Many people like to think that their ducklings can just be put near the creek or in the bathtub and will just swim and swim… like you see in the wild.
Mother ducks have an oil gland at the base of their tail, that they use to grease their feathers to make them water proof. She will also do this to her ducklings. The ducklings oil gland is not developed yet.
I have read recently that this is not true and that ducklings can take care of their own oil on their down.
However, the most frequent cause of duckling deaths is chilling after becoming wet. And although they can swim, they also tire very easily. This causes me to be more cautious and not allow the ducklings to swim until they have mot of their adult feathers.
If you want your baby to swim, provide a small pan with warm water, and an easy way for them to get in and out and quickly under a heat lamp.
By doing this, their oil gland will develop and they should be swimming by the time they are 6 – 7 weeks old!
If the duckling gets water logged, you may have to dry it with a hair dryer, or it could easily get chilled, and possibly die.
Surprisingly, ducks do not have to have a pond to swim in. They do well with a baby pool, trough or even a mud puddle after a rain. Muscovys seem to be the least interested in swimming. We raise an assortment of ducks here and do not have a pond. They will splash and play in their baby pool and then hop out and go about their business.
I love these ducks! They are quiet, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. Because they are so quiet I sometimes lose them, can’t hear them and then I worry as they are free ranged here. They can come and go as they please.
To make sure I can find them, we have a couple of Welsh Harlequins who announce wherever they are. 🙂
Another thing I love about the Muscovy is that they are not tied to the water bowl, or a swimming hole. They are quite content to
Another difference is they have long, sharp claws which are used to attach to tree branches at night when they roost. These claws can make a difference in how you carry a Muscovy…you don’t want to end with your blood on it’s claws!
Put your carrying arm over and around its body, pinning both wings in place and with your hand, take hold of one or both legs (depending on the size of the bird and the size of you) gently but firmly. Carry the bird backwards, like a football.
Muscovys eat a bit of everything – grass, slugs, bugs, flies, grain They are great for pest control. Be careful around your vegetable garden as your lettuce might suffer, but they are fine around less delicate and perennial crops. Muscovys make great pets, they socialize well with people as well as other pets such as dogs and cats. Muscovys are not great swimmers, so do not need a pond or large body of water. They are content with a pan.
Muscovys breed very easily, and before you know it you might have quite a few. If you do not want to eat them, then don’t let the girls go broody, and eat all the eggs instead. Muscovy ducks make fantastic mothers. Rainbow hatched out 13 eggs, which is pretty amazing as the girls aren’t all that big.
They will often fly up and roost, and are known more for flying around than flying away! Our first Muscovy, named Rainbow, did that within days of bringing her home. She flew off , much to my son’s dismay. But 3 days later she circled the homestead and came home. After that, we never worried when she took a notion to fly as she always came back. She also was an excellent mother, nesting somewhere and then bringing us the cutest little ducklings.
I am by no means an expert on raising rabbits. When someone asks my husband what breed we raise – he tells them “whatever colors look good”… I love the diversity of colors you can get, I love having lop eared bunnies, straight eared bunnies. I like the “assorted” bunny, and I love finding homes for my bunnies.
Our daughter, Bethany had her first bunny by the time she was 4 and she took serious care of it. Unfortunately, it was a single Large New Zealand female -which doesn’t always make the best pet. We found an adorable black and white dutch bunny for her, and she had Jasmine for quite a few years.
Spooky our cat and Jasmine our Dutch bunny in their bed together
Bunnies for pets are a lot of fun, a great pet to teach children responsibility, compassion, and empathy.
~ Rabbits can be raised anywhere ~ they fit easily into most family setting
~ Raising bunnies gives kids lots of options from a beginner’s pet project to a breeding project and perhaps in to a small business venture. ~Rabbits are a good sized animal for young children to work with. Young people are very capable of learning the skills necessary for a successful bunny project. ~ It doesn’t take a lot of money to get started with bunnies ~ This project fits in to most family budgets
Handling
*Being handled is a scary feeling for a bunny. If your bunny is frightened it will try to run away. Sometimes when you lift your bunny it will try to use it’s nails to grip the only surface it can feel: YOU.
