Our quails lay an average of 1 egg per day. And when our rabbits have kits they usually have 4-8 rabbits per liter but I’ve heard of some rabbits having up to 12!
I have both, however I did scale back my quail production to about 20 layers for my family of 4 (I used to have 50+ layers) and increased my rabbits. For quails, eggs are nice and in my opinion incubation and turn around for rearing is quick and easy once you're setup. The biggest downfall though is the manure (they poop ALOT), and it being hot and needing compost, and the feed cost. A flock of 100+ growing quails will devour a feed bag quick. Rabbits I find to be less maintenance, cost less to feed, manure is cold and goes straight to the plants. Also their feed to meat conversion is unmatched IMHO. A bale of grass costs less than $20 in my area and will last my rabbits a long while, and pellets are rationed and given sparingly so a bag lasts a long time as well. I also prefer rabbit meat to quail. Pros and Cons but more on Team rabbit for me.
Quails dont stink if you clean the tray every day which takes me like 15 minutes every day for 60 birds :D ... it is good to have 2 trays for 1 cage so you can take dirty out and put clean one in .... scrub the old one, wipe it with a wet cloth and let it dry so it does not stink
Honestly, I raise both and I would advocate for rabbits. The reason being is I find quail being more "needy" & I also had more incidents with them. Like I had more problems with handling them and them showing aggression when trying to care for them as in changing food and water or treating injuries. But for space and harvesting, quail all day!
Thanks Adriana, I love votes for team rabbit and agree on what you say. Rabbits are generally more self sufficient and there are pros and cons to each! Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts :)
I think harvesting quails is a lot easier. One it’s pretty quick with a good pair of scissors, but also they are just not as cute as rabbits. That is definitely a downfall of the rabbits is they are adorable.
I tried raising meat rabbits outside and it was almost impossible for the babies to stay alive during the winter, and they wouldn't kid during the summer heat. I'm getting into quail and love that they take way less space and so it's a lot easier to provide for them in a temperature-controlled environment.
use pine shavings for a bedding under the quail while in the brooder. When they are first hatched make sure they are on something akin to a shop paper towell or a scott paper towell reducing the splaying of the legs. If the substrate is smooth you will have many more splay legs. Keep them on the paper towell for the first week.
We found that 2 rabbits feed the family and it took 5 or 6 quail. Also I can breed rabbits up to 5 plus years where quail only lasted about 2 years and did not taste as good at that age. But the rabbit still tasted great.
I buy dog cages at the swap meet. I get them for 7.00 to 10.00 each and put them on a homemade stand. Saves me alot of money. You can find people throwing 2x4 all the time in wood is so expensive.
I'm going to get both the quail and rabbit buildings, plus one for cross Cornish chickens and have a coop for egg protection, just my invionment when I get my property the way I have in my mind
We started with rabbits. I had built a 4x8 Hutch with multiple sections but after a while I found out about the colony method so we're giving that a go. We recently also just built an Aviary style setup for our quails. I only have four Quail so far as I got them from a buddy when they were about two or three months old. They've been a lot of fun. If I had to say, I do think that rabbits are a lot better in terms of how much care they really need. I load mine up with hay and make sure their water is clean and there's not much else than that.
I'm going to be raising jumbo quail. So I've decided to go with the Chicken cage from hatching time. Give them a little bit more space. Thank you for the video and information.
i just build a low cage for my quails 8ft long by 4ft and 4ft tall wide it cost me about 60$ to build 4hrs with getting the 2x4s and cutting them into 2x2. They were cheaper and 3/4 mesh sides and top small mesh on the bottom with half wood half mesh. I keep mine inside the garage
It’s been 10 years since I bred rabbits so my memory could be failing me on this but I’m pretty sure you only need 4 generations in order to have a pure bred pedigree that you can take to get officially registered so if you buy rabbits at 10-15 at the animal auctions and either get cages there also or just make your own. I got free pallets and made my own so only cost was the wire. Also if you keep them hung off the ground you can use the manure underneath to raise worms. I bred Dutch rabbits for rabbit shows so I have no clue on the specifics for meat rabbits.
