Botulism - This is a type of food poisoning caused by eating materials containing the toxin produced by a bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. The clinical findings of poisoned birds are weakness, followed by paralysis of the neck, legs and wings, and finally, prostration and death. The feathers can be easily plucked. No lesions are apparent in the affected quail. Botulism can be prevented by keeping possible sources of contamination (such as spoiled foods, wet feed and dead animals) away from the birds.
Molds - The major toxins of concern are those generally found in the feed or litter that are produced by molds. The most common toxins affecting poultry seem to be aflatoxin and an estrogen-like compound produced by Fusarium molds. The symptoms of aflatoxicosis include an unsteady gait, leg weakness or paralysis, liver damage, small hemorrhages and, in many cases, a condition similar to rickets. The presence of aflatoxin in the feed and litter can be determined by laboratory tests.
Although some degree of prevention may be obtained from antibiotic-vitamin mixtures, using fresh, clean, dry feed manufactured from uncontaminated ingredients will usually prevent mold toxin poisoning.
Other Toxic Substances - Quail are susceptible to certain types of seeds, such as those of the crotolaria plant, which may contaminate grain used in producing feeds. Other toxic materials such as insecticides, herbicides, certain minerals and pollutants may also cause an occasional problem.
Disease Treatment
Drug Use
Early disease diagnosis and treatment is essential to good management. Contact your state diagnostic laboratory for information about what drugs are approved for use with bobwhite quail. There are situations where periodic use of a specific medication for a specific problem is necessary, but this should occur only under the direction of a competent diagnostician.
Treatment Administration
Once the problem and the proper treatment have been identified, a decision must be made on how to administer the treatment. Many medications are available as water-soluble powders or liquids and/or as feed additives. Some comments on these methods of treatment follow:
Water - Medicating birds through their drinking water is the most practical method of giving drugs, and a response is usually seen in 3 to 4 days. It is very important to follow the directions. Never give a heavier dosage than called for--it may do more harm than good. When giving water treatments, always consider the environmental conditions. If the temperature around the birds is warm, they will drink more water and, as a result, receive more medication. Cool temperatures will have the opposite effect on consumption. Many drugs will be inactivated by hard water. Before mixing in antibiotics, it is usually best to acidify water by adding 2.5 ounces of apple cider vinegar per 5 gallons of water. "City" water also has added chemicals that sometimes interact with drugs. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations and/or consult an avian veterinarian.
Feed - This type of treatment usually takes at least 5-8 days to cause a response. When a long-term medication treatment is prescribed, this is the usual way to administer it.
If a medication program in both feed and water is used, be sure the two treatments are compatible and are not additive or antagonistic.
Handling Quail
Each time quail are handled, they are stressed and subject to injury. This can cause a loss of production, nonsalable birds and cannibalism. Try not to move the birds under unfavorable weather conditions. When birds must be moved, use transfer boxes that are only 6-7 inches deep. This will limit injuries from jumping and piling. Quail can be driven into transfer boxes or caught with a minnow net. Do not expose boxed birds to extended periods of direct sun in warm weather or to direct drafts in cold weather. Provide an adequate air supply into the transport boxes through ventilation holes.
When handling the individual bird, grasp it with its neck between your first and second fingers and with your thumb and remaining fingers enclosing the body as much as possible (Figure 15). This method prevents the wings from fluttering and allows the legs to hang free. Never handle quail unless absolutely necessary, and never hold a quail by a leg, wing or head.
Figure 15. Proper handling will prevent injuries and stress. Enclosing the body with your fingers will prevent the wings from fluttering.
Releasing Quail
Quail should be released with the intent of recovering them by hunting shortly after release. It is difficult to establish a quail population in the wild by releasing pen-raised quail.
Locating a suitable area for release is important. The main considerations are availability of cover, food and water. Good results are generally obtained by releasing flight-conditioned birds as soon as they attain adult size and weight, but not earlier than October 1. The highest recovery rate is experienced when releases are made periodically during the hunting season.
Plan to release the birds late in the afternoon so that they will feed and go to roost. A cardboard box 6-7 inches deep and 24 inches square will handle approximately 20 birds. Whatever container is used, it should be shallow, have the top padded and have plenty of small air holes that keep out most of the light. Place the transporting container in the cover area where the birds are to be released. Open only one end, so the birds can walk out. Do not frighten the birds or cause them to scatter. Go back after the birds are out of the box and remove it. In situations where supplemental feed will be provided after release, feeding the same feed in the same feeders used before release is recommended. It may also be necessary to provide supplemental water in some conditions. The birds are usually released in coveys of 15-20 birds.
Processing
When quail are grown to be processed for meat, they should be slaughtered before six months of age. Younger birds will be more tender and the feathers will be easier to pick.