This often results in being scratched.
REMEMBER to tell the kids that the bunny isn’t mad at you it is just scared. Start off by having the kids wear a long sleeved shirt.
*The bunnies here at High Lonesome are used to being held and are less likely to scratch, but if you drop your bunny one time, it will be frightened to be picked up after that.
This little bunny feels safe in my husband”s hands
Again, if you are handling the bunny gently, they will not panic
*The best way to pick up a bunny is to place one hand under it, just behind the front legs. Place your other hand under the animal’s rump. Hold the bunny next to your body with it’s head toward your elbow. If your bunny starts to struggle, drop to one knee. This lessons the distance the bunny will fall. Remember: even a quiet bunny can have a bad day. Be patient, and always let the bunny feel safe and secure in your arms.
Rabbits like to chew – itis natural and healthy for them to do so. Provide your bunny with something to chew: Hay, apple tree branch (not peach or apricot – they can be toxic), cotton cloth (as long as the bunny isn’t eating it)
HOUSING
Many people like to have their bunnies free-roam in their house with them. The bunny becomes part of the family. You need to bunny-proof the house – any cords within bunny reach WILL be chewed.
A simple puppy-pen that you can get at your local pet store is a great option. They are large enough to hold all of the essentials for a rabbit and give them room to roam. pens are easy to move when needed.
An excellent site to find out information on house bunnies is My House Rabbit
FEEDING *Feeding COMMERCIAL PELLETS is the easiest way to feed bunnies ~ there is no guessing. *If you want to try feeding your bunny less expensively you can try the HAY and GRAIN DIET: 2nd cutting alfalfa hay (70lbs) and a combination of rolled or ground oats, ground wheat, cracked corn, grain sorghum to equal 30 lbs. Feed 1 lb hay and 1/2 lb grain daily.
*These foods can be fed to bunnies: apples, barley, beets, blackberry bush, grass, carrots, corn, crabgrass, dandelion, dogwood, all grains, lettuce, milk, millet, oats, oranges, orchard grass, parsnips, peas, poplar, red top, root vegetables, sumac, sunflowers, sweet potato, timothy, turnip, vetch, wheat, willow.
DO NOT FEED: amaranth, arrow grass, bracken fern, buckeye, burdock, chinaberry, chokecherry leaves or pits, comfrey, foxglove, goldenrod, hemlock, horehound, jimson weed, johnson grass, larkspur, laurel, lima beans. lupine, milkweed, moldy bread, oak, pigweed, poppy, potato, swiss chard, tomato
LITTER BOX TRAINING *Bunnies can be litter box trained. They have an instinct to use the same place over and over. * Be sure to give your bunnies some toys to play with – an old phone book to rip up is a lot of fun, plastic rattles and keys are also a good choice.
This is our bunny George (as in “Curious George”).
The Rabbit House Society has an abundance of information on house bunnies and pets – from rabbit care, health, behavior, to grooming and traveling. They cover everything you need to know for raising a bunny
I have to say, right from the start that I am in love with ducks. I love hearing them quack, and I love their personalities. That’s what makes ducks much more fun than chickens. They love to come and hang out with you and are very curious in seeing what you are doing!
Ducklings are a great animal to start with. Whereas chicks grow into chickens quite quickly, ducklings take their time to mature. Which gives the kids a longer time to play and handle them. They greet you when you come by and will follow behind you. They are a friendly animal.
KHAKI-CAMPBELL
Khaki-Campbell: Strictly an egg-laying duck. They will lay 300 – 325 eggs a year! They continue through the winter. They will be good layers for 3 to 4 years. The females are seal-brown and the males are the same with touches of darker brown. They are excellent forages and withstand cool climates very well. They weigh about 4 1/2 pounds
Although Khaki’s are excellent egg layers, I do find them a little flighty and not as apt to be buddies with you, so if you want a calm, docile duck, Khaki’s may not be the one for you.