I've had both for about 3 months. So far, the rabbits produced 6 babies that didn't survive 24 hours. The quail lay eggs every day and have provided meat as well. Looking forward to my does becoming better mothers and filling my empty grow-out cages. One thing that's made a big difference in their care requirements is that rabbits are fine drinking once or twice per day. Quail need to always have water. Oh, also... quail poop is hot, rabbits is not. Meh, pros and cons, I'll stick with both. Lol... quail are louder and rabbits can bite really hard.
I know most people use the long narrow nesting boxes, but I liked using plastic dish pans from the dollar tree. Large area, no drafts, and easy to clean. Also, get a cheap clock radio for your rabbit area. Set it to a gentle talk radio or smooth jazz for background noise. This keeps the moms from panicking at noises, while feeding, and dragging babies out. Also make sure you put a little ACV in their water (1 tsp to 1 tbsp to 1 gallon of water). Also, add a bit of sunflower seeds to their feed. I used sunflower seeds as a training treat, so I make a smooching sound and they come for their treats, so I never have to chase them if they get out (happened 1 time over 6 years). Hope this helps.
With rabbits it is important to have quality genetics in the mothers. We had some generic ones that kicked their young away. Being in Florida, those were rapidly eaten alive by fire ants.
I think the prices depends on where you live. Probably do better if you live closer to a big city. We are rural and no one is getting those prices for rabbits unless they are show rabbits. Meat rabbits go for around 15 to 20 here. Processed quail go for about 2 dollars each. People need to do their research for their area before they jump in and think they are going to make money off any animal.
Very true Alberta, we have live very close to larger cities which definitely helps and we did buy ours from champion lines. But I could see the prices varying the more rural area. Very good take and feedback! Thank you for sharing!
That's why a lot of people I know take their livestock to the city to sell because they can get more for it. I live out in the country and it's so bass ackwards how none of it is worth anything.
Thank you for this. my wife and I are actually looking to get out of quail and considering getting into rabbits. Currently we also have chicken. What I've found is that I am able to handle the smell of the chickens waste without issue, but the quail trigger something that for me makes them significantly more challenging. So my question, in your experienced opinion, how do rabbits compare to quail regarding their waste products. Thank you!!
I don't have rabbits.....yet. I do have quail. Looking forward to having both. Quail are messy and poop a lot. Quail math does get out of hand easily. I just slaughtered 57 quail. Freezer camp is full.
@@mrjon75Yes--good question. I feel like I have seen enough RUclips videos to automate feeding and watering enough to travel on vacation for at least a week, but waste management worries me.
I started doing rabbits in the 60s in 4H, at that time i did Dutch as well as Zealands mom and dad stopped me at 200 😂 but i had to buy my own feed so i sold pelts,meat ect. ( the local market bought them and did the harvesting) Now i just have 2 breeding pair of Zealand which produce more then enough protein for my wife and I. I would love to do quail but where I'm at you need a permitt and before they issue it the state comes out for inspection. My dad did a variety of quail back then as well, my younger brother raised Canadian geese for the state ( oh i might add that i grew up on a dairy)
Honestly both are great it just depends on the breeds that you choose. We have New Zealand rabbits and Coturnix quail that fair well in both extremes in the North East of USA.
I really want to get into raising quail mostly because they're adorable and they're eggs I don't know if I'll get into the meat part of it because I would probably fall in love with them
Thought for your breeder make sure you fluff the bedding everyday doing this will ensure more exposure and less compaction and a single layer being exposed and thus odor being absorbed
Imo taking care of and harvesting quail is way easier, rabbits are messier because they pee a lot, and they tend to fight with each other or bite people, plus they usually have to be kept in separate cages. Raising quail is much simpler and processing them is also much easier. The only reason I’d say rabbits could be better is because they are a lot meatier and heavier, whereas a single quail tends to be a quite small meal, so the work to raise a single rabbit is more worthwhile than the work to raise a single quail, but in larger numbers, I prefer quail. And also in some cases rabbits are easier to keep indoors.
What is the useful lifespan of quail? How long do they lay well before needing replaced? I've just gotten some young rabbits for future breeding and ive had laying hens for some time. We only have about 1/2 an acre and also grow a fair sized garden,so quail seem like a logical animal for our tiny homestead.
