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Author Topic: anyone raise quail?  (Read 7459 times)

Offline Eric Bosworth

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anyone raise quail?
« on: June 18, 2015, 02:06:40 pm »
I have been thinking about raising quail to release for hunting. I looked into pheasants but the pen I would need would be cost prohibitive. Has anybody here tried it? When Ella was a puppy there was somebody in town that raised them and bought some to release. The following winter the snow took down their pen and they didn't rebuild it.
It was great for dog training.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2015, 03:35:57 pm »
I raised some pheasants at one time.  I was looking into keep quail for eggs but never did.
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Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2015, 09:34:37 pm »
The problem with pheasants is the fly pen... That and birds of pray... Pheasants probably have more natural habitat by you compared to around here. The state uses hunting license fees to stock places around here. Those of us with lifetime licenses will eventually bankrupt the system. That doesn't seem to stop them from raising the prices though. They did back off a bit with out of state license fees. Apparently enough people from PA and VT said they would just hunt at home that they lost money one year.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #3 on: June 19, 2015, 10:02:46 pm »
I do but I really don't have any real input. I put out deer feeders, the type that shoot the corn out and spread it out far and wide and quails moved in. They also like to clean up the blue berries from under the bushes at this time of year. They stay here year around and  they were increasing in numbers until the squirrels chewed holes all the way around the edge. That lets the rain get in rots the corn. Since then I do not see as many. I plan on getting a new one next year. We really got it for being able to see the deer.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline OldMech

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2015, 01:48:04 am »
I used to raise and train Springers, and used Pigeons for the training. Easy to keep, easy to catch, easy even to raise if your so inclined.
  I did raise pheasant and quail. gave up on the quail, not enough meat on them, but the pheasant were no issue at all. Bought Viable eggs every year and hatched them in an incubator.  Chicken wire enclosure worked quite well..  I had less than 300 dollars in the whole pen...  of course.. that was...  20 years ago...  or more...   BUT, there is enough meat on a pheasant to make them worth eating!
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Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2015, 09:35:37 pm »
I have to agree about the meat. That is why I no longer shoot woodcock. It's hardly worth the shells. If I have a young dog I might shoot one for training but for one bite I don't see much point in woodcock. I figure quail are individual servings. As long as I get 2 it makes a meal for my wife and me. As long as quail have food they will stick around... Provided predators don't get them. Lots of birds of pray, coyotes, and fisher cats not to mention an occasional bobcat or fox.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline biggraham610

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2015, 01:26:20 am »
Around here the native quail population has all but disappeared. When I was a kid, fence-rows were generally 20' wide, brush and scrub trees. Today's farming practices, of using every square inch of ground has made those disappear, and the quail have paid the price to the predators. Also, the fescue. Quail and fescue do not mix. The old native grasses the farmers used to feed for hay were far better on the quail . We still generally keep a couple three coveys on our place, but we have done extensive work to make it more or less a game preserve. I wouldn't think of shooting a wild bird today. Not here. Just glad to see them making a small comeback. Wish I knew how to post a picture under my name, I would show you my Lewellins. Nice looking dogs you have there, German Shorthairs? G
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Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #7 on: July 03, 2015, 07:28:32 am »
Yes, German Shorthairs. I screwed up the older one I didn't think about her being around and shot my 30/06. She sees my gun and hides now. Gunner however is only afraid of the shock collar and the vet... The vet issue only started after his big snip. He was carrying on making all sorts of noise she hadn't even touched him with the needle yet.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline OldMech

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2015, 10:05:17 am »

   The Quail are back here.  Lightning bugs, even the Eagles have returned.  None of those things were here when I was a kid. Even Turkeys.
   As much as I hate to admit it, the govt set aside programs have helped, as have the Neonic Insecticides..  no more spraying DDT etc...   Pheasant, Quail, Turkey are all VERY prolific this year. I also have a couple of young eagles circling my house.  So long as they leave my chicken pen alone we will get along famously.
39 Hives and growing.  Havent found the end of the comfort zone yet.

