QUAIL HABITAT

[LINYBIRDS]

I NEED SOME HELP IM UP IN LONG ISLAND NY I AM LOOKING TO PLANT SOME COVER AND FOOD FOR THE FEW QUAIL STILL LEFT UP HERE (THEY ARE DEVELOPING EVERY PIECE OF LAND) WHAT IS GOOD AND HARDY ENOUGH FOR THE WINTER THANX

[douglasgraham]

I planted the following plants; German millet, Millet, Brown Top Millet, Japanese Millet, soybeans, Winter Rye ,Lespedeza, Sericea ,sunflowers, buckwheat, and native grasses on about 15 acres of my family farm. So far no wild birds have been spotted but this is just the 2nd year.

I’m not sure about your northern climate for supporting birds and these types of plants but you can call your extenion agent and he can point you in the right direction.

The worst thing that has happened down here in the mountains of Virginia besides over development is fescue grass for grazing cattle. It’s to thick for the birds to live in and it lays over in the winter. My family is as guilty as anyone of having nothing but fescue and also for cleaning out hedgerows but we are in the process of tilling burning and herbicideing some of the fields that are no longer used for cattle.

 It’s a long expensive process but it has worked at Blandy Farm the Virginia State Arboretum. They started the process about 8 years ago and now have 145 acres of native grasses and plants in meadow like settings.

They did this to study the plants and to bring the land back to what it was before white settlers arrived. Blandy staff like the Indians burn a portion of the fields each year and the native plants are thriving. The side benefits to all of this is that the quail and ringnecks have come back! That’s right wild birds!!! I talked to one of the land managers last year and he said they had counted 5 covey of quail with the smallest having 12 birds over the winter.

We have pretty hard winters in this little corner of Virginia so this is testament to “if the land is brought back to its original state” the wildlife will follow. Good luck I hope you can make something happen.

[Redhorse]

If there is giant ragweed in the area it would help also. Keeping to the native grasses is right on the money, and giant ragweed has something like 98% of the nutrition Quail need over the winter to survive.

[douglasgraham]

I wonder if giant ragweed is the same as the ragweed that kills me in the fall? I have tried looking it up and have found nothing. Do you by chance know the Latin for the plant? I'll try the extension agent also. It sounds like I need to include it in the food plots. The deer are killing me in the food plots, the soybeans are all gone! I planted about 6 acres. I really think I’m going to have to talk to the state about heavy thinning of the herd. Wish I were retired so I could handle all this stuff myself. Man work really gets in the way of having fun:0)

[stewaw]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I agree 100% with going native.  The native grasses and forbs returning will bring the quail back with them.  A GREAT source for native seeds (especially for those in the southern US) is www.seedsource.com
  I'll warn you ahead of time......native seed doesn't come cheap but I'm using strip plantings with the intent of letting the natives spread and fill in.

David

[douglasgraham]

Hey David I don't think its high jacking if the info is useful to the topic. Thanks for the link I'll check them out. I know about the cost of seed when it comes to buying it for acres vs. a pound or two. I have a super secret checking account for hunting dog stuff. Hehehehe….now watch my wife find this thread.

[CharlieHorse]

Hey David I don't think its high jacking if the info is useful to the topic. Thanks for the link I'll check them out. I know about the cost of seed when it comes to buying it for acres vs. a pound or two. I have a super secret checking account for hunting dog stuff. Hehehehe….now watch my wife find this thread.

Longevity pay?  What's that, we don't get that!   Never heard tell of it.  LOL!

That's a good one until you get busted!  Been there!

"Native Plants".........what's that?  I've read so much and looked at so much stuff that I have no idea what alot of the things that I've read and looked at are. Most information doesn't have any pictures (which is what's needed to identify plants). There are books (with pictures) on birds, trees, mammals, reptiles, and insects, about where they live etc., yet I've never seen anything on weeds and grass, etc, etc.  I don't know what plants are native or not. I just keep disking, mowing and planting stuff regardless. Haven't seen ay quail, but the turkey, deer, fox, hawks, owls, and coyotes are in abundance. I've also noticed an increase in rabbit sitings. Most of my "good" food plots get destroyed/eaten by deer and coon long before winter arrives. I don't know how farmers make it growing corn in my nick of the woods. It's simply amazing as to how fast and how much the deer and coons destroy overnight. The 10 miles that I drive to work in the mornings is like driving thru a flock of chickens the whole way, except they are deer and turkey!! 30 years ago you couldn't find a deer around here, let alone a turkey.

[Redhorse]

Great (giant) ragweed Ambrosia trifida grows 3-15' tall and is common in all the New England states, occurs all over the Eastern United States.

I was wrong...it has 99.2% of the daily requirements for Quail.

[CharlieHorse]

Here's a link to a pic of the "Giant Ragweed" (Ambrosia trifida), that Redhorse speaks of:


http://www.missouriplants.com/Greenopp/Ambrosia_trifida_page.html

[deadeye]

Any idea where I can buy seed for ragweed?

Thanks in advance!

[popsjp]

You can get the ragweed seeds from quail restoration tech.

[AA Plantation]

Fire is the best habitat management tool we can use. it allows allot of usefull thngs to grow that are native.
Ragweed, Begger Lice, Natural Grasses, Partridge Peas, wild Lesbedeza,
 

[birdlover]

hi,
hey Linybirds,  I'm in the Long Island New York, i didnt know there were quail here.  I myself raise birds, do you?  Where in the new york area are you?

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

hi,
hey Linybirds,  I'm in the Long Island New York, i didnt know there were quail here.  I myself raise birds, do you?  Where in the new york area are you?

birdlover,

Where are you on Long Island,what town and county?

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[birdlover]

Hi,
i live in Queens, NY