Birds to be processed can be killed by an outside neck cut and allowed to bleed for one minute. They should then be scalded for 30 seconds at a water temperature of 135°F. Feathers can be picked with small, commercially available, rotary drum pickers. Birds are picked in batches of 15 to 20 birds each, for 15 seconds per batch. After picking, the shanks, heads, and necks are removed and the carcasses are eviscerated, including crop and esophagus, by splitting the back.
Following processing, the carcasses should be chilled overnight in ice water to allow rigor to be completed. This will cause the meat to be more tender. If older birds are processed, it is usually beneficial to chill them overnight in 5 percent salt water (iced) to partially tenderize the meat. The birds can then be prepared fresh or can be frozen for several weeks before cooking.
Eggs
Quail eggs may be prepared in essentially any form that chicken eggs are used. The flavor is very similar to that of the chicken egg but perhaps slightly more delicate. There is also about 6 to 10 percent more yolk in the quail egg in relation to the remainder of the egg. It has a thin shell but a very thick, strong membrane that must be cut when opening a fresh egg.
Since quail eggs are small, they are used most often in hors d'oeuvres and as snacks. A common form of preparation is pickling. Tested pickling recipes are shown in Table 4
. Mix the ingredients in hot water, bring to a boil, then simmer until used.
Before cooking, freshly laid eggs that are to be used for pickling should be held for 24 to 48 hours at room temperature, or for 5 to 7 days in an egg cooler. This will enhance peeling quality. To hard cook the eggs, place them in a pan, cover with cold water, bring the water to boiling, remove from heat, cover and allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove cover and cool the eggs with cold running water. Allow eggs to remain in cold water until removed for peeling. Place peeled eggs in quart jars and pour hot pickling solution over the eggs. Seal jars and cool at room temperature. Store in a refrigerator.
Acknowledgement
Appreciation is extended to Mr. Walter Walker, the author of the original Clemson University Extension bulletin "Raising Bobwhite Quail for Commercial Use."
Tables
Table 1. Agencies and Organizations*.
Agency or Organization
Type of Assistance
State Diagnostic Lab
Game bird health problems, management problems
State Cooperative Extension Service sources
General information, quail literature, management advice
State Fisheries and Wildlife Department
Permits and licensing for rearing and marketing quail; laws and regulations
Local Natural Resource Conservation Service
Assistance with land and natural resource management
Local Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Service (ASCS)
Information regarding payments for wildlife conservation or release
North American Game Bird Assoc., Inc.
Dr. Gary Davis
North Carolina State University
Information and assistance from national level, promoting the game bird industry to the public
Southeastern Game Bird Breeders and Hunting Preserve Association
(Contact North American Game Bird Association for address of current president.)
Marketing, contact with breeders and producers, advertisement, informative meetings
*The agencies and organizations listed here may provide additional assistance. Contact your county office of the Cooperative Extension Service for the addresses of the agencies in your area.
Table 2. Suggested Minimum Space Requirements*.
1-10 days
11 days-6 weeks
6-14 weeks
Floor space
4 birds/sq ft
3 birds/sq ft
2 birds/sq ft
Feeder space
0.6 inch/bird
0.6 inch/bird
1.0 inch/bird
Waterer space
0.15 inch/bird
0.25 inch/bird
0.3 inch/bird
*Facilities, equipment, and management will affect space requirements.
2 Bacitracin MD may be added to the finished diet at 50 to 200 grams per ton activity (preventative or treatment) as necessary.
3 Calculations based on 1983 International Mineral Co. table.
Table 4. Recipes for Pickled Quail Eggs (1 Quart)a.
Kansas Spicy Eggs
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon mixed pickling spice
1 clove peeled garlic
1/2 sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
Sweet and Sour Eggs
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 package (12 oz.) red cinnamon candy
1 tablespoon mixed pickling spice
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Dilled Eggs
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 teaspoon dill seed
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon onion juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Red Beet Eggs
1 cup red beet juice
1 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
a few small canned red beets
aMaurer, A.J.,1972. Pickled eggs - A novel snack. Cooperative Ext. Prog., Univ. Wisconsin, Ext. Fact Sheet A 2455.
Footnotes
1.
This document is CIR879, one of a series of the Department of Animal Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published August 2003. Please visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2.
Peter A. Skewes, Professor, Animal Industries Program, Clemson University; Henry R. Wilson, Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida; Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
Cooperators:
Thomas H. Eleazer (retired), Clemson University
Carroll R. Douglas (retired), University of Florida
Gary D. Butcher, University of Florida
The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication do not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal
Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational
information and other services only to individuals and institutions
that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed,
color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital
status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.
For more information on obtaining other extension publications,
contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative
Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
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