Howdy,
My 2 daughters want to raise quail (which means I will probably end up doing a lot of the raising!) but they are concerned about predators (owl, eagles, foxes, coyotes - but they aren't a huge problem, just occasional visits) so my daughters insist I raise the quail in a pen. I want to raise quail also but I want to release them (I'll deal with dept nat. rscs. issues). Therefore I want to raise a lot (50? more? less?) for release and I'm hopeful they'll hang around the house areas (2 acres) so we can observe them.
I have 4 mallards in a 20 X 20 coop. We raised them from day old chicks and we let them out to fly and wander on the weekends and they do great and stick around and don't require heat. I clean and feed them and their cage all the time - we are responsible. Predators don't get them but we put them back in the coop at night. I have seen about 10 wild California Quail a few miles away from here year after year in the same area, so I am guessing they can overwinter.
I have about 40 acres of woods and beach in Western WA USA along Hood Canal. Mostly fir, maple, cedar, trees but tons of evergreen huckleberry. Most of the property is steep except for a couple acres around our house. No neighbors or fences. It snows about twice a year and can rain a lot here. summers are nice.
So...
- Can I raise quail here for release?
-Would I be better off keeping them penned up all the time - I can live with losing a few to predators?
- What kind of quail should I raise?
- Would I need to pen them in the winter (are my winters too cold?)
- would they forage themselves after I raise the babies and release them (I was planning on throwing a handful of feed on the ground every day).
- If I build a coop or house for them to roost in at night would they use it? I don't want to be trying to 'herd' quail. I am guessing the are either 'wild release' or in a pen 24/7. Maybe I could do both. But if I built a 'home' for the wild ones would it be used?
- If I release the quail after I raise them will they just take off and never be seen again?
I won't be hunting them.
So in general if anyone knows answers or has more insight to these questions I'd appreciate it.
Thank you!
-Brad