Starting Quail Production in South Alabama..suggestions??

[MikeS]

Hi, I have about 5-8 acres with a few barns and a well.  A friend suggested that we raise quail, but I have no idea where to start.  
Anyone shed some light or point me in the right direction to get started?

Mobile county (very south) Alabama

Thanks

 

[NH/Pete]

What kind of quail do you want to raise?
Meat and egg birds or flight birds?

[MikeS]

More like flight I suppose.. not intrested in selling the meat and eggs.  More like targeting hunters and dog trainers.

[NH/Pete]

Have you done a search of old posts yet. If not start there.

[CoopVilla]

Alabama Cooperative Extension System
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0516/
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0516/ANR-0516.html

An example for production on 1 acre of Land:
http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/livestock/quail/quail.pdf.

Some other helpful resources
http://www.ansci.umn.edu/poultry/resources/gamebirds.htm

How to begin and survive a commercial game bird farm
http://www.lelandhayes.com/pubs/begin_farm.pdf

[wildergamebirds]

  Read everything you can find.

  Read more.

  Visit a couple of operations (tell them you will be wearing new shoes, and Tyvec coveralls, and do so), to see what one looks like.

  Read more and ask questions.

  Have on hand, three times the dollar amount you expect as gross sales the first two years.  Expect to lose it all, before you make a dime.  This may not happen, if you are well prepared, but be ready for it.

[MikeS]

Ouch, thanks for the advice.  If I get into this, I plan on starting very small and letting it grow if it will.

[wildergamebirds]

Ouch, thanks for the advice.  If I get into this, I plan on starting very small and letting it grow if it will.

  That is the advice you'll get, often (start small).

  Maybe not "very small".  But stay with a dollar amount you can lose without getting divorced, or driving yourself to suicide.  Build the pens, and brooders with feeders/waterers, medication you need for, say, 400 birds, then be prepared to replace them within the first month, if needed, then again in two months.  And calculate feed needed, and double that.  If that price is too big, start with 100, or 200.  If you research everything well (and it sounds like you will) you probably won't lose many birds, and will be in good shape.  Be ready to determine what, if anything went wrong, if you get a die-off (seldom happens with Quail past 6-8 weeks in clean conditions).  Know where the nearest labs is, and have a small Styrofoam box and ice packs ready to ship, or transport dead birds, if they get a disease.

  I've thought a couple of times, since posting that, I might have sounded a bit harsh.  Not trying to keep you out of the business, but wouldn't want you to lose your butt with no warning.

[MikeS]

No no, not that harsh,  I understand what you were saying totally.  I actually expected that.  Its all good advice that anyone starting anything (esp with living projects) should expect.  I have looked all over the internet and the problem is I find allot of stuff that was either for someone starting in the north or its information from 1996 or so.  I am wondering if I need to check into finding a book for better information. 
 Thanks for any and all comments. 

 I am actually very close to clueless on this subject, as a friend brought it up.  He happens to be in a circle that has contacts with either allot of hunters, or business that takes clients for hunts and they buy birds for stocking before the hunt.  So we figured we would look into it.

[wildergamebirds]

  Well, you have some good contacts for potential customers.  Nearly any of those places will use a minimum of 1000 birds per year.  Raise them in seclusion, try to feed and water without human contact.  You might be able to raise a few hundred spooky flight birds, to use to tantalize them.  Then raise a large batch to sell.  One good piece of information, late in the preserve season, (and later for field trials, and training birds) there is almost always a shortage.