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Are you looking for eggs? young birds? or flight ready/hunt ready?
I got my Jumbo Coturnix today. Man are these things cool. I am just learning at this stage but so far so good!
I got my Jumbo Coturnix today. Man are these things cool. I am just learning at this stage but so far so good!
Where did you get them?
you have a cock too? Thought I counted 7. Yes 2M 6F
Planning on expanding the covey? Maybe
How long before they start laying? They can lay at 5-7 weeks old. They will start when they have 14hours of light for 2 weeks. Artificial light is ok. Some people use Christmas lights on a timer to keep them going.
When does production slow down? Year 2, 3? Yes around then. So I will hatch every few years and eat the old ones.
... At what point do you turn your layer into a meat bird? see above
Also the poop is the best stuff for your lawn. They also can eat table scraps, fruit etc. just try to keep protein around 26%-30% (game feed).
Very cool.
How old are they? At what age do they start laying?
That is a heavy protein mix at 26%+, most game bird feeds are 20% +/- 2%. Maybe quail are different but I doubt you need such a high protein level.
WHY QUAIL EGG IS IMPORTANT
Quail eggs are packed with vitamins and minerals. Even with their small size, their nutritional value is three to four times greater than chicken eggs. Quail eggs contain 13 percent proteins compared to 11 percent in chicken eggs. Quail eggs also contain 140 percent of vitamin B1 compared to 50 percent in chicken eggs. In addition, quail eggs provide five times as much iron and potassium. Unlike chicken eggs, quail eggs have not been know to cause allergies or diathesis. Actually they help fight allergy symptoms due to the ovomucoid protein they contain.
Regular consumption of quail eggs helps fight against many diseases. They are a natural combatant against digestive tract disorders such as stomach ulcers. Quail eggs strengthen the immune system, promote memory health, increase brain activity and stabilize the nervous system. They help with anemia by increasing the level of hemoglobin in the body while removing toxins and heavy metals. The Chinese use quail eggs to help treat tuberculosis, asthma, and even diabetes. If you are a sufferer of kidney, liver, or gallbladder stones quail eggs can help prevent and remove these types of stones.
$63 a bag?! that 30% stuff just lasts until 8 weeks right? Then you can switch to lower protein? The 20% stuff we feed our pheasants is $13.50/50 lbs so hopefully you can find more affordable feed. Also, you should check our Mississippi State's poultry info:
http://msucares.com/poultry/game/index.html
They are a very good resource. They focus more on bobwhite's but I am sure most of the info is not species' specific and can be applied to most quail.
Table 1 -- RECOMMENDED NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS - Mississippi State University website
Diet Protein(%) Calcium(%) Phosphorus(%)
Bobwhite Quail
Meat-type
Starter (0 - 6 wk) 23.0 1.0 .50
Finisher (6 wk - mkt) 19.0 .90 .50
Flight
Starter (0 - 6 wk) 26.0 1.0 .50
Developer (6 - 16 wk) 22.0 .90 .50
Breeders
Starter (0 - 6 wk) 26.0 1.0 .50
Developer (6 - 20 wk) 18.0 1.0 .50
Layer (20 wk +) 19.0 2.75 .65
Coturnix (Pharaoh) Quail
Starter (0 - 6 wk ) 24.0 .85 .60
Finisher (6 wk - mkt) 18.0 .65 .50
Layer (6 wk +) 18.0 2.75 .65
you might want to look at 20% protein feed and try to add a calcium supplement. I know a lot of people think BYC is the only source, but MSU is one of 6 schools that still offers a poultry science degree. I would put more weight on their advice than others. Yes you can feed them higher protein and they will be fine, but you can save a lot of money and be no worse off. Either way, they are really cool little birds and enjoy them.
Craigslist. I had to go to Bristol RI. I was thinking if people are interested we can get an incubator and we can hatch a bunch. I might do some meat birds for the cookouts, and the eggs are much healthier than chicken eggs. A hen will lay about 300 eggs a year and I have 6 of them.