Quail Small Scale

Keeping quail is gaining in popularity in the US.  Keeping various food animals was popular on the homefront during both World Wars.  Often rabbits, pigeons, and quail were raised to supplement meat and to make use of waste.  Saving resources was a big issue then, and it should also be one now.

There are several suitable quail for the home grower.  Coturnix and bobwhite quail are the most common.  There are a Jumbo Brown coturnix, as well as the Texas A&M coturnix, and the Georgia Giant bobwhite quail.

Of the three the coturnix grow faster.  The Texas A&M is a white bird not as big as the jumbo.  The Jumbo and A&M both are excellent egg layers.  Sushi eggs come from coturnix quail.  Bobwhite quail also lay eggs.

Quail need a higher protein level in their feed and therefore should be fed gamebird or equivalent.  Up to 28 percent protein is recommended.  Both birds will eat some table scraps to a degree.

Raising quail requires a little space.  Most recommend and area of 1 square foot per bird.  Some suggest that they can be kept in as little as .5 square foot per bird.  I would opt for the larger 1 bird per square foot.

Coturnix mature at a faster rate and are ready to aly eggs at 6 weeks, and be processed a week or two younger.  They are easy and quickly to clean and get ready for the dinner table.  All three quail are rouhgly the same size, but other coturnix are available that are smaller, and of various other color variations.  The bobwhites are available the same way, with smaller and or various other colors.

Quail are relatively quiet.  Bobwhite quail are typically noisier than the coturnix but arent excessively noisy.  Bobwhites tend to make a bit of low volume grumblings, and are capable of the bobwhite whistle.

They should be kept in a draft free, dry, environment, and fed well.  Kept with food and water they will grow quickly.