Coturnix Quail Anyone?

[frustratedearthmother]

Guess what we had for dinner? I weighed a couple before I breaded for frying. Weighed one of the bigger ones before breading and frying and it was 4.6 ounces. The other two were about 4.2 ounces. The bones are petty tiny so a lot of that is meat.

Next batch I do will be stuffed with (maybe) jalapeno sausage and wrapped in bacon...after that I'll do some with a soy sauce/orange juice/hone marinade. I need to butcher more!

 

[Britesea]

Gizzards are generally the place you'd find pebbles and such to help grind the feed. I cut them open, clean 'em out and peel off the thick lining inside.

"Bird gizzards are lined with a tough layer made of koilin, a keratinous material of 90% protein and 10% fat, to protect the muscles in the gizzard

That lining also contains a substantial amount of pepsin. I dry and pulverize it and put into capsules for stomach upset.

 

[tortoise]

I want to! I cant have Bobwhite quail without a license, but Coturnix are not regulated.

Can you tell me more about cage requirements?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Just came across a farm that ships quail eggs.
B & D Game Farm - Home (bdfarm.com)

25 eggs for $25.00 includes shipping
50 for $34.00 incudes shipping
100 shipped eggs for $53.00 includes shipping


Murray McMurray sells day old chicks
Murray McMurray Hatchery - Assorted Coturnix Quail

Hope somebody will join me in raising these cool little birds.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I skin. I use a pair of shears to be-head them, clip off the wings, the feet and then peel the skin off and scoop out the innards. Literally a couple of minutes and they're done! So fast and easy and really, really tasty.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Broke down and ordered a new incubator. I don't get a lot of quail eggs yet - but I'm collecting them anyway. I really don't enjoy trying to incubate small amounts of eggs because it would just be my luck to hatch ONE little bird.

 

[Britesea]

We have a fairly large population of Valley Quail that wander through our property daily. They belly up to the bar when we feed the chickens and only occasionally get chased off.

 

[FarmerJamie]

I like it fried - thanks @baymule for that suggestion. But, I really enjoy it wrapped in bacon and doused with a sweet/hot sauce. It dries out quickly so you have to keep that in mind when cooking it.

That. Yes, it was dry. Do you ship cross-country?

 

[tortoise]

Forgot to add that I spent another half-hour cleaning some guts. Tiny little things, but tasty. Liver is easy enough and doesn't require much work, heart isn't much bigger than a raisin, gizzards are about the size of a plump grape. A lot of work for a tiny reward - but oh so yummy!

That sounds like a way I could eat organs. Tiny, no chewing required.

 

[baymule]

I was hoping you would post a photo! Thanks!

I still want to try quail and still havent done anything about it. Murray McMurray sells them by 100 count, which is way more than I want.

Raise them, then butcher the ones you don't want.