Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Noisy Quail?  (Read 9423 times)

Clarebelle

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • Orkney
Noisy Quail?
« on: February 17, 2013, 08:03:29 am »
I have been researching the possibility of keeping quail in my backgarden. I currently keep rabbits for meat and the plan would be to keep the quail primarily for meat too with eggs being a great addition. I think we have room for them but as we have neighbours nearby the main issue would be noise.

I dont think the girlies will be a problem as, from what I've heard the cooing quail sounds lovely and we are regularly woken by hundreds of wild birds anyway! The trouble would be a crowing crockerel, I don't think my neightbours would appreciate that! I have read really contradictory information about whether the males do crow at all! Some sites seem to say they can be very loud, others that they crow very softly and to the other extreme, the Omlet website says they dont crow at all?

The other mixed report is whether they will brood their eggs successfully? Some people seem to think they will whereas the majority say they are lousey mothers. As we want meat birds and therefore a replenishing system, if they wont sit on eggs we would have to invest in incubation/brooding equipment and we just dont have the room for that so this issue may also be restrictive.

I don't know if these issues are breed related? We are looking at jumbo quail as they will be mostly meat birds.

Thank you for any experiences you guys can share!

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Noisy Quail?
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2013, 08:31:40 am »
We keep Japanese quail. The boys don't crow in the same way that a cockerel crows but have their own version of a "crow". It is a very different noise. I wouldn't say it is loud or unpleasant but it does "carry". If we walk down our lane you can hear the sound for quite a way. I suppose it depends on your neighbours  ??? . We collected a budgie a while ago from a breeder who lived in a residential, urban area. I would say that his budgies in their outdoor aviary made more noise than our quail. All relative I suppose.


None of our quail have ever gone "broody". I have read that it is rare to get a quail that will brood its own young. We hatch in an incubator. A friend of mine kept jumbo quail for a while. In fact they weren't much bigger than my japanese. Hers never went broody.


Be aware that the males are very aggressive and will kill each other. Would need to be separated from any hens as they reach maturity. Far more aggressive with each other than cockerels are .... in our experience.


Hope that helps.

little blue

  • Joined Jun 2009
  • Derbyshire
Re: Noisy Quail?
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2013, 10:14:43 am »
we have Japs,
the boys have a loud, piercing whistle, rather than a crow like a cockerel.  It definitely carries, but is more a short sharp noise than a continuous "dawn chorus" like wild birds make
We rarely hear them in the morning, but a light summer night they can go on a bit!
Little Blue

Clarebelle

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • Orkney
Re: Noisy Quail?
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2013, 03:21:54 pm »
I think we'll try and get to some country shows this year and try and have a look at some before taking the plunge. I think we will give incubation a go so it will be the noise factor which sways us I think! Thanks all for your input

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Noisy Quail?
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2013, 05:49:11 pm »
Should have said that they only crow in the spring and summer. Never hear mine at all in the autumn and winter.

Clarebelle

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • Orkney
Re: Noisy Quail?
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2013, 09:42:40 am »
I've decided to take the plunge with the quail, I'm going to try and get a second hand chicken eglu, one of the classic ones. Omlet do do a quail version but it only holds up to 6 quail and i was hoping to house a few more than that, maybe one cock and 4 females for eggs plus 4-6 birds for the table/freezer. Would the classic chicken eglu be big enough to house this many quail for those of you who have seen them, I've only ever seen pictures of the eglu.

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Noisy Quail?
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2013, 10:00:25 am »
I haven't seen the eglu but if it helps, I would think that you could keep say 10 quail in a coop that would hold 4 full sized chickens. If you are keeping the males please be aware that you must watch them closely as they reach maturity at about 5-6 weeks of age. They are vicious in our experience and even those hatched and reared together will fight until they seriously injure/kill each other. It happens very suddenly, with no trouble one minute and serious attacks the next. Probably best to have a small spare ark ready in addition to your main one. Far worse than cockerels. Had a female once that attacked a male repeatedly and had to be separated. They look very sweet but don't be fooled  ::)   ;D . We put in conifer branches, logs etc. and plenty of straw/hay in the shut in quarters. It says that if you can break their "run" with obstacles they are less likely to fight. They also love a dust bath.


Good book is "Keeping Quail" by Katie Thear. (If you haven't already found it).

Clarebelle

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • Orkney
Re: Noisy Quail?
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2013, 01:22:49 pm »
Thanks for that in the hills. The omlet web page says that the chicken classic holds 2-3 large chickens or 3-4 medium so I was hoping to fit at least 8 quail in. I think i'll at least get a little ark to seperate the males into. They will be for meat so can be culled at about 7 weeks anyway (i believe).

I did have one other point that I hadnt thought about before, am I right in saying that when you dispatch your birds at home the blood etc should be incinerated? If thats the case, how do people usual do it? Would a patio burner be ok? I'd be worried about the smell!?

 

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