backyard quail?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by susann, May 20, 2008.

  1. susann

    susann Junior Member

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    Hi - anyone with experience of quail in a backyard environment? I was thinking this might be an alternative to chickens, especially as I have never had livestock before.

    Also it might mean a smaller cage and less investment intially to set up. I imagine I could make a mini dome for them or a modified cage (we have seven cats living across the street) You could even take them over to a friends place to look after them while you were away for the weekend.

    Any tips or information would be welcome
     
  2. thepoolroom

    thepoolroom Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    I've also been thinking about this. I figure quail, bantams, or perhaps even guinea pigs or rabbits could process weeds and kitchen scraps into compost inputs, while also helping to clear small areas of garden bed. I don't have much yard, and so don't have a lot of space for full-scale chickens.
     
  3. paradisi

    paradisi Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    you could have them all


    chooks are no bother and cost very little to set up - - a waterproof and fox proof coop is their main concern - and I built mine from salvaged fence palings from a fence being pulled down and replaced.

    you can put in a fenced run - but if you are home all day there's really no need. We've got ours free ranging the whole garden - the fence has been raised in height from one metre to a bit over 2 and the gate has been chook proofed. We're suburban and don't have a fox problem and our dog is chook trained - he protectsw them...

    quail are tiny and need something like a large guinea pig hutch for them to run and possibly fly in - they do fly - very well and it seems cruel not to give them enough room to stretch their wings. If you've got a larger aviary quail are essential in eating all of the dropped seed...

    we've got guinea pigs and again built their wire hutch from scrap - we just move it to where the weeds are and they eat happily. the roof is a scrap of old corrugated iron and they have a weather proof box to sleep in
     
  4. thepoolroom

    thepoolroom Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    My backyard is all concrete, pavers and garden beds. Can you keep bantams, quails, or guinea pigs in some kind of hutch or enclosure on concrete? Or do they need to be on real ground/soil/grass? I don't want to lose any of my already-small garden space to them if possible! I'd be happy to build them a nice coop, and keep woodchips, straw, etc in the bottom of it.

    All my lawn is in the front yard, and not very protected from stray animals and/or passers-by. I could put them out for a few hours at a time in a day-cage and back in the coop the rest of the time, but I couldn't put something in the front yard permanently.
     
  5. MikeB

    MikeB Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    We used to have a Guinea Pig tractor that we shifted around the yard daily so putting them in the front yard might be OK IF you have the front yard fenced. Cats and dogs love Guinea Pigs and not in the affectionate way. Our biggest problem was carpet snakes trying to get into the hutch at night. I kept relocating the snakes but eventually one got in and had a feast.

    I have kept Quail, once. Not likely to try that again in a hurry. Too many critters wanted to eat them. You could try keeping Guinea pigs on wood shavings and use them to get rid of food scraps etc but they are much happier on grass. I suggest getting in contact with a local Guinea Pig Club for more information.
     
  6. ppp

    ppp Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    how big it your area? chooks really aren't much hassle.
     
  7. susann

    susann Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    I live on a 1000sq block so actually huge! My concern about doing chickens is that at the moment is it mostly lawn, the cats over the road (7) and few resources ($) for feed etc -only 1 1/2 in the house so small amount of kitchen scraps. Aim to get chooks eventually...
     
  8. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Susann, put a chicken tractor on your lawn and move it daily. Your chickens will like it and your lawn will like it, too.

    Chicken problems are created when they are forced to be in a fairly small area that doesn't change. The soil becomes stinky and contaminated from an excess of nitrogen.

    The tractor is just a frame with chicken wire on all sides except the bottom, with a tarp or something over half of it to give them shelter from rain and hot sun, and should be easily moveable. Put them in their coop at night. The next morning, move the tractor, insert chickens with water container. By the time the tractor gets back to the starting point, the grass has been watered, the droppings washed into the soil, the microbes have jumped on it, and the grass has grown and is ready for the chooks again.

    Sue
     
  9. susann

    susann Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Sue - can you tell me whether you think chicken tractors are "cat proof" and occassional stray dog proof? i live in a residential area and have seven cats living across the street. Do you have one? I have seen have a farm sized one however, I think we would need a smaller/mini version?

