Pen Raised Quail
 

Why can't we just release pen raised birds into the wild and they should reproduce and create wild birds.
After studing the habits of pen raised birds for years i find that allot of them a sterile. Hens do not sit on eggs nor do they turn them.
Quail Unlimited does not support the idea of releasing pen-raised birds into the wild.
Some companies support the idea that their products will increase the amount of wild birds on your place. Covey Camps and Surragators.
If pen-raised birds are sterile and hens don't sit on eggs how in the world can any of these gadjets work

RE: Pen Raised Quail
 

daleh,

I am not an authority on pen raised quail, but I do know that breeders do raise their on chicks from their on quail. I was thinking of geting into raising quail to sell and during my research I went and visited a man that raises quail in Hawkinsville, GA. He has quiet a set up. He not only raises quail from his breeders, but he built his on incubators. He sells eggs, day old to any age birds, and flight birds.

I do know that a bird raised in a sheltered pen can not survive in the wild because they don't produce the oils to protect their feathers which protects themfrom the elements. Plus they don't want to fly.

From what I was told and what I read, birds raised in open pens, where they are out in the weather, can survive in the wild.

Another thing I found out was, these breeders treat their birds for deseases, so in my opinion, I would think they are healthier.

dog1

RE: Pen Raised Quail
 

The only thing I know is that most do not make it through the winter months up here. Though some of those thought not tomake will survive and breed on. But, for most it is over for them the minute cold weather hits here along with the snow.

RE: Pen Raised Quail
 

I have raised hundreds of Pheasent and let them go, they do just fine.

RE: Pen Raised Quail
 

I have and still raise pheasants and they survive the cold alright but they do not appear to sit on the nests. They will nest and all but, after laying eggs off they go. The pheasants I have been raising are bluewings.( ringnecks )

RE: Pen Raised Quail
 

how big are your pens for the pheasants?

RE: Pen Raised Quail
 

30 feet by 40 feet by 6 feet high then a ridge pole lifting the center up another 6 feet with a nett over the top.

RE: Pen Raised Quail
 

Here in western OK the ravens kill a lot of the pen raised quail after they are released into the wild. It helps a lot if the place is covered with really tall grass.

RE: Pen Raised Quail
 

Habitat is important with any game except deer they seem to adapt just fine to neighborhoods and golf courses.

Pen raised quail will survive in the wild if they are healthy, have been weather conditioned. and have all the necesarythings.
Habitat, Water supply, and feed. pen birds need supplemental feeding. very few of them can survive and find food on there own no matter how much is available.
There are only certain types of feed that quail (wild or released) can survive on during a hard winter. feeds with a high protein and or fat content.Peas, lesbadeza, begger lice, ragweed, acorns are some of the wild or natural feeds.
Soybeans seem to be one of the onlyagricultural food sorces that quail can use.
A quial can actually sit on top of a pile of wheat and starve to death during a hard winter. it just does not have enough digestable protein.
Feed in the pen is different. all feeds are made from corn and wheat and have protein contents that are much lower than what is needed.
The difference is thatthis food is milled, extruded,and crushed. Much more of it can be digested in a shorter amount of time than having to procees whole seeds with grit in their craw.
Predators are bad on quailespeciallypen raised birds. They have never seen anything wanting to eat them before. Red tails normally don't hunt wild quail because they are too slow. but, red tails can catch pen raised quail with no problem. they will continue to hunt them untill they are all gone or get faster and wiser.
Pen raised birds will pair off in the spring and mate just like wild birds. Sometimes they even make nests and sit on eggs for a few days.
I don't know theexactstatistic of 1 in how many will raise a clutch ofchicks. But each hen will have a better chance of winning the lottery
I wonder if it is more of an evironmental issue rather than natural instinct.

Do quail have to beincubated and brooded by a mother hen in order to care for eggs and chicks?

RE: Pen Raised Quail
 

Ive raised and released gamebirds for acouple years now and Im not trying to start an argument but that statement is completely false. Birds raised in pens just as well as the wild can produce and do produce the oils the need to fix up their feathers. Every bird is born with the oil gland it sits right behind the tail. I raise Jumbo Bobwhites for release and also Mongolian(Blue-Back) Ringneck Pheasants. It's all about getting them outside as early as possible. Thats why I dont start hatching chicks until around April-May. My rule of thumb is for both pheasants and quail that you should release them at 6-8 weeks of age. I also start introducing greens to their diet...like clover and lettuce. And also berrys and grains. Also you want to give them as little social interaction as possible. My birds fly extremely well and would be surprised if you would ever have to kick one of my Ringnecks to get it to fly.
:)