@@splitarrowfarmwe'll be harvesting our first batch of rabbits in august(16). We went to a local animal swap sponsored by our local livestock auction and bout 10 coturnix quail chicks,so hopefully in a couple months we'll have some more quail. I've also added some roosters to our chicken flock. I haven't picked out an incubator yet,but I'm gonna have to get moving on this. I'm watching your videos again just to refresh my knowledge. Thank you so much.
I have both. I love quail eggs and poop. Feed a quail 1# of food, get 2# of poop! I have a bunch of compost and also make compost extract. If you add biochar, you really are cooking with gas. Rabbit poop is instant gratification instead of quail, which is delayed gratification. Quail butcher so much easier, but rabbits have so much more meat. Last weekend i made rabbit quail bacon spicy breakfast sasage. I ground it all together with a bunch of spices and it is AMAZING.
Quail are cheaper to feed and easier to take care of. First thing is stop listening to people who say small cages for quail. One of my quail cages is 3'x3'x10'. Plenty of room and they are happy and safe. Incubating is so easy and so is the other steps. Quail also can handle very cold and hot weather with no problems. Rabbits are completely different in every way. The cold and heat will kill them so you gotta keep an closer eye on them and may have to make changes which you don't have to do with quail. Rabbit feed is at a higher dollar for sure. Our jumbo pharaoh quail hatch from 15 to 18 day and start laying from 6 to 8 weeks. We have eggs daily. We have been raising quail for about 10 years and Rabbits for almost 2 years now. I say y'all should charge more for your eggs for we sell ours for $7.80 a dozen which is pretty cheap. Nice video.
I totally agree I don't have quail yet but I'm planning to build them a aviary. And some areas have a higher demand for quail eggs if you're in that area you can really make a profit from your quail
Quails were real nasty and I didn't seperate the males fast enough and they killed one. The quail eggs were ok hard to make an omlette out of them as you need 15 rather that 4 chicken eggs. Roasted quail was really tasty. Rabbit meat is a larger carcass especially for large meat rabbits. However ive never had to process bunnies, we just hunt them in Australia because theres way too many. I'd find it difficult to kill a big cute bunny.
Thanks for sharing and yes, in the US the cute factor is actually a main reason why they are not as popular. But the sustainability of them is great. Thanks so much for sharing all of these insights!
Love it! I have both and rabbits are definitely easier because they're less needy. We have ours in a colony. They regulate breeding themselves. I highly recommend the colony vs cage for them!
@Uncle Iroh They're great! We currently have 10 living together. 3 adults (2 females, 1 male), 3 that are approx 6 months (I guess they're adults too??), and 4 that are approx 4 weeks old.
We just got quail, and we are not even thinking about rabbits now. Friends have rabbits and it seems more of a hassle. We supply our own power so incubators aren't an issue.
At least in warm areas or possibly indoors, I am sure Black Soldier Fly pre-pupae maggots (for panfish bait/food or poultry treats if not raised on poultry wastes) could be raised on the droppings (& post-slaughter offal) of either species. Unlike worms, these maggots usually crawl out when ready to harvest. Something to research.
where to get the good quail/eggs to start? Also the cages for a smaller backyard in a city? the amazon link to a product, if you read the reviews that overpriced for the number you get
Thanks for the sub! And I think researching what you truly want first and working on automations! We love our quail and chickens and are a great start for animals
Good vid! Now what about egg/meat nutritional value....and can i feed these critters off my garden? Lol. Oh...also how about their contribution to fertalizer and compost with their waste? I hear rabbits are high on the list in that regard...dont know about quail. God bless
Quail are a clean meat per the Bible while rabbit are not. This is something I’m considering. Of course God allows us to eat anything but He has good reasons why He told us what is clean.
I swear, the whole inbreeding thing is a myth. I really never have heard of anyone having problems with inbreeding most animals, but I don't know everything.
Quail can incubate their on babies. It takes more time but they can. Also you do have to remove the babies from the males and sometimes momma. But most time moms will take care of their babies. It just bug Ms the crap out of me that people don’t understand this.