But if you are looking for eggs to eat or hatch out in an incubator (they don’t go broody) …this duck rivals any chicken!
WELSH HARLEQUIN
The Welsh Harlequin is a dual purpose duck. That means they are pretty good egg layers and are big enough for a meat bird. The Welsh Harlequin is a lightweight breed at 5-6 pounds. Harlequins are streamlined, with relatively long bodies. The color and patterning of the Harlequin is complicated. The drake’s head is greenish black, shoulders reddish chestnut frosted with white, and breast creamy with reddish-chestnut. The upper back has a tortoise effect in cream, white, brown, and chestnut while forewings are cream-white and reddish brown, with a shiny green and bronze cross-band. The tail is blackish/bronze edged in white, the legs and feet are orange, and toenails are brownish-black.
The duck has a creamy white head with brown stippling. Often there is a delicate light rust or burnt orange blush to her head, neck, and breast. The crown of the head typically has more brown stippling than the rest of the head. Her body is creamy white with buff and brown-green or bronze bands on her wings. Her tail is a mixture of creamy white and brown. Her legs are orange when young, and brown when older. Toenails are brownish-black. Welsh Harlequin duck and drake ducklings may exhibit a subtle sex-linked difference in bill color at birth.
Harlequins are primarily raised for their wonderful practical attributes. They are highly adaptable, and are outstanding layers producing 240-330 white shelled eggs yearly. They are active foragers, excellent producers of lean meat, beautifully colored and pluck almost as cleanly as white birds when dressed for meat.
There is a critical need for more conservation breeders of Harlequins. Their excellent laying ability, lean meat, and stunning plumage make them a great addition to any small farmstead or backyard producer’s flock. I find these ducks to be friendly and with a great personality. These are my favorite egg layers.
Another dual purpose duck. Drakes 8 pounds, and the hens are 7 pounds. Will lay 100-150 mostly white eggs with an occasional blue tint. They are very hardy ducks and good foragers. These attractive ducks are known for their blue color, and have a white bib that runs down the breast. The Black variety is black with a bib.
The Swedish is a medium sized bird that weighs between 6 1/2 and 8 pounds.
The Swedish matures fairly slowly and provides well-flavored meat. This special flavor may be attributed to the fact that the Swedish prefers to have an orchard or paddock in which it can forage, and grass and natural foods assist in the development of succulent flesh. In confinement they do not thrive as well. Some say they are less prone to predator attacks due to their coloring
Typically they have calm temperaments and make fine pets.
These ducks are similar to the wild Mallard duck in looks. With the beautiful green head. They are larger and unlike the Mallard, cannot fly, which is a trait I love!
Among the domestic ducks raised by French farmers several hundred years ago were some resembling large Mallards. Around 1800, these ducks reached England, where they were variously called “Rhone,” for an area in southwest France, “Rohan,” for a Catholic Cardinal, “Roan,” a mixture of colors, and finally “Rouen,” for a town in north central France.
Rouen ducks are one of my favorites because of the coloring. They are a friendly duck, waddling over to see if I’ve brought out any treats.
Although they don’t lay many eggs (35 – 150), these ducks are excellent meat birds. They can be procesed at 2 1/2 – 6 months of age.
One light drake can service 4 or 5 ducks. The ducks will lay 3+ years. THese ducks also do well in wooded areas, like ours, where a rugged duck with good urvival instincts are required.
They grow slowly, tend to stay close to home, and are kid friendly.
Chinese White Pekin
The most common is the Chinese White Pekin: A large all white breed that are disease and stress resistant, and one of the most popular breeds for a homestead as it is efficient for meat production. They grow very quickly and can be ready to process in a little as 7 weeks of age. Originally in China in ancient times. The drakes get to be 10 pounds and hens 9 pounds. One drake can service 3-5 ducks. They are not a foraging duck, and the females can be noisy. They are a good layer, and will lay 125 – 175 eggs a year! Although these birds dress out really well, with white feathers and white skin, they are a a bit high-strung and are poor setters. We do not raise them because we are interested in the ducks foraging trait, but Chinese do very well in a fenced area.
