Why you should consider quail For your backyard homestead
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Looking for an addition to your backyard homestead?
Check these little guys out! How could you not want to have these little peep peeps (as our kids would say)?
For as long as I can remember we have had quail. They are so easy to take care of and anyone, anywhere can have them.
Do you have a backyard? Perfect! A balcony? No problem. A HOA? Keep reading we may have answers for you!
Limited Space Needed
Quail do not need much space. In fact, they thrive in smaller areas!
3 quail need 1 sq ft in comparison to chickens who need a whole 10 sq ft each! This means you could keep quail in an average rabbit hutch on your balcony or in your backyard. If quail have too much space they will become territorial and aggressive. In this case, less is more.
It is also recommended to keep their enclosure lower than 2ft or above 6ft to ensure they do not fly up and injure themselves.
I have linked where we got our quail enclosure however, you can always make your own! Please note quail will not lay their eggs in a nest box. So you will want to make sure you can access the inside of your enclosure easily!
This would work great for outdoors!
If you have a need for a smaller area we recommend this one from Wynola Ranch:
Fast Maturity
Another amazing and convenient thing about quail is how fast they mature.
We prefer everything in our home to have a dual purpose including our animals. Since quail can be used as dual-purpose birds (meat or egg production) it is a bonus they are mature by 6-8 weeks.
This is lightning fast compared to chickens who take 20-32 weeks!
Health Benefits
The second question we are always asked is what are the biggest differences between quail eggs and chicken eggs?
The answer is a lot. Quail eggs have a higher yoke-to-white content compared to chicken eggs. They also have good cholesterol instead of bad cholesterol.
Last, most who are allergic to chicken eggs can have quail eggs.
Don’t want to take our word for it? Check out this article from WebMD highlighting all the health benefits:
WebMD Article- What to Know About Quail Eggs
ORDINANCE LENIENCY
Okay this is bit of a gray area, but we are going mention it anyway.
Many would like to move to a more sustainable, self-sufficient way of life but struggle to achieve this due to their living circumstances. If you live in an HOA or your city ordinance is very strict, like ours, which limits the number of poultry you can have. We may have found a loophole. SHHHH!
Quail are technically not considered poultry like chickens. Most cities do not have this written in their ordinance laws or HOA rules.
But, and this is a BIG BUT, always read over your area’s rules before you make an investment in quail. Unless you plan on hiding them in your garage.
We won’t judge. We have done that with frier chickens once but that is a story for a different day.
Reduced Noise
This goes hand in hand with our above point.
Quail hardly make any noise. Females make little to no noise. Males do make some small noise, but they sound like a wild bird. So most would not think twice when they hear them.
https://www.roots-deep.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20230216_163915.mp4#t=4,7
This article hardly scratches the surface of why we love quail. They are a strong contender for backyard homestead animals. Their low-maintenance nature, limited space needs, and cuteness are just the tip of the iceberg. In our opinion, they are the most under-rated homestead bird.