Hi Donna, good point. With our setup the eggs drop down which makes it harder for the quail to incubate their own babies but yes, they definitely can raise their own!
Can you raise rabbits just to sell as pets for people? I feel like I could do this but while I could process a quail, I just don't think I could do it to a bunny.
@@splitarrowfarm Awesome. I have a tyrannical township that won’t let me homestead but does allow pet rabbits. I’m thinking if I just say they’re pets I could get away with it.
Show rabbits of good quality will produce offspring that you can sell for a good price. The more active you are in the show community, showing your rabbits and winning awards, will up the value of your rabbits' kits. Plus you will be in contact with the customer base your rabbits are targeted toward- other rabbit show enthusiasts.
@@ArtByKarenEHaley I was curious about show rabbits as we have two angoras and many local shows we could enter. I also saw show feed at a local mill. How do you know which rabbits are best for showing?
@@angrydwarfofdoom if you want to do angoras, you can look in to your country's rabbit breeders association. Which breed of angora do you have? French, or English? There are clubs online for all breeds, where you can order a breed standards book and learn about the features of your breed the judges will be assessing. I raised mini Rex, Dutch, and mini lops, and all had different breed standards. Also, humanely harvested angora wool can sell well. especially on Etsy, where hand spinners would purchase the wefts from you online.
Rabbit tractors allow you to grow out rabbits for almost free. You do need to move the tractor at least once a day, but hey, free food works. You can also cut your lawn and after drying, pile up for winter hay. Growing a mulberry tree, or 2 or more, makes shade for your rabbit area, as well as cutting the branches during the summer thinning that you then hang and dry for winter tree hay. Rabbits also love raked up leaves added to their winter nesting as a delicious nibble treat.
I had New Zealand rabbits now I got quails it’s easier for me to process quails I get sad about having to cull rabbits but yeah easier to maintain rabbits quails is a lil more bad cause they noisy lol and poop a lot and can’t use fertilizer cause it’s hot it’ll dry ur plant rabbit manure on the other hand add directly and watch ur plants grow fast
Think if you had chicks rabbits and quail and they where all born on the same day in 8 weeks or 2 months you could harvest them all the same day just saying. Kinda a neat way to look at it.
a 50 pound bag lasts 2 to 3 months I have 3 years worth of stored food for my quail still saving feed and I am going to have rabbits for meat and to sell.
Selling rabbit meat would be a waste of time if you can sell them alive without having to butcher, them at a loss. So, if you were to sell quail eggs for consumption or for hatching, would you make sure that the eggs for consumption aren't fertilized? Doesn't take any more work to have them fertilized, but then you'd be selling fertilized at a cheaper price than they would be worth.
I'm not watching the video,but want to say this.I've had both,and although there is quick turn over with both.With quail their poop really stinks,and every day you go out to feed you better be looking for snakes.Quail are snake magnets.
Hi mark, sorry to hear that you did not watch the video but thank you for the comments this is helpful. We have not had any issues with snakes but when keeping small animals, eggs and feed out it is always something that you could run into!
I had a rabbit when I was a child. It kept eating/mutilating its own babies right after birth....! I'd rather have a quail and take the eggs, fertile for incubation or not, both are good. Quails for the win!!
Had both, quail never again. Couldn't really keep them clean, bones are small! and thus a pain to fish out of the stewpot, omnivores so feed is more costly. Need incubator and brooder so electric (cost + loss in case of grid down) and stuff you cannot fix or make yourself. Gratefull for them for being the first animals i put in the freezer, but one batch was enough. Rabbits on the other hand, i could feed from the garden, and they'll provide the fertilizer for it as well. Don't need help raising young, one or even half will give me 3-5 meals (and i don't raise a meatbreed size wise but borderline size dwarf/minirex). Now i will let them grow out much longer, mainly due to wanting a pelt i can tan and for that they need to be 4-6 months so the hide can handle some strain but defleshing is still fairly easy. Not having to harvest large numbers is helpfull i find, don't want to do many in a day. Rabbit given also the flexibility with free feed can be kept on the hoof as a foodsupply much easier than quail. Saving me a freezer/freezerspace and worry about foodsupply in case of powerfailure (risk of that is rising due to transition to renewables and a grid that can't keep up with both demand and supply). If i get birds for eggs again it would be bantam chickens, stronger beaks make better able to turn compost and kitchen waste, need less animal protein (slaughterwaste rabbits) and eggs that are a usefull size for bakeing and so on. Rooster (keep an eye on adds for free ones so i can replace him every year) + broody hen and i'll have plenty of layers and some meat in the form of surplus roosters + older layers. Did this for years, had to stop unfortunately, rabbit and chicken make good combo.