Our first surprise hatch. Rainbow disappeared and returned 35 days later with her baabies.
These are the ducks with the mask of red skin on their beaks. These are the carruncles on their faces which is more predominant in the males. They are somewhat warty looking. The males are large, weighing up to twelve pounds, with the smaller females reaching only seven. In females the carruncles aren’t as predominant, and the bright red dulls to a deep orange when they’re broody, right through to raising their ducklings. This is very obvious to the males to warn them to stay away!
Muscovies are not related to any other duck, in fact some believe they are descended from geese rather than ducks. in fact, hey are the only breed of duck that did not originate from the Mallard.
The meat of the Muscovy is unlike that of the other domestic ducks. the meat is dark and very lean . It is not greasy. To cook, slow roast to tenderize the meat as it can be tough on an older bird, and baste frequently as it is so lean
They’re quiet and friendly, they hunt flies (seriously), are very hardy, and produce fabulous eggs and the best duck meat ever.
Muscovy ducks are the quietest of ducks. They do not quack like a regular duck. Instead these guys nod their heads, wag their tails and have a gentle kind of hiss as a greeting.
Can you tell that the Muscovy Duck is a favorite of mine?
Duck Housing
HOUSING: By age 8 weeks, ducklings can do without shelter, except for shade from the sun, or from chilling rains and freezing weather. By the time they are adults, no housing is necessary at all! Some owners like to provide either a 3 sided shelter, or a totally enclosed shack. They will adapt to this, and enjoy being our of the wind, which they dislike. They do not lie to be confined in a building all the time. They will lay their eggs before 9 am and are a very habitual animal. If you lock them up every night they will return to their shelter on their own. If they are to be confined, they need 8″ of floor space and plenty of water.
We had a surprise winter storm in October… it didn’t wseem to phase these ducks. They dug around in the snow, and settled in to watch what I was doing.
WATER: Ducks need water to eat and not choke. Keep a water dish handy, large enough to dip their entire heads into. For young ducklings, a trough about 2″ deep and 1″ wide will work. They are VERY MESSY! and enjoy splashing around. Put a thick layer of wood shavings (never cedar as they can cause respiratory problems) on the floor.
DO NOT let the ducklings get totally wet and chilled. THIS COULD KILL THEM! If your duckling gets soaked, dry them with a towel and hair dryer. I’ve read different accouts saying that the mother duck coats the babies with a waterproof oil from her tail, and other’s say the ducklings have it themselves. Either way, a cold wet, soaked duckling can and will die. For this reason, we are very careful in the early weeks, t make sure they have water to drink, but not to soak themselves. Under supervision, in a sink or tub, they will have a lot of fun.
FEEDING: Ducklings should NOT be given medicated chick starter feed. Some medications for coccidiosis can cause death
Commercial Feeds: Ducks do best on crumbles, rather than mash. You can feed them ducking starter, turkey poult starter or gamebird starter. Ducks need a very low protein diet in order to avoid “angel wing” Angel wing is a condition where the last joint on the wing is distorted and causes the end feathers to stick out laterally – or sideways – instead of lying against the body like the wings should. If only one wing is affected, it’s typically the left wing for reasons unknown.
Switch to a lower protein diet after 3 weeks or so. 3-9 weeks: (15-17% protein). 9-20 weeks: (15% protein). 21 weeks – old age: (layer feed – 15% protein with added calcium).
You can also add the following ingredients to chicken layer feed to help your ducks get the nutrition they need: Brewers Yeast. This will give ducks niacin which helps with proper bone growth. Or: pure niacin powder goes in water. 1/8 tsp, is already 273 mg, in a gallon of water
Oats. Add raw, uncooked oats to the feed, gradually increasing to a 25% oat to 75% feed ratio. This will lower the amount of protein you are feeding your ducks. Protein is used in bone growth. If you lower the amount of protein in your ducks diet, their bones won’t grow as fast.