Offline biggraham610

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2015, 10:07:37 am »
Yeah, my females a little skittish, haven't shot around her yet, but will with 22 shorts first. My male loves the gun, he comes to the shot, I started him at 6 wks with the 22 pistol, while I was working him Id wait for him to get around the bend in the road and shoot the opposite direction with a 22 pistol. No birds here, I have him trained on the flush now. Turkeys and short chase deer. Hes ruthless. I wish I had some birds, my female is very very birdie, but, I will probably just get her involved in the flush game, I have the genetics I want so, one of their kids might get the bird life, if I can ever afford to start buying and planting enough birds to make it worth it. Nothing more striking than a rigid point, with a second dog offering a backup. G
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Offline OldMech

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2015, 10:19:29 am »

   As I said above...   If you need birds to train with Pigeons are easy to find and raise. I used to keep 20 or so birds penned, and had 20 (ish) birds that flew freely from a roost on my garage that I incubated eggs from. I actually did a pretty good business selling them to other hunters training dogs. I could have sold four times the birds I had.

   Dont try it with ravens or crows.. The dog told me they smell bad...    Took my Male Springer to a crow shoot... first bird that fell he went after it like wildfire, got there, picked it up and ran for me....  stopped... spit the bird out...  choked, sneezed, shook his head.. started to pick the bird up.. spit it back out, snorted, sneezed and came back to me without it....

   The Pigeons work very well. They fly well and "smell" like a game bird.
39 Hives and growing.  Havent found the end of the comfort zone yet.

Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2015, 07:10:05 am »
What do they taste like? If I am going to raise birds even if it is just for the dog I still want to eat them. I stopped shooting woodcock because it hardly seemed worth the ammo for 1 bite of meat.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline Maggiesdad

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #12 on: July 04, 2015, 09:37:04 am »
mmmmm... good! Just need more to make a mess. They roll kinda like panfish (bluegill)  - just because they are small doesn't mean they aren't worth the preparation. 

Your question took me  back to when I was a kid, reminded me of the old Golden Skillet motto https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Skillet

Offline Maggiesdad

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #13 on: July 04, 2015, 09:41:37 am »
If you were a little closer, I'd hatch 'em out for you in my sportsman   :cool:

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Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #14 on: July 04, 2015, 04:23:20 pm »
Maggiesdad, I remember when I was a kid. I could buy a box of 25 20 or 12 gage shells for $3. On occasion we would find what looked like a good deal but the box only had 20 shells. I did a lot of shooting back then. Now a 100 round box is pushing $25. Really sucks that now I can't afford it. Tender as a quail tasty as a pheasant seems strange to me. I like quail better than pheasant.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline biggraham610

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #15 on: July 05, 2015, 12:29:48 pm »
I like Quail better too!! Thanks for the reminder of the golden skillet tag line, I had forgotten about that. That's funny, brings back good times as a kid. Golden Skillet!! G
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Offline 10framer

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #16 on: July 05, 2015, 12:57:09 pm »
eric, you can fix that gun shy dog but the one that's scared of the training collar may be tough.  i've got treeing feist and i have a female that is an incredible tree dog but she's gun shy (almost over that) and intimidated by the collar.  she's part GSP now that i think about it.  if you figure out the collar let me know.

Offline Eric Bosworth

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #17 on: July 05, 2015, 04:47:09 pm »
He actually likes the collar. He just knows that he must behave when he is wearing it.
All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns; that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party. ---Mao Tse Tung

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. ---Benjamin Franklin

Offline mike17l

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #18 on: January 02, 2016, 01:42:46 am »
I started raising cortonix quail about 6 months ago. They are butcher ready 6 weeks after hatching, laying eggs reliably at 8 weeks old, and produce quality meat. I sell dressed birds for $4 each at the local farmers market.

Offline GSF

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Re: anyone raise quail?
« Reply #19 on: January 02, 2016, 06:00:39 am »
...love me some pickled quail eggs.
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