Quails

[BDG]

You want Coturnix / Japanese Quail if you are going for meat, they are flighty buggers so you will want enclosed housing, make a covered run. Feed them on chicken layers pellets or mash once they are 5-6 weeks old, chick crumbs before that.

Easiest way to dispach is cut the head off with a pair of scisors at 6-8 weeks. Dont mess around plucking them, just skin them and put a bit of bacon over them.

Never seen quail themselves sold at the local auction, but see the eggs most weeks for hatching, also on ebay. You will need an incubator, I have got one coming this week but want to raise some new chickens, after that I might hatch you some quail if you buy the eggs.

You can stock them at quite a density, but aim for 6-8 females to the male other wise you get lots of fighting. They also jump up a lot when startled so the run should be high. I would keep them in more of an aviary than a chicken run, with that green nylon fine mesh along with wire mesh, somewhere that will not get muddy for them and housing they can get out of the wind in.

They are very decent feed converters.