Homegrown Starter: This can make the duckling very messy and cause their feathers to matte, but if you watch them carefully and want to save money, this is the way to go… Breakfast: cooked oatmeal covered with a little water Lunch: Scrambled eggs covered with a little water Dinner: homemade whole wheat bread with water covering it. Chop up some tender greens such as onion tops, dandelion greens, and sprinkle on top of the water. Month-old: By 4 weeks, ducklings can forage for tender grass, clover, green leafy plants, insects, slugs, snails, weeds, berries, and seed. You can add to this: housescraps, milk, and hardboiled eggs.
Ducklings are fed all they will clean up three or four times daily for the first four weeks and then may be cut down to two feeds daily. Sand or grit, or both, must be kept before them at all times Ducks do eat some green feed and farm flocks are usually allowed to run at large. Cut green feed can be supplied to the birds when they must be kept inside in bad weather. DO NOT feed cracked or whole grains until they are at least 4 weeks old. Feed once in the evening, unless they are not able to forage, then feed twice a day.
Older ones get feeder fish in their pool, which is fun for them.
SWIMMING: Adult ducks do not need a pond to swim in, but a little baby pool with clean water will be readily enjoyed. We have raised ducks for many years without a pond to swim in. They get wet and splash about in troughs, muck buckets, and rain puddles!
Quail Eggs nutritional value is 3-4 times higher than that of chicken eggs. They contain 13% proteins while chicken eggs provide a bit more than 11%. Quail eggs provide five times as much iron and potassium as chicken eggs. They also are richer in phosphorus and calcium. Quail eggs do not have “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and are very rich in “good” (HDL) cholesterol.
Quail eggs are a beautiful color. As ground layers, this makes it easy to camouflage.
There are many health benefits of Quail eggs. Here is a quick look at those benefits:
~ kid friendly: bite-sized quail eggs are ideal for controlling infections and inflammations leading to asthma, allergies, eczema and psoriasis.
~ remedy against digestive tract disorders such as gastritis, stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer.
~ can help cure anemia increasing hemoglobin level and remove toxins and heavy metals from blood.
~ can help in the treatment of tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, diabetes and vegetative-vascular dystonia.
~ have strong anticancer effects and may help inhibit cancerous growth.
~ help eliminate and remove stones from liver, kidneys and gallbladder.
~ may accelerate recuperation after blood stroke and help strengthen heart muscle.
~ powerful stimulant of sexual potency. They nourish the prostrate gland with useful substances, phosphorus, proteins and vitamins and therefore help restore sexual potency in men.
~ promote good memory, enhance brain activity and regulate the nervous system.
~ also strengthen the immune system slow down aging of organs and increase the life span; improve skin color and strengthen hair making it shiny and voluminous. That’s why quail eggs are used for facial and hair care masks.
HARD BOILED EGGS : Place quail eggs in a pot of cold water. Place on heat source (on medium, not high) and bring to a boil. Boil about 30 seconds, drench them in cold water and place in the refrigerator.
Some people add a pinch of salt – this is in case an egg cracks and you don’t want a mess. We have never had an egg crack during this process, so we do not use salt in the water.
Another thought is to add a pinch of baking soda to the water which helps with the peeling. We have found the easiest eggs to peel are the eggs that are one week old before cooking, and forego the baking soda.
Place in cold water or refrigerator until very cold before peeling.
Serving suggestions: Dip in sea salt; coat with lemon mayonnaise then serve on salad; dip in favorite salad dressing; heat in cheese sauce; sprinkle with cheese and brown under broiler; heat in curry sauce and serve with rice.
We just drop them into our salads.
DEVILED EGGS
The deviled quail egg is the perfect bite
6 quail eggs
1 teaspoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon mustard (Dijon or yellow)
Rinse the eggs under warm water. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and peel. Pat dry.
Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks with a very small spoon into a bowl; mash. Mix with mayonnaise, mustard.
Carefully fill the whites with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and arrange on a pretty plate or decorative cocktail tray.