    Thanks
     
  10. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Yes, I have one, but I didn't build it correctly.

    I built a chicken tractor that is 1.3 x 3m x 1m tall. Because we have some strong wild predators (raccoons) and it was the chooks only home, I used a close mesh called 'rabbit wire' for security. Then I built a removable drop-in row of nest boxes across one end, a small door for the chickens and a hinged top that can be raised and propped open. Unfortunately, it is so heavy that it takes two people to drag it to a new spot, and it's impossible to lift it onto any of the raised garden beds that are the same size.

    I am working a smaller coop placed inside a fenced yard that is 5 x 7m (my girls are Buff Orps, a heavy breed, and they don't fly much or high). Then I will make a simple, lightweight frame covered with chicken wire to use as a moveable tractor that I can put on garden beds that need cleaning up. Probably about 2.4 x 2.4m, and .5m tall, with a smaller door in one corner (on top) to put the chickens in. All I will have to do is raise one side to let them run out.

    If you had a tight, secure coop for nights, and a lightweight moveable cage for days, you could skip the fenced yard. I think a simple wood framed, chicken wire covered (incl. top), bottomless tractor would be cat-proof. Once they find they can't get at the birds, the cats would probably lose interest or, at worst, just sit and stare at them. The problem with dogs is that they will run around and around the pen, scaring and stressing the chooks. Some might try to dig underneath. You might have to invest in some electric mesh to keep them away.

    It's probably not legal in Oz, but my sister's neighbor had dogs getting into her yard and bothering her livestock, so she bought a CO2-powered paintball gun, and a box of red paint balls.When the dogs came, she shot them with the red balls. It hits them with a thump, but she aimed for their sides or hindquarters. After a few times of their dogs coming home with a splat of red, sticky paint that looked like blood, people started making some effort at keeping their dogs home.

    Also here, dogs caught chasing or harassing livestock or wildlife can be shot (fatally) on sight. No permission required. Some people still have to learn the hard way.

    Sue
     
  11. darls

    darls Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Hello,

    I am fairly new at having both chooks and quails - yes both. 3 Leghorn cross chooks (for about 4 months now) and 4 Jap Quails (3F and 1M)(about 2 months with us now).

    I think there are difference in preferences of what each does for you and what each can provide.

    Chooks: Eggs, manure, walking digger. Can be destroyer - both plants, roots and grasses. Nice companions when gardening as they would follow you if free-ranging like mine does. Goes straight to roost at dusk, pretty ok around people (if you want a very friendly chook, you'd need to get them at one-day old).

    Quails: Eggs (they start laying at 3 months), manure. They are much more nervous around people, and any creatures. they're in a way more messy than chooks. They do need a small space, minimum of approx 1mx1mx1m area. My son insisted he has to have quails for himself as pets or something. Relatively short lived, between 2 and 5 years I believe.

    Overall, I think we are not impressed with quails as we are with chooks. For someone like yours, I might recommend bantam (of either Australorps or some breeds) of two. They're relatively small and more friendly - although Im told they dont really lay eggs regularly like any bigger breeds does.

    It depends on what you want to put in your block of land. It may be relatively cheaper and easier to just buy bags of chook manure and put in soil for preparation.

    Any ways, would be interesting to see how you will choose to do.

    Cheers!
     
  12. hedwig

    hedwig Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    We have 5 chooks yet, thank you. they are nice lay but I thought how could I make our small backyard more productive. And I think you convinced me - quails is not a good possibility.
    Many of you having guinea pigs - do you eat them? I guess we would have the same problem with rabbits.
    Who would kill the nice rabbits? However they are the most economic - they convert weeds and carrots in high value protein.

    If you have chooks you don't need anything cat proofed, our neighbours fat cats don't eat the chooks but snake proofed carpet pythons love pluimb chickens.
     
  13. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Backyard quail is a bit of a misnomer and it is worthwhile to consider breeds/varieties when you may presume that you can have 'backyard quail'. In Australia we have the very common stubble quail and also the king quail.

