Courtnix quail.

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Anyone raise these? We're planning on trying to raise some quail this next year. Basically one big DIY project. I've been collecting wood and have my frame built for my quail cages. Incubator box is built, but need to add fixtures, thermostat and a fan. Egg turner is also going to be a DIY project. But I have till next spring to get it all wrapped up. Just wondering what other experience's were with these quail or any other quail.

[nytrapper23]

Sog I have raised both these and still raise bobwhites. They are very easy to raise and great layers . One thing I would do is use a food dish with a cover that only allows them to get their head in . For a small bird they can make one hell of a mess with their feed.

You raising them for meat or just hobby?

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Meat an eggs, but like I said, just looking into it right now. In the process of building a incubator right now. An a coup/cage. This is an attempt to try an add more protein for the house, meat an eggs. The city I live in has a ban against chickens, but not quail. I have a small yard, 1/8 of an acre, so quail would fit right in nicely.

Seeing all the different kinds of quail you can raise, I want to try first incubating eggs, then raising the birds, once we have success with that, we will try different kinds of birds.

Been researching this a lot, every thing I've read on Bobwhites, says the are aggressive, one article even said they will bite the tar out of you, not a good match for me, because if one bite me, you know what were having for dinner that night.

One big problem I have around here is critters, they're fricking unstoppable, coons in the storm drains, possums, I don't where they come from, but dam they are big around here. An cats, I freaking hate the cats around here. The wife has cats, and I'm good with them, but the feral ones outside of the house are insane. Humane society, animal shelters, don't want them, or they want me to pay them to take them. I was in an all out war against the critters here, I LOST.... Oh did I mention my peach tree, It gets a ton of fruit on it, but I have never been able to eat a peach from my own tree, squirrels and woodchucks eat them up while they are still green, the wife loves to see the chucks climb the tree and sit there and eat my peaches, she thinks funny, I don't.

This years plans on a garden fell through, so this next year I'm wanting to step it up, Trying to create more of a homestead atmosphere, or at least help knock down our grocery bill, some what. But a lot has to transpire between now and then.

A lot of DIY incubator set up is coming from You Tube, (Rush Lane Poultry), I'm just putting my own twist on it. With this project, I'm in no rush, trying to do it, as (Free) as possible. and keep my expense down.

Do you sell any of your birds or eggs? Wonder what kind of market there is for them.? Who knows might be able to bring some out for the next swamp bash.

[nytrapper23]

First off bobwhites are very aggressive , they are ok over the winter but come spring watch out . My male bobwhite will chase my male pheasant around and he is 5x his size . I just raise those to release.

Courtnix or Japanese quail are much easier to raise , and they have different varieties meat and egg birds.

I have a homemade incubator made out of an old double door TV set that my old science teacher made , he gave it to my dad and he gave it to me . I will get some pics for you .

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Do you turn your eggs yourself or do you have a turner

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Do you turn your eggs yourself or do you have a turner

[nytrapper23]

I use to turn by hand but came up with a method that seems to work just as well , I will show you in the pics when I get them.

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Wade not to bombard you with questions, but I've seen quail hutch's or cages that have cubby's for the birds to go into. Is this important, my plan was to keep a few through winter, an in the spring collecting eggs to incubate again. I may bring them in side the garage for winter, my cages will have a roof over them but I wasn't planning on building them a cubby to go into. Just have been wondering what you thought, there's so much crap on youtube everyone's different, would rather talk to some one I know an get their opinion, than watch you tube.

Have tried the tilted floor deal so the eggs roll down into a catch, so the birds don't break them? Get to this when you can, I know a busy guy, an I'm miles from being ready for any birds.

Thanks bro..

[nytrapper23]

Not a problem sog, if you were keeping them outside all winter I would say they need the cubby . When I had courtnix they were in a all wire cage kept in my barn and they did fine . My bobwhites now go in the same cage for winter. Now when it gets nasty cold like last winter I do hang a heat lamp above the cage , be careful when you do this don't put it to close , you don't want it 90 degrees . A little tip I use I hang the light just high enough and on the end away from the food and water this kinda makes them move to the food instead of just hanging under the light . And the water in the dish still freezes. To me if the water is staying thawed out your lights to close . I only ever even use the light if it's really cold .

[nytrapper23]

Here's my incubator sog.

The inside , 4 trays . They will hold about 30 pheasant eggs each.


Here are the slats I put in the bottom of the trays. These are cut to hold pheasant eggs , your slots would have to be smaller. I have a wire stapled to the slat with a hole drilled in the tray , just pull the wire and the slat rolls the eggs , the next time you push the wire . Just make sure you cut the slat short enough so your eggs will roll 180 degrees.

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I like the idea with the egg turner, I was wondering how I was going to do this, seeing how I am already in the process of building the incubator. I was thinking about buying a motor and creating an automatic turner, but that defeats my main purpose of trying to do this as free as possible. Looking at your innards of the rig, Do you have just one light bulb, I have been wondering about this, like I said youtube is full of designs some run 2 bulbs, what's the wattage on your bulb? I also picked up an upper water heater thermostat, looks like you have a wafer wheel thermostat, I can't find these anywhere around me. Was wondering what the difference is between the two, I'm looking for dependable. Also looks like you have a heater coil of some kind? A fan for forced air and water cup for humidity, how do you monitor your temp an humidity? Thanks for showing me the rig, it's getting the gears in my head rolling again. I really like projects like these, as long as I can get it to work. Like I said thanks for the idea's. Still working one my first cage, hutch, or whatever they are called, almost done with the framing of the first one and I'm hunting down more wood, hardest thing to get is ply wood, but so far every thing I have built was 100% free even the nails.




 Hoping to finish this one in the week or, it still needs some work, but daylight is getting short by the time I get home, so I have an hour or so when I get home, pulling out the saw an horses, drinking a beer or two and my time gets real short. Sure would love to find some hardware cloth. Looking to build two of these, it 2'4" wide, 6' long. Was going to make 4 different sections, but have decided to just keep it at it is with 2 sections and a cubby for the birds in each one. Hardware cloth floors, except for in the cubbies, and some trays to collect the crap and so the birds on top don't crap one the ones below. Trying to get this one done here soon so I can at least give it a shot of primer, its going to be Barn red with white trim. 

[nytrapper23]

That looks great sog , it's a 40 watt bulb , the only thing that bulb does is it comes on when it's heating up , so when I open the door it comes on , helps you see what your doing . I have a pan of water in the bottom , and really just have a cheap temp , humidity gauge but once it's set don't mess with it much . There are vents in the side I can open and close . On the side by the wafer there is a bolt with a wing nut on it its hooked to the wafer and you just turn this in or out to adjust the temp .

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Up date on my hutch, Well I didn't finish it but it's closer.

[farmertrappe]

Looking good, keep at it. Quail its whats for dinner next year.

[trapperbud]

Looks good .