Kerala, India
The Japanese have cultivated them for centuries. Early American settlers referred to them as “Bible quail”. Contemporary homesteaders and urban farmers now call them Coturnix (derived from their scientific name, Coturnix coturnix). As someone with expertise in wildlife biology, agronomy, and urban farming, I strongly recommend quail to anyone interested in raising food animals in urban settings. Their compact size makes them perfectly suited for raising in a garage, basement, or outdoor deck space. Novices should begin with Coturnix quail. Six to eight of these birds can be housed within a square foot. An ideal starting number is 20 birds: 12 females and 8 males. The males exhibit polygamous behavior, meaning they will mate with multiple females. The suggested ratio of females to males is 2 to 1, though I typically include a few additional males to guarantee excellent fertility. These quail demonstrate exceptional disease resistance, commence laying at six weeks of age, and can be processed for consumption at four to five weeks of age. The meat is nutrient-dense and contains very low cholesterol levels. When dressed, the hens weigh approximately 4 to 5 1/2 ounces with males being slightly lighter. Eggs weigh roughly 1/3 ounce which represents about 8 percent of the hen’s body weight compared to three percent for chicken eggs. Once you’ve gained experience successfully raising Coturnix, the logical progression is to experiment with Eastern bobwhite. These are larger than Coturnix quail, require about 14-16 weeks to begin laying, and are monogamous. This means that females select their mates so you require equal numbers of both sexes. Their eggs are white and smaller than those from Coturnix. The other species available are some of the more ornamental varieties and are typically raised more for exhibition than for food production.
Legal Requirements
By regulation, anyone raising quail must obtain a game bird license from their regional department of Natural Resources as these birds are classified as wildlife. The license requirements vary by jurisdiction and are typically renewable annually.
Where to Find Helpful Information
Beginners should consider joining one or more game bird associations. As a member, you will receive monthly newsletters containing valuable information on various aspects of game bird breeding, discover names of breeders from whom you can obtain breeding stock or eggs for incubation, and access lists of suppliers for materials and equipment required for this pursuit. Numerous game bird associations exist across North America. Examples include the Canadian Ornamental Pheasant and Game Bird Association and the American Pheasant and Waterfowl Society. After joining, you can request a breeder’s directory containing comprehensive lists of all members’ names and addresses as well as details of the different species of game birds each member raises. By contacting these breeders, you can arrange to have either live birds or eggs for incubation shipped to your location. If you opt to start with birds, ask comprehensive questions from the game bird breeder to verify that he/she maintains disease-free stock and that males and females are unrelated. Hobby game bird breeders are not mandated to have their birds examined by a veterinarian and occasionally you may receive animals that are not in optimal condition, so exercise caution. Generally speaking though, most game bird breeders are reputable and will supply you with quality breeding stock.
The internet also contains extensive information on quail as referenced throughout this article.