SEVEN REASONS TO KEEP COTURNIX QUAIL

When my farm was a mere distant dream and I had nothing other than a backyard, I kept a lot of Coturnix quail. These birds are a fantastic addition to any farm or homestead. In addition, if you simply want to home rear a little food and maybe have some eggs without the stress of chickens, these birds can also be ideal. Despite now moving to our farm with over 40 acres, I continue to keep Coturnix quail, also called Japanese quail, because of the seven reasons listed below.

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EGGS

Quail eggs might come in super small packages but they punch with flavour. As you might expect, I love eggs - such a ubiquitous item but when you really study them they are really quite pretty. And with quail they are very beautiful. Covered in speckles and spots, they evolved to camouflage into the undergrowth where a hen might build her nest. But there is nothing quite like a little saucer of quail eggs on the counter - simply stunning.

I use them mostly in salads and as a snack here and there. But they are also a good seller, with many people craving them and buying them for a price point far higher than chicken eggs.

MEAT

Quails are small so there is not a lot of meat on them, but Coturnix are some of the best if you want to become a little self-sufficient in meat. Though pheasants and quail often have a gamey taste, I find that quail raised on your own land actually taste delicious. I find that four quail offers a good meal for two people with lots of vegetables, or you could even just have one each and really savour the taste. And where as raising chickens for the table can be difficult in many places around the world due to space requirements, welfare needs and local licensing rules, even if you only have space for a hutch, you can successfully raise quail.

QUICK TO MATURE

I like heritage chicken breeds for my farm but due to their slow-growing characteristics, it’s often a year before a cockerel is ready to eat. Not with quail! Coturnix quail grow astonishingly quickly, and you find that both hens and cockerels mature at just 8 - 10 weeks; that’s less than three months. It means that in under a quarter, you could have raised homegrown food for the table, be it eggs or meat.

Coturnix quail mature very quickly

SIMPLE BUTCHERY

Despatching and butchering birds isn’t for everyone and it’s a process that shouldn’t be taken lightly. At the end of the day, an animals life is being taken so it’s essential to respect that and understand the sacrifice. If you’re just starting out, butchering quail is really simple, very quick to do and hard to get wrong - meaning your novice status isn’t going to impact the birds’ welfare.

I despatch my quail with a sharp pair of scissors. It might sound brutal, but I place the bird in a bag, pop the scissors around the neck and cut off the head. Death is instant, it’s easy to do and there’s no worrying about whether you’ve done it properly as can often be the case with chickens and other poultry.

When it comes to the butchery part, though you could pluck a quail I honestly wouldn’t bother unless you have an automatic plucker. Instead, I skin them and gut them which only takes a couple of minutes per bird. It means you can go from your table ready quail to having the meat in the fridge in minutes with little mess and hardly any clearing up to do.

HARDY

Many people want to keep quail not for meat, but as pets and for the eggs and another good reason for raising them is their hardiness. In general, Coturnix quail chicks are fragile little things that like to drop dead easily. Sometimes they’ll drown themselves, get themselves wedged somewhere and I’ve even had babies drop down after a loud noise. However, once they’re adults, they are pretty indestructible!

If you’ve ever kept chickens you’ll know of the various hazards and illnesses that can plague them. Coturnix quail don’t seem to have any of these issues. They will happily live outside all year around provided they are given a draught-proof place to get out of the sun, wind and rain. I used to keep mine in an outside aviary and despite having multiple places to shelter, they would even sit out in the snow.

Chicks are fragile but adults are extremely hardy

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SMALL SPACE REQUIREMENT

Quail also need hardly any space. That is not to say you should try and keep them in as small a cage as possible; that isn’t right in terms of their welfare. However, you don’t need anywhere near the amount of room you would for a chicken coop and run, for example. In fact a small breeding group of quail can easily be kept in a rabbit hutch. In fact, this option is often best as it keeps them safe from predators.

LITTLE NOISE

Another huge benefit of quail is that they are quiet. Even chicken hens can be quite loud, especially if they’ve just laid an egg. And if you want to breed them or raise males for the table, then you need to be prepared for that crowing rooster.

Male quails do crow but it is a sound like no other and most people will not recognise it. I often think that cockerels crowing offends people so much not actually due to the sound but because of the connotations that come with it; a rooster crowing continuously at dawn and waking everyone up, for example. With quail, the vast majority of people won’t even know what it is. It is also fairly quiet and unlikely to upset people.

So those are my seven reasons to keep Coturnix quail. They are such a sweet bird that easily fits into your everyday life. This makes them perfect for those wanting a few homegrown eggs, maybe some meat for the table, and the pleasure of looking after a few poultry.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask below.