$10 to $15 per quail? You've got to be kidding me haha! The US has to be one of the most expensive places in the world to live these days. I have at least 200 quail, 2 incubators on a rotor with 50 eggs per time and I've decided to stop raising them because it's just not worth it for the little bit of meat you get. I eat 4 quail per sitting and it's so time consuming picking the meat from the bones and the quail eat so much. It would be cost effective to raise if they cost $10 each but here you could get 2 kilo butchered for that price. (Thailand) Back to the drawing board!
Sadly, you lost me at the mention of the commercial cages you promote. I'm just learning, yet the definite drawbacks of those cages make me realize I won't trust anything else you say... 😕
I was thinking the same thing, but I’d rather have rabbits to eat. Got chickens so good there just find it difficult to raise the rabbits and eat them if I’ll be sinning every time I feed my family. I know my ancestors ate them as it was probably a more eat or die scenario, but if I’m raising to harvest maybe I’ll go a different route.
Rabbit food were I'm at is 21.50 a bag and I have 19 of them there a lot of work and it might just be me but there not worth all I have to do to keep up with everything
Midsized breeds are usually considered much more productive. The big ones take longer, and need bigger bones so less of their mass is actually eaten. Have you tried New Zealands?
Why do you hate the grasses and insist on slaughtering their unborn children? BTW, lots of animals die in the cultivation of wheat and vegetables. Ever left the city?
@@MickSupper 2 years ago! Were you in a Covid coma or are you just looking for trouble? My comment is to say we need to stop sugarcoating "slaughter". Just because the people use the word "harvest" doesn't mean it's the correct term to use when it is "slaughter" that is happening.
I had New Zealand rabbits now I got quails it’s easier for me to process quails I get sad about having to cull rabbits but yeah easier to maintain rabbits quails is a lil more bad cause they noisy lol and poop a lot and can’t use fertilizer cause it’s hot it’ll dry ur plant rabbit manure on the other hand add directly and watch ur plants grow fast
How many eggs do the rabbits lay?
Our quails lay an average of 1 egg per day. And when our rabbits have kits they usually have 4-8 rabbits per liter but I’ve heard of some rabbits having up to 12!
lol 🤣
Lol
Rabbits don't lay eggs. 😉
They may smart pills. 🤦
A rabbit just has to lay one egg and you’ll become a millionaire for owning it lol
I have both, however I did scale back my quail production to about 20 layers for my family of 4 (I used to have 50+ layers) and increased my rabbits. For quails, eggs are nice and in my opinion incubation and turn around for rearing is quick and easy once you're setup. The biggest downfall though is the manure (they poop ALOT), and it being hot and needing compost, and the feed cost. A flock of 100+ growing quails will devour a feed bag quick. Rabbits I find to be less maintenance, cost less to feed, manure is cold and goes straight to the plants. Also their feed to meat conversion is unmatched IMHO. A bale of grass costs less than $20 in my area and will last my rabbits a long while, and pellets are rationed and given sparingly so a bag lasts a long time as well. I also prefer rabbit meat to quail. Pros and Cons but more on Team rabbit for me.
Love these tips and details
Quails dont stink if you clean the tray every day which takes me like 15 minutes every day for 60 birds :D ... it is good to have 2 trays for 1 cage so you can take dirty out and put clean one in .... scrub the old one, wipe it with a wet cloth and let it dry so it does not stink
I LOVE the idea of having multiple trays what a smart hack!
Honestly, I raise both and I would advocate for rabbits. The reason being is I find quail being more "needy" & I also had more incidents with them. Like I had more problems with handling them and them showing aggression when trying to care for them as in changing food and water or treating injuries. But for space and harvesting, quail all day!
