Gary's Quail System

[GaryD]

Hi,

It's been quite a few months since we gave away our last batch of quail breeders.

We'd decided that, with all of the moving around that was going to be involved in the development of Creek Street Micro Farm, we'd be better off without them for a while.

The good news is that we've just obtained eight new breeders from APHQ member Julie.

We'll probably boost that number to 15 - 12 in the coming weeks.

We've housed them in the Quail Hilton but we plan to develop a more comprehensive quail production unit in the coming weeks.

It's good to have them around again. Life without quail is not quite the same.

Gary

[kenc45]

Hi Gary,

Have you had any progress on your new and improved Quail Palace? - had to think of something better than the Hilton.

I'd be keen to see your plans, and how you go about making the palace.

Ken

[GaryD]

Hi Ken,

We're dragging our heels (as usual). So many things to do and so little time.

Keep watching......we'll get something happening soon.

Gary

[MarkEinOz]

Familiar story - I'm running about 10 months behind the rebuild of my quail condo.

[GaryD]

Hi,

A few days ago, we were asked if we'd like to have 80 Japanese quail........free. The young lady who owned them was moving from acreage into a city place and she needed to get rid of them.

Early this morning, we drove the hour or so to her place and picked them up.

As it turns out, she got them from a man who had sourced them from all over Australia.....to avoid having inbred birds (a common problem with quail).....so they went from an opportunity to get some cheap meat to a rather more valuable opportunity.......outcrossed breeding stock.

We selected out about 40 breeders and culled the remaining 63 (there turned out to be over 100). It took us about two hours to process the culls.

We had to do a quick mod to the Quail Hilton and gave it a bit of a tidy up. The arrivals are settling in quickly and are busily burying themselves in the fresh woodshavings that we put in their pen.

Gary

[MarkEinOz]

Fabulous score Gary!

Can I put my order in for fertile eggs when you have surplus? I need to keep my blood lines fresh too!

How are the weights?

[Dia]

How do you decide which quails to cull and which quails to keep?

[GaryD]

Hi Mark,

This opportunity just reinforces the need to get our quail thing happening again.

Once things settle down, I'd be happy to send you some fertile eggs. It's the best (and safest) way to get new blood into your flock.

I haven't weighed them yet, Mark.

I'd really like to do some selection for bodyweight.

Several years ago, we sourced some birds from Toowoomba that the owner described as Jumbo quail.....and he wasn't kidding. They were at least 50% bigger than any other quail that I'd seen.

Regrettably, we didn't keep the birds and when I went looking for more, he was gone, too.

Dia.....nothing terribly scientific about it. We just selected the biggest and brightest-looking birds to keep.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

When we picked these birds up, we noticed that they were being kept in pens which had welded mesh floors and were raised off the ground.......high enough that droppings could easily be removed with a rake.

In recent years, I've persuaded myself that litter floods (using shredded paper or wood shavings) were best.

These birds were active, clean, well-ventilated and didn't seem the least bit unhappy with their pen.

The bird's owner had placed clumps of grass (roots and all) around the pens which softened the harshness of mesh pens.....and so that the quail could escape from their more aggressive mates.

I find that cleaning pens is arguably the worst job associated with raising quail so seeing these pens re-ignited my interest in mesh floors.

Gary

[MarkEinOz]

Hey Gary,

Having the same dilema. Due to my work schedule and my inherent tendency to chronic laziness, cleaning pens and collecting eggs are a MAJOR problem for me (not to mention the wife.....)

I am working on a design for a build this weekend that incorporates a wire top, front and floor, with a slope, but for comfort I will include a dust box as well.