Day Old Texas A&M Quail Chicks
Hatching May to September.
Texas A and M Quail are a large breed. They are the result of selectively bred quail and are bred especially for meat production. Texas A&M quail produce a light-skinned, light meat quail. It takes 8 weeks to bring them to butcher weight, which is about 10-14 oz birds. They are very easy to clean.
The meat of Texas A & M Quail is light and tender and is ready to butcher at approximately eight weeks. Quail hens begin laying eggs very early in life, and the eggs are delicious and highly nutritious. One of the biggest reasons to choose quail is because even a city-dweller can have quail. Quail males are acceptable, as they don't make quite the racket a rooster does. Your day-old baby quail chicks will be shipped via the U.S.Postal Service, ready for your prepared brooder.
Housing Requirements: The baby chicks need a covered, ventilated brooder. This can be inexpensively purchased, or one can be fashioned out of a box. Any container that is large enough to house chicks and protect them from drafts will be fine. The easiest bedding is to simply lay a towel on the bottom. They will need a heat lamp with a red bulb as chicks are unable to regulate their body temperatures very well.
Diet: Feed chicks game bird or turkey starter. This is what they will eat this their entire lives, although as they get older, you may introduce very small amounts of vegetable matter. Allow the quail to eat as much as they like as they have no problem self-regulating, eating only when they are hungry. If you want your birds to produce organic eggs and meat, be sure to feed them organically, and do not give them the medicated feed. As with all animals, give them fresh clean water daily, preferably in a jar feeder system that allows more than one bird to be able to drink at a time. Dip their beaks once when you first get them so they know where to find them.
Breeding: If you want to breed your quail, choose the eggs of your largest birds to incubate.
Weight: A newborn quail weighs less than an ounce, but grows very quickly to 10-14 ounces in adulthood.
Miscellaneous Notes: Quail males have a unique call. Quail eggs have 4-5 times the nutrients of chicken eggs and don't usually cause allergies.
Photo Courtesy of Matthew Phillips from NY.
