Trinity Ridge Farms

Why Jumbo Coturnix Quail?

Coturnix quail are such a wonderful bird to have on your farm. They are incredibly hardy, prolific, and fast growing. They are very gentle and tame birds, much like a chicken, and they require very little maintenance. It began as a hobby for us and we have now begun to market these wonderful little birds as breeding pairs and the occasional table fare.

Management

Our breeding stock has a pen that consists of a 100 sq. ft. enclosure with natural light, vegetation, rocks and wood perches, and dust bathing areas. The pen is kept dry and protected from the wind. We feed our quail commercial game bird feed with 20% protein or more.

Breeding and Chicks!

We collect their eggs daily year round and incubate their eggs in incubators. Eggs are normally white in color with a more pointed end than normal chicken eggs. Day old chicks are very active and find their food and water quickly. Chicks in brooders are provided fresh water and commercial feed with 28% protein. Chicks are kept in pens under heat lamps for 4 weeks. They are hatched with the temperature at 100 degrees and then we lower the temperature by five degrees each week until it's at 80 degrees. After four weeks of age the quail are put in large fenced areas so they can free range and live in a natural environment. Free choice water and food is still always provided.

Breed Description

There is a great deal of confusion about the origin of Coturnix quail as we know them today, so it is appropriate to consider how their development took place. Part of the confusion undoubtedly lies in the fact that there are so many different local names, as well as old scientific names now replaced by modern classifications. The Jumbo Coturnix Quail are originally based on the Common quail, Coturnix coturnix, the wild migratory bird of Europe, Asia and Africa. The Jumbo Coturnix is known by many names, pharaoh quail, bible quail and jumbo brown being the most common. This variety of the quail species originated in Japan but has become popular all over the world because they are such calm easy birds to raise.

The earliest written record about the quail dates to around the 12th century Japan. Quail were being kept and raised for the beautiful calls. It would be the claims of a Japanese emperor that would spur the widespread interest in quail meat and eggs when he claimed he was healed from tuberculosis by consuming quail. Very soon, Jumbo Coturnix quail were being raised all over Asia.

The male Coturnix grows to around 6.5in, while the female is slightly larger at an average of 7.5in. Both sexes have dappled dark brown buff and cream striated backs, paler underbellies, breast and flanks. In the female, the markings are less pronounced, while the male's chest is reddish brown. This particular feature enables sex identification to take place from 3 weeks of age. Before then, it is difficult to do so. In both sexes there is a distinctive light stripe above the eye, and a white collar, although this may be diminished in the female. The beak is yellow-brown to dark olive-brown, the legs pinkish yellow and the eyes dark brown. This description refers to the normal Coturnix laying quail. There are also varieties that differ in color and markings.

In the wild, these quail live in grasslands and build their nests on the ground, a situation many breeders try to imitate for the best laying results. Left to their own devices the mother quail sits on her eggs and tends to the warmth and care of her chicks, a job they do quite well. Whether you are interested in song, food or sport the jumbo Coturnix quail is a wonderful species that can provide all three.