[The_Hawthorne_Pack]

Quails should come with a warning notice!  Who knew that such little cute creatures could make SO MUCH NOISE!! I suppose Andy, (Randy Andy) our original male must have been the strong silent type or content with his two girls and no competition because I never heard him so much as squeak.  We were so thrilled at the thought of fertile eggs that we incubated some.  Unfortunately six out of seven were males and now they're coming up to maturity.  We put them in an outside pen at the weekend, and Lo! crowing males at ungodly hours.  As it is midsummer, there are more ungodly hours around, so crowing occurs at 2.30am, or more properly, doesn't stop at all!  Earlier this year my neighbours complained about the noise the chickens make (all hens, so just loud clucking) I am sure that the penetrating sound of a quail crow has not escaped their notice.  I lifted out the one I could see stretching up and crowing with all his tiny might, but as soon as I'd separated him, the others started!  can we harden our hearts and end up with miniature bodies in the freezer for a Christmas delicacy?

[Old Shep]

Worse still they may start fighting and they can be really nasty with each other.  I think they are happiest in trios, 1 male and 2 females, you may have to get another 12 females!

[The_Hawthorne_Pack]

we have another batch incubating now, hopefully there will be more females in that.  with our first trio, the females fought and we had to separate one for a while. I have read that in middle eastern countries quail fighting is a sport (!!!!).  We also did some research into whether temperature or humidity makes a difference to the sex of the developing embryo.

[bloomer]

Sounds like quail for supper...

[The_Hawthorne_Pack]

anyone got good recipes?

[john and helen]

  and i thought i had it bad with Rambo our cockerel at 5.30am 

[devonlady]

I love the sound of a quail's crow! Mind, I also love the sound of a cockerel's crow and a peacock's screech

[Fleecewife]

I love the sound of a Muscovy's quack (they don't have one)   

[The_Hawthorne_Pack]

It's a bit like having rowdy children and not being able to say "alright, quiet down now, time for bed."  One of them sounds just like it's shouting "Noisy Bird!"

[Lesley Silvester]

 

[Penninehillbilly]

sounds like torture! 
Could you throw a light proof cover over (a cage or box overnight)?
obviously they would need air so a couple of drainpipes under edge with outer ends shaded?

[nimbusllama]

I hatched some once.... only once because they took off like 'drones' whenever I went near them.... but they did taste good! 

[The_Hawthorne_Pack]

We did put a lightproof cover over them, PennineHillbilly,  but that didn't stop them.  Today I have had to kill the three noisiest.  The others all go silent and very still when they see me now!