# Quail raising



## dwfox (Nov 10, 2012)

Hi everyone.
I was curious has anyone out there raised quail for a food source? I just want to get some more positive and negative input from people who have done it. Thanks for your time.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

My best friend from my school days (still my best friend we just rarely catch up with each other) parents raised quail when we were kids but that is as close as I can get for you sorry. I know its done but not what it takes or even where to get a starter brood I know it would be illegal to live trap wild ones to start you up but no idea where to get tame ones. 

I like the little cornish game hens never thought to try to pen raise some my own self need to look at that to seems you raise em in hutches kinda like rabit pens should make good high nitrate fertilizer too. 

Hmmm now ya got me ta thinking.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

I have about 2 dozen that live around my house. They are wild and I don't feed them though I do put water out for all the critters (and the quail drink a couple times per day).


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

First I would check to see if you need a permit. (We need one in Virginia). 

They are easy to raise as long as you have a good sturdy cage to keep out the wild critters. We saw more fox around when we had the quail than any other time.


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

My husband is cooking quail for dinner tonight. The biggest thing is they fight so you have to watch not too many in a cage. The eggs are fantastic to eat. This last batch were to be butchered over a month ago (at 8 weeks) but a prolong hospital stay put a stop to that. So, they will be tougher. It is a quick crop I'll tell you that. Approximately 1 month in the incubator, 2 months after that to harvest.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

will they self incubate eggs and produce without intervention such as incubators?If they still produced that fast and regularly be a good deal along side your rabbits.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

jsriley5 said:


> will they self incubate eggs and produce without intervention such as incubators?If they still produced that fast and regularly be a good deal along side your rabbits.


Mine would not hatch their own eggs ... they woud lay them here, there and every where. So we had to collect and use an incubator.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Hmmmm wonder what causes that, being in a cage maybe? OK well maybe OK for now but not a true sefl sustaining food source then.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Someone mentioned cornish game hens... All those are is young chickens. Nothing special except the name and they are younger than regular chickens when butchered.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

well aint I silly then I thought they were some different breed of bird. could have swrn I seen them labeled as cornish rick hens or somthing. specific. well heck I coudn't do that I"d always feel I was wasting potential meat.


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## Cud579 (Apr 26, 2010)

We raised up some cotournix quail. If yu want to raise them. Then ideally you would keep 1 male with 2 females. They absolutely will not set on their eggs. We raise rabbits and the quail brought in the raccoons big time. We lost many quail to he raccoons. I incubated a dozen eggs and got 3 to hatch. The first 2 died during hatching. The 3rd hatchling lived until she went into the frying pan.

In a grid down situation I believe it would be almost imposible to hatch out the babies.


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

How much do quail actually cost to raise? Just thinking a larger bird would be more cost effective for the trouble. Never done it myself just what I would think. They are great soaked in buttermilk and deep fried though.


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## dwfox (Nov 10, 2012)

Thanks for all the input. I was thinking about raising jumbo coturnix quail. From what I have read there fast to maturity, easy to raise and will out produce more meat than rabbits. Now this is what I heard on the survival podcast. So it got me thinking about raising them as part of my production with rabbits. I am concerned though that I would have to care for their eggs in lights out scenario. Being it sounds like they dont hatch well in
captivity. I guess having multiple meat sources will be the key. Any one else raise jumbo coturnix quails? Thanks everyone.


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

There were incubators before electricity. They heated them with oil lamps


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

You may want to look into doves/pigeons. My husband started out with 3 and it was not long till he had a coop full.

Just a thought ...


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## ONEOLDCHIEF (Jan 5, 2012)

I have heard the one to raise are Butler Bob White, they are 1 1/2 to 2 pounds each...


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## seanallen (Nov 13, 2012)

This is something im considering doing. Also raising rabbits and goats. I prefer goats because they can mostly fend for themselves. I would really like more info on the quail raising. Where can i get them? What cage types n styles?


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Just do a search for quail chicks and hatching eggs and you will find them. Most poultry hatcheries also have game birds.


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