Thanks Adriana, I love votes for team rabbit and agree on what you say. Rabbits are generally more self sufficient and there are pros and cons to each! Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts :)
I think harvesting quails is a lot easier. One it’s pretty quick with a good pair of scissors, but also they are just not as cute as rabbits. That is definitely a downfall of the rabbits is they are adorable.
Definitely agree
They are both cute…and delicious :(
See I'm the exact opposite. I can harvest a rabbit any day but can't bring myself to touch my quail lol
Rabbits can scream if not quickly killed! Very unnerving! 2 minutes to totally pluck & process quail vs??? for rabbit processing.
These are all very true!
I know the incubation side of quail can be a downside for many but I absolutely love running the incubator and hatching them.
It is quite a delight!
@@splitarrowfarm I love the anticipation! Especially if I'm hatching a lot of different varieties. It's like Christmas and a birthday all in one.
I tried raising meat rabbits outside and it was almost impossible for the babies to stay alive during the winter, and they wouldn't kid during the summer heat. I'm getting into quail and love that they take way less space and so it's a lot easier to provide for them in a temperature-controlled environment.
We have quail right now and have been loving it, but we've been thinking about adding either rabbits or ducks, and this was a great video! Thank you.
Good luck! And great to hear that this was helpful in your journey!
I have ducks for eggs and were looking at quail and rabbits for meat. Ducks are great!
use pine shavings for a bedding under the quail while in the brooder. When they are first hatched make sure they are on something akin to a shop paper towell or a scott paper towell reducing the splaying of the legs. If the substrate is smooth you will have many more splay legs. Keep them on the paper towell for the first week.
Good tip, thanks for sharing
We found that 2 rabbits feed the family and it took 5 or 6 quail. Also I can breed rabbits up to 5 plus years where quail only lasted about 2 years and did not taste as good at that age. But the rabbit still tasted great.
These are great additions. Thanks, Ora!
I buy dog cages at the swap meet. I get them for 7.00 to 10.00 each and put them on a homemade stand. Saves me alot of money. You can find people throwing 2x4 all the time in wood is so expensive.
Alicia this is such a good idea!!!! What a brilliant way to save money on cages. Thanks for sharing :)
I'm going to get both the quail and rabbit buildings, plus one for cross Cornish chickens and have a coop for egg protection, just my invionment when I get my property the way I have in my mind
Love it!
We started with rabbits. I had built a 4x8 Hutch with multiple sections but after a while I found out about the colony method so we're giving that a go. We recently also just built an Aviary style setup for our quails. I only have four Quail so far as I got them from a buddy when they were about two or three months old. They've been a lot of fun.
If I had to say, I do think that rabbits are a lot better in terms of how much care they really need. I load mine up with hay and make sure their water is clean and there's not much else than that.
Love this comment!
This was a very informative video. You are helping us to make up our minds on what to raise. Thank you
You are so welcome!
I'm going to be raising jumbo quail. So I've decided to go with the Chicken cage from hatching time. Give them a little bit more space. Thank you for the video and information.
Great idea! Best of luck!
I have quail. I upcycled an old tv cabinet. I have my tuxedo covey up top and my italian covey on the bottom.
I breed and raise rabbits and Button quails! I love these beautiful pets so much 🙂
Love this, thanks!
For me rabbits and quail aren't pets, they're food.
i just build a low cage for my quails 8ft long by 4ft and 4ft tall wide it cost me about 60$ to build 4hrs with getting the 2x4s and cutting them into 2x2. They were cheaper and 3/4 mesh sides and top small mesh on the bottom with half wood half mesh. I keep mine inside the garage
Great tip!
It’s been 10 years since I bred rabbits so my memory could be failing me on this but I’m pretty sure you only need 4 generations in order to have a pure bred pedigree that you can take to get officially registered so if you buy rabbits at 10-15 at the animal auctions and either get cages there also or just make your own. I got free pallets and made my own so only cost was the wire. Also if you keep them hung off the ground you can use the manure underneath to raise worms. I bred Dutch rabbits for rabbit shows so I have no clue on the specifics for meat rabbits.
