Raising Quail

"The song-birds leave us at the summer's close, Only the empty nests are left behind. And pipings of the quail among the sheaves. "
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Harvest Moon


It only seemed appropriate to begin with a quote from a distant relative of my wife and children as it is true summer is preparing for its final performance of this quickly fading season.

Recently I was presented with the opportunity to add a few quail to our homestead. I have been eager to add these timid birds to Bossy Hen for sometime.

To begin with the hens are extremely quiet which is a glaringly obvious benefit for those of us that are urban farming. The males do make a soft cooing noise that I have found very calming but in an effort to be neighborly I only took home a few females who are virtually without sound.

Another considerable benefit is the amount of space or lack thereof that is required to house quail. Though we provide far more room than recommended one only needs to accommodate their birds with one square foot of living space. Quail are also prolific egg layers. They typically begin laying eggs when eight weeks old and can lay up to nearly 300 a year. It is worth noting that their eggs are on the small side and it takes about four quail egg to equal the size of one chicken egg. There is far more yolk in the egg of the small game bird as well.

As I have mentioned in the past my family of six lives in a high poverty area so we are constantly attempting to supplement our food bill with healthy options right from our own yard. Now before I start with the benefits I should say I have read that quail eggs are higher than chicken eggs in cholesterol and I have read that they are not and can even help lower cholesterol. I will let you decide that one for yourself. With that said one tiny quail egg has nearly six times the Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) than a much larger chicken egg does. B2, which helps maintain body tissue, is fifteen times higher in a quail egg. These little powerhouses contain more Vitamin A, D and calcium than your Rhode Island Red just to name a few. They are also full of iron. Another fantastic benefit of these miniature eggs is that they are a source of the heart healthy Omega-3's. It is also believed that individuals suffering from respiratory ailments and diseases can benefit from adding these eggs to their diet.

Of course they are considered a bit of a delicacy themselves. I have been cutting back on my intake of meat over the last year but for those of you who enjoy animal protein something certainly worth considering.

If you do decide to use your animals droppings for fertilizer, which I do recommend, just make sure to compost it over winter because it is similar to chicken droppings in that it is a "hot" manure and will burn your plants otherwise. 

I do want to mention that quail are considered a domestic game bird so Big Brother wants to make sure they get their cut. Be sure to check into the laws in your state just to cover your back.

You can also find the work of Tobias Whitaker at Mother Earth News, Grit Magazine and on Facebook. Be sure to see what he is up to on Instagram

All photographs by Tobias Whitaker unless noted.