Monday, October 6, 2008

Our Texas A&M Quail are here!!



My buddy and myself drove to Gates, TN last Friday, and bought 36 Texas A&M quail. We met a very nice lady that was offering quail and quail eggs for sale on the Back Yard Chickens Fourm. We had a great time and actually arrived back home with all the birds safe and sound. I know the picture is not the best, but the cage is a tad on the tall side. Saturday after we built a cage stand, we were just kinda standing there and one of them let out a real loud call. It sounded like a real fast "treep treep treep treep". When it did one of the oldest females just exploded straight up and hit the top of the cage and committed suicide! She broke her neck. So since then we have been calling them popcorn. I swear they look just like big kernels of popcorn popping when the jump up like that. We are in the process of building new cages that are shorter and putting nylon netting on the top. I put a feed sack on the top in the meantime and we haven't suffered any more losses.
We got the quail for meat and eggs, I just didn't know meat was going to come first! I dressed out the one that killed herself, and she dressed out nice. The sad thing was when I dressed her she had a fully developed egg. We have gotten six eggs as of this evening and as they mature more the younger ones should begin laying soon.
I plan on posting updates weekly on or raising strategies and posting egg counts.
Y'ALL COME BACK!
Brad

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