Thanks for the insight, Eric! And yes, we are planning to do hanging cages as a future build.
I've had both for about 3 months. So far, the rabbits produced 6 babies that didn't survive 24 hours. The quail lay eggs every day and have provided meat as well. Looking forward to my does becoming better mothers and filling my empty grow-out cages. One thing that's made a big difference in their care requirements is that rabbits are fine drinking once or twice per day. Quail need to always have water. Oh, also... quail poop is hot, rabbits is not. Meh, pros and cons, I'll stick with both. Lol... quail are louder and rabbits can bite really hard.
Thanks!
No. Rabbits drink all day and night. Above 80 degrees that way and they will die.
I know most people use the long narrow nesting boxes, but I liked using plastic dish pans from the dollar tree. Large area, no drafts, and easy to clean.
Also, get a cheap clock radio for your rabbit area. Set it to a gentle talk radio or smooth jazz for background noise.
This keeps the moms from panicking at noises, while feeding, and dragging babies out.
Also make sure you put a little ACV in their water (1 tsp to 1 tbsp to 1 gallon of water). Also, add a bit of sunflower seeds to their feed. I used sunflower seeds as a training treat, so I make a smooching sound and they come for their treats, so I never have to chase them if they get out (happened 1 time over 6 years).
Hope this helps.
With rabbits it is important to have quality genetics in the mothers. We had some generic ones that kicked their young away. Being in Florida, those were rapidly eaten alive by fire ants.
@@Erewhon2024fierce
I think the prices depends on where you live. Probably do better if you live closer to a big city. We are rural and no one is getting those prices for rabbits unless they are show rabbits. Meat rabbits go for around 15 to 20 here. Processed quail go for about 2 dollars each.
People need to do their research for their area before they jump in and think they are going to make money off any animal.
Very true Alberta, we have live very close to larger cities which definitely helps and we did buy ours from champion lines. But I could see the prices varying the more rural area. Very good take and feedback! Thank you for sharing!
That's why a lot of people I know take their livestock to the city to sell because they can get more for it. I live out in the country and it's so bass ackwards how none of it is worth anything.
Thank you for this. my wife and I are actually looking to get out of quail and considering getting into rabbits. Currently we also have chicken. What I've found is that I am able to handle the smell of the chickens waste without issue, but the quail trigger something that for me makes them significantly more challenging. So my question, in your experienced opinion, how do rabbits compare to quail regarding their waste products. Thank you!!
Best of luck!
I don't have rabbits.....yet. I do have quail. Looking forward to having both. Quail are messy and poop a lot. Quail math does get out of hand easily. I just slaughtered 57 quail. Freezer camp is full.
Hi Joel, love this! Looks like you have a good amount of yummy meals coming your way!
More poop = more fertilizer...
Just curious, how long can you be away from your quail?
If you only have say 10-15 adult quail, is the smell and mess easy to manage?
@@mrjon75Yes--good question. I feel like I have seen enough RUclips videos to automate feeding and watering enough to travel on vacation for at least a week, but waste management worries me.
I started doing rabbits in the 60s in 4H, at that time i did Dutch as well as Zealands mom and dad stopped me at 200 😂 but i had to buy my own feed so i sold pelts,meat ect. ( the local market bought them and did the harvesting)
Now i just have 2 breeding pair of Zealand which produce more then enough protein for my wife and I.
I would love to do quail but where I'm at you need a permitt and before they issue it the state comes out for inspection.
My dad did a variety of quail back then as well, my younger brother raised Canadian geese for the state ( oh i might add that i grew up on a dairy)
Oh wow! What a great background and wild that some areas have such strict regulations on quail!
Which fare best in hot summer Qual or Rabbit's. Also which fare better in a cold winter. Here in Texas we have both
Honestly both are great it just depends on the breeds that you choose. We have New Zealand rabbits and Coturnix quail that fair well in both extremes in the North East of USA.
I love them both but I like the taste of quail better. That is why I decided on both.
Love this Roy!
Love your videos. It inspires me to start my own quail. It up and I already have now 30 quial 😊😊😊😊
That is awesome!
