerly wild population of quail or a similiar game bird, and B) how to best manage the population. Ideas?
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
Post by jfneumann57 on Apr 25, 2007 15:58:14 GMT -5
The simplest way is to use a recall pen. Release 1/2 wait till they recall. Put 1/2 back out. Wait till they recall. Then start increasing the amount that you release, and recall. After a few weeks just release them all. They'll stay homed in the general area and be fit.
08 season: 51squirrels 16 rabbits 43miscellaneous
I'm sorry, but you said "it's impossible" when you really meant "I don't know how yet".
Doesnt look amazing hard to create. I'd think you could do it w/o the heater elimiating the need for propane if you started it during the spring/summer/early fall, or waited to put the birds in till they could regulate their own temp. Water and food are easy enough to hook up.
**EDIT**
This looks promising too, plus its a lot cheaper. Looks like its just a feeder and waterer. If it were me, i'd probably raise them in a brooder then a pen adn release at 5 weeks.http://www.qualitywildlife.com/GiftShop/
Last Edit: Apr 25, 2007 17:18:15 GMT -5 by Falcon Boy
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
If you just want to have quail to chase with your birds or to use for dog training, johnny houses or recall pens is definitely the way to go. Studies have shown over and over again that releasing birds doesn't work to establish "wild" covies. You will see birds for a while and they will be fit, but they don't have the survival instincts to make it long term. An example is wild quail dust in the evening and then fly to their roost so that predators can trail them to their roost. Released birds don't do this. They simple covey up in a spot for the night leaving ground scent for predators to follow. I use recall pens to work dogs when I'm training.
The surrogator is something I've wanted to try, but it's very expensive. We tried to replicate is a couple years ago, but the heater is the secret to the entire thing. Quail chicks die easily if not kept warm.
The most bang for you buck is definitely recall pens or johnny houses.
Check out quail forever. The key is to create natural habitat and wild quail will come to your land automatically. Much like rabbits, if you build it they will come.
I know this is a very old thread but I have info. I purchased this video www.oocities.org/yosemite/forest/3030/video.htm and did it a few times when I was training a dog 10 years ago. I didn't really have the land to sustain the quail but it did work. The quail eventually acted wild and returned for some time. I usually used 50 quail eggs and hatched them. After hatching them, I moved them out to a small shed (home made just for that purpose in the back yard) Just provided shelter, food, and heat. Let most of them out daily, they would leave for most of the day and by dusk all would be back in the pen after foraging in the nearby woods and empty lots around the house. I plan on doing this again when I get the land I want.
It is an old link and not how I originally purchased it. The guy may not still be selling them but I think his email is somewhere on there.
Post by Falcon Boy on Oct 20, 2013 14:07:42 GMT -5
Wow this is a really old thread, started 8 years ago! That said, it is really interesting to hear that similar systems actually work. Thanks for the update! Did you have any predation problems from wildlife? It sounds like the quail essentially acted like chickens with a chicken coop...
Falcon Boy Apprentice Falconry Administrator
Ethics make the individual, not the other way around.
I had an opossum get in through the recall cone once but other than that, no, not that I saw anyway. They eventually stopped coming back to the pen and I would hear them and see them occasionally. I'm sure there was all sorts of predation on them but I think with Dale's method it gave the birds time to "get wild" slowly and learn about the wild in small increments.
I tried looking for the DVD and info packet but was unable to find them. I emailed him to see if he was still selling it so I'll let ya know if I get a reply.
interesting as i was talking to a quail guy in colorado a few weeks ago about their pen raised quial. how the birds ahve no fear of anything and thats why they loose so many to hawks and falcons