Deviled eggs on my grandmother’s antique dishes
VINEGAR SHELLING
Shells can also be dissolved by placing in full-strength vinegar for about 12 hours, agitating every several hours. First the spots dissolve in bubbles and float to the top
The rest of the shell dissolves. This leaves the egg enclosed in the membrane. There is an air bubble at the large end of the egg, break it and pull off the membrane.
This leaves delicious, lightly pickled egg.
PICKLED QUAIL EGGS
5 dozen peeled hard-boiled eggs
pickling solution:
2 pints white vinegar
1 pint water (less for tangy eggs)
2 Tbsp. salt
1 medium chopped onion
1 ounce pickling spice (2 ounces for spicy eggs)
Bring pickling solution to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Let cool and strain. Place eggs in sterilized quart canning jar. Cover eggs with cooled solution. For best flavor, let eggs soak in solution in the refrigerator for at least three days.
EASY PICKLED EGGS
Peel the shell from your hard boiled eggs. in left-over pickled beet juice (for pink eggs). Banana pepper juice, hot pepper juice.
Quail eggs take about 36 hours in any pickled juice, before they are pickled. Quick and easy!
BRINE EGGS
Hard-boiled quail eggs in shell
Brine solution: 2 ounces salt per pint of water
Place eggs in sterilized canning jar with shells still on and cover with brine solution.
EGG RECIPES
KINGS BREAKFAST
Bake slices of prosciutto (or ham) in muffin tins with a raw quail egg inside until the whites are firm.
EGG FRITTATA
(It takes about 5-7 quail eggs per large chicken egg.)
(12 eggs and 1 chicken egg for comparison)
Crack 12 quail eggs
Add a small amount of liquid – about 1/4 cup (milk, water, broth)
Beat together.
HEAT butter in 6 to 8-inch nonstick omelet pan or skillet over medium heat until melted. I use one of my cast iron skillets.
POUR IN egg mixture; cook over low to medium heat until eggs are almost set, about 8 to 10 minutes.
If you want to add a filling – left over vegetables. cheese, meat.
REMOVE from heat. Cover and let stand until eggs are completely set and no visible liquid egg remains, 5 to 10 minutes.
POACHED QUAIL EGG
Fill the medium saucepan three-fourths full of water and set on heat to boil. Allow water to come to full rolling boil.
Begin to stir the water around clockwise with the metal spoon, while the water is still boiling, grab the first few quail eggs, break them one at a time and drop them carefully into the swirling water. Reduce the heat to medium heat and watch the eggs turn opaque. They will be done when this occurs.
Poached quail eggs taste delicious on top of all sorts of dishes: Eggs Benedict, Watercress Salad, Bacon and Eggs
Chef Anne Hart owner of Provence Market Restaurant in Bridgeport, WV, used our quail eggs to top her prize winning appetizer for the Cast Iron Cook-off at the world famous Greenbrier Resort
Lavender Orpingtons and an Ayam Cemani chick in the first brooder
Before you decide to keep chickens, be sure to check with the local zoning laws. Many towns are now allowing chickens to be raised, with some stipulations as to how many you can have, and whether a rooster is allowed (most probably wouldn’t let you have roosters) But have no fear… you can have eggs without the rooster (he is only needed to fertilize the egg).
So where do you get chicks? To start off, check your local feed store (Southern States, Tractor Supply Company) they usually have a “Chick Days’ where they will have live chicks in the store. This usually only happens in the Spring around Easter. Rural King offers chicks practically year round The feed store may also know of some farmers that hatch out their own and are selling them. We sell our and advertise in a local paper. Many places are using Craigslist also.
If you are starting bigger, check out the poultry hatcheries such as Strombergs, Ideal, Cackle. You have to order 25 or more. There is a site called My Pet Chicken and they will sell just a few chicks (you need to buy a minimum of 3). Chicks are susceptible to cold, so the more chicks sent the easier to keep warm.