I really want to get into raising quail mostly because they're adorable and they're eggs I don't know if I'll get into the meat part of it because I would probably fall in love with them
Thought for your breeder make sure you fluff the bedding everyday doing this will ensure more exposure and less compaction and a single layer being exposed and thus odor being absorbed
Great tip Trent, thanks!
Imo taking care of and harvesting quail is way easier, rabbits are messier because they pee a lot, and they tend to fight with each other or bite people, plus they usually have to be kept in separate cages. Raising quail is much simpler and processing them is also much easier. The only reason I’d say rabbits could be better is because they are a lot meatier and heavier, whereas a single quail tends to be a quite small meal, so the work to raise a single rabbit is more worthwhile than the work to raise a single quail, but in larger numbers, I prefer quail. And also in some cases rabbits are easier to keep indoors.
Couldn’t agree more with all these notes and feedback! It’s so hard to even compare them at times!
I believe Quail are also a clean meat per the Bible while rabbits are not.
I used to just put an atamatic feeder on my rabbits pens and as long as they don't like to dig the food out then that worked great for us.
That's a great idea!
What is the useful lifespan of quail? How long do they lay well before needing replaced? I've just gotten some young rabbits for future breeding and ive had laying hens for some time. We only have about 1/2 an acre and also grow a fair sized garden,so quail seem like a logical animal for our tiny homestead.
Quail start to slow down on laying eggs in year two. But you can always hatch out your own if you have both male and female quail!
@@splitarrowfarm ok,so maybe rotate them out every 3rd year,that ain't to bad.
@@splitarrowfarmwe'll be harvesting our first batch of rabbits in august(16). We went to a local animal swap sponsored by our local livestock auction and bout 10 coturnix quail chicks,so hopefully in a couple months we'll have some more quail. I've also added some roosters to our chicken flock. I haven't picked out an incubator yet,but I'm gonna have to get moving on this. I'm watching your videos again just to refresh my knowledge. Thank you so much.
Question....has anyone let a broody chicken hen incubate and raise quail? Would it work?
I need to know what quail feed you use because I feel like my feed for my quail is super expensive. ($60 for a 40 lbs bag)
We use Nature Serve!
I have both. I love quail eggs and poop. Feed a quail 1# of food, get 2# of poop! I have a bunch of compost and also make compost extract. If you add biochar, you really are cooking with gas. Rabbit poop is instant gratification instead of quail, which is delayed gratification. Quail butcher so much easier, but rabbits have so much more meat. Last weekend i made rabbit quail bacon spicy breakfast sasage. I ground it all together with a bunch of spices and it is AMAZING.
Thank you for the comment!
Quail are cheaper to feed and easier to take care of. First thing is stop listening to people who say small cages for quail. One of my quail cages is 3'x3'x10'. Plenty of room and they are happy and safe. Incubating is so easy and so is the other steps. Quail also can handle very cold and hot weather with no problems. Rabbits are completely different in every way. The cold and heat will kill them so you gotta keep an closer eye on them and may have to make changes which you don't have to do with quail. Rabbit feed is at a higher dollar for sure. Our jumbo pharaoh quail hatch from 15 to 18 day and start laying from 6 to 8 weeks. We have eggs daily. We have been raising quail for about 10 years and Rabbits for almost 2 years now. I say y'all should charge more for your eggs for we sell ours for $7.80 a dozen which is pretty cheap. Nice video.
Thanks for all the ideas
I totally agree I don't have quail yet but I'm planning to build them a aviary.
And some areas have a higher demand for quail eggs if you're in that area you can really make a profit from your quail
Hi great video :) I cant find a working link for the quail cages.
Here is a new link amzn.to/3L7kxOE
Quails were real nasty and I didn't seperate the males fast enough and they killed one. The quail eggs were ok hard to make an omlette out of them as you need 15 rather that 4 chicken eggs. Roasted quail was really tasty. Rabbit meat is a larger carcass especially for large meat rabbits. However ive never had to process bunnies, we just hunt them in Australia because theres way too many. I'd find it difficult to kill a big cute bunny.
Thanks for sharing and yes, in the US the cute factor is actually a main reason why they are not as popular. But the sustainability of them is great. Thanks so much for sharing all of these insights!
Love it! I have