    Neither can be useful if let loose. They simply flee. Both of them readily adapt to captivity, particularly the King Quail as it has been used in Australian Agriculture for about 100 years as a captive animal. The concept of 'backyard quail' is ludicrous if you believe they are akin to a chook. They are all wild and very capable of flying long distances, albeit, at 200m per flight. Please dont believe that you can 'farm or release' quail in a backyard to any long term effect.

    Whilst you may attract quail to your backyard, generally speaking you would need at least a 100 acre 'backyard' to confine or encourage them.

    Quail, like rabbits, are a spectacular permaculture protein source and should be considered as such.

    Stubble and King Quail can be farmed akin to aquaponics, ie, they are captive, controlled and farmed. I can forsee that quail kept over a rabbit farm or aquaponics setup can work. Quail, to be really productive can be farmed in small cages with the use of an incubator. I struggle to make protein predictions but suffice to say you could produce all of the animal/bird protein a family could eat from the area under your eaves and using both sides of the backdoor but this would require rigourous management and a cage system.

    I would encourage anyone interested in quail to invest in a trio or pair and park them in an aviary under their budgies etc as a method of understanding these gorgeous little birds.

    At risk of running foul of a previous post. Quail can fly:but choose not to unless flushed or pressed. To give quail a chook pen sized dimension you run the risk of 'flushing' the quail and have them hit any roof at high speed. Domesticated quail are kept in cages with an av. 300mm roofline so they do not launch themselves and kill or dash their prospects on a wire cage. I do not wish to argue this point, it is moot for quail owners. Quail do fly, they also launch themselves some 3-5m skyward as an escape mechanism, they are not a natural flyer like a dove or a pigeon. They are a ground dweller.

    Anyone considering owning quail, and I would recommend them to anyone prepared to do so. Do not make the mistake that they are some sort of short wheel base chook. It just aint so. Maybe you should consider bantams.

    PS... Anyone who believes that bantams cannot lay as well as ''commercial breeds'' under comparative conditions is sadly mislead. Bantam productivity is awesome, especially under home conditions.

    cheers..
     
  14. epiphany

    epiphany Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    We have Pekins in our backyard. They're a beautiful bantam chook. Very friendly, not as broody as some other bantam breeds (eg Silkies) & when they're laying, we get up to an egg a day from each of them.

    One big bonus is they don't dig big holes like some of the bigger breeds of chook. Ours free range over our backyard all day & they'll scratch for insects, etc, but don't dig holes (except when they dust bathe), so there is minimal damage to the garden. We have a cat & there are others in the area - we've never had a problem with them (the chooks are pretty good at scaring off cats). Whilst they like to be able to scratch round the plants, they were also happy when we just had a bare backyard - grass & nothing else...as long as they have shade & shelter, of course. They're brilliant at cleaning up any insects in the garden.

    I'd highly recommend them. They're great pets & great for those wanting to have a productive backyard.
     
  15. susann

    susann Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Hi - about Pekins: Do you think they would cope in a sub-tropical environment? My guess is with their heavy feathering they might get hot and bothered?
     
  16. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Susann,

    I live in... what is probably considered a particularly nasty tropical environment. We have all the hot, humid, and sometimes even mornings when it can get to near frost. Katherine, Northern Territory.

    Pekins are a remarkable user friendly chook. They lay up to 180 days a year. They are resilient and best of all, they have such a reduced 'flight/flee response'. That they are genetically forced to deal with dogs,cats,visitors, horses, cows, goats, stray kids and sheep.

    Pekins cannot launch themselves into anywhere. They are genetically predisposed to be very very user friendly. I have not found another poultry breed as user friendly.

    Get some, dont worry about the climate. They are a bantam breed and as tough as Toyota Corollas.


    cheers,
     
  17. epiphany

    epiphany Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Susann...I honestly don't know. We're in Melbourne & they cope with the odd 40 degree days without too much trouble (although I leave a window open for them so they can sit in the breeze the air con makes). The breeder suggested putting out bottles of frozen water for them to huddle round when the days are over 33 degrees - sort of like chook air con.