You will need to keep the chicks warm, so start them out in a small “brooder”. A brooder is a box of some type that has pine shavings for bedding, and a heat lamp. We add screen on top to keep unwanted cats from having a “happy meal” when we aren’t looking. We have had wooden boxes that hubby, Jim, has built, and plastic bins from Walmart. Something to keep them contained and without drafts, because they need heat. You can obtain a heat lamp from Lowes, Tractor Supply, etc. In a smaller bin, a 60 watt light may be warm enough if the bin is in the house and away from drafts.
When we were living without electricity, we heated a large pot with hot water, wrapped it in towels and put it in with the chicks. They huddled close for warmth. You will know if it is too hot for them as they will be spread out all over the bin trying to get away from the heat. If they are huddled close to the light, they are too chilly. If they pile on one another, the ones on the bottom could get smothered.
Comfortably warm chicks
Chicks need to eat medicated chick starter. (Do not give this to any ducklings you may come home with, as it could kill them). Do not give them wild bird seed, or anything other than the medicated chick starter. As they get older you can give them table scraps, greens… just about anything. Chickens will eat everything with relish except citrus and onions.
Water is essential. Get a waterer specifically for chicks so they won’t walk in it, or dirty it up.
Quail has been eaten through out history, and is called the Food of Kings.
We raise quail for meat, because we like to live like kings! So we processed 65 quail the other day.
Quail are the easiest and fastest growing meat. It take 8 weeks from hatch to the bird laying eggs.
Add 4 more weeks, and you have a tasty morsel.
They take up less space than chickens, and provide eggs and meat, just like chickens. It just takes more eggs, or meat to make a meal! 🙂
You process quail the same as chicken.
We put them head down in a cone, and Jim quickly slits their carotid artery. After the birds bleed out, Jim cuts off the heads and feet and skins them
Then it is my turn.
Using scissors, I cut up both sides of the backbone. Grabbing the neck, pull the backbone out.
This gives me easy access to the innards. Quail are small, and it is hard to get your fingers inside, so we have found this to be the easiest way. After the innards are taken out, get rid of the gallbladder and save the liver and heart – these are wonderful extras, although it does take a lot to make a meal. But if you like chicken livers, these are a sweet delicacy.
Then go back in and scrape out the light pink lungs.
Rinse the bird. Place in a pot of cold water and set in the refrigerator for 24 – 36 hours. This helps the muscles relax and more tender.
The best way to cook quail is similar to homegrown chicken – slow and low.
Quail are an ideal bird to raise.They are easy, take up very little space and provide meat and eggs in a very short time. Quail start laying eggs at about 8 weeks old. If you want the meat, by 8 – 12 weeks they are ready to be processed.
In the 6 – 8 months for a chicken to provide the first egg, a quail would have laid anywhere from 180 to 240 eggs. It takes about 5 – 7 quail eggs to equal 1 chicken egg… So, while you wait for your chicken eggs, you can enjoy quail eggs on their own, or in your favorite dishes.
Day old quail are about the size of a bumble bee.
They will need to be in a draft free container with heat, food and water. Be sure to have a screen on top (unlike the picture) as it won’t take long for the feathers to grow in and they will be flying out.
As they grow, they will need to be put in larger brooders. We have ours in the barn, with added heat, then they progress to the larger brooder without added heat…
… until they are all feathered out and ready for the large grow-out pens.
MEAT BIRDS:
5×8 are acceptable pens – which equal 1 sq. foot per bird, minimum. Bigger is better, of course. Our pens are 6×10, 7×10 and 8×10
Our growout pens feeders
EGG LAYERS:
Because the birds do fly, they are usually not free-ranged. They are also a favorite food of many predators: raccoon, skunks, rats, foxes, coyote to name a few. So, we keep our quail egg layers in pens in an enclosed, heated room in our barn.
To protect them from their flighty nature, we keep them in cages that are 3′ long, 12′ high and 16″ deep.
They are fed in cans placed outside the pens and are watered daily.
The wire floor is extended beyond the cage, which catches the eggs and rolls them to the front.
To add to the enrichment of our birds, we provide a weekly dust bath. We use chinchilla dust.
We also add to their nutrition by giving them greens – grasses and clover.