    After googling a few sites, I found several places that offer Pekins in NSW, so they must be able to cope with the heat if they can be bred there. As ho-hum said, they're particularly resilient (don't let the big fluff of feathers fool you!!!).
     
  18. sunnyslopes

    sunnyslopes Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Hello Susann,

    I have read your post several times but didn't feel I was qualified to answer back. Well I'm still not qualified. But, I will give a strong argument in favor of the quail as I have been keeping several of these kritters alive for a few months now. I have eaten the eggs but not the birds, yet.

    First of all the quail lived here in Florida before man (and chooks) came here. Now they are rarely seen. They were here first and have a right to be here. There have a right to live and thrive here just like the mullet or manatee.

    Quail can digest over 600 different types of plant material. I dont recall the source doc but it's about right. They also will eat bugs if given a chance.

    Back to argument one. They were here long before us. They helped to shape the environment. Many species depended on the quail. They are short lived and weak by our standards. They live to be a food source. A seed spreader, and maybe a type of quail tractor as well.

    Because they are so prized as a food source that is the problem! They have to be protected to be of any good. Unless they are caged they will be predated upon.

    The Egyptians kept quail thousands of years ago. I believe the Biblical texts refer to the quail and perhaps hinted at their ability to seek water sources in caves. They come and go like an early morning mist. The "manna" of ancient times.

    I say keep a few quail on hand if they are native to your area. They are not the best permaculture animals but I can certainly imagine having a few quail for dinner when the next hurricane puts my fridge out of business.

    Here are my practical suggestions.

    1)Invest only a small part of your garden to quail.
    2)Seperate the laying females as soon as possible from the males. The laying hens are your best source of nutrition and should not have to compete with young males for the best foods. I have found some good simple cage plans on the net. I think I have the idea down. If you need more help let me know.
    3)Keep your laying hens in a cage with one (large amorous) male at a ration of 3 to one. I almost have this ratio now. If having fertile eggs is not a priority perhaps five to one? I am feeding all the birds Layena Chow. (laying mash) If you are not planning on breeding quail then I don't see the logic in continuing unless you really are fond of quail and want them for pets, or perhaps a greenhouse resident? Breeding quail is essential to their effeciency. Remember your quail are not tractors. They are not eating bugs or providing any "valuable" service to yoru garden like your chooks or ducks. They are freeloaders that only provide quail shit and a few small eggs.
    4)Keep the bachelor males in a seperate 4' X 4' (feet) by 12 inces high cage about 3 feet off the ground. Feed them the less expensive foods and use the guano as you see fit. The bachelor males should be consumed when they are full grown.

    All cages must be covered or in a barn.

    I did come across some government documents from WWII. I wish I had bookmarked them. Anyway the document stated that people were using up too many resources on their beloved quail and was recommending cheeper mixes for the quail diet. I suspect that having healthy prized quail was a status symbol in the US at one time. A sign of wealth and prosperity. Imagine walking down a plantation road and seeing many big fat quail sunning themselves on a weathered wooden fence as you hear the bird dogs and property owners preparing for the next quail hunt. It must have been quite a site!
     
  19. sunnyslopes

    sunnyslopes Junior Member

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    Re: backyard quail?

    Hello Susan, Not sure if you are still interested in quail in your backyard. I really don't want to do the chooks or anything that makes non native noises. I am sure my neighbors would be upset if I had a bunch of clucking birds in my yard. I kind of have to apologize after I reread my last respnse to your post. Gosh it was such a lame post. I mean it had some good info but man, we are permies and I could do a whole lot better. I'm not sure what sparked my reinterest in quail but your post was a help. Ok, here is the next itteration of my quail ideas. I will use my yard as an example since I don't know a whole lot about your situation. I will build a cage/tractor that will sit on the ground. About 4' X 8' about 2 feet tall. Here is the good part. The wire roof sections will be on hinges and will lift up for feeding and freshening up the cage. I will use the quail as a tractor but the vast majority of the forage will come from lawn clippings and mulch. This would bring my cost down to about zero. Possibly lower if I get paid to remove yard clipping from my neighbors yard. If this works out it could start a huge interest in quail and other poultry in my area. I will post the pics on google when I get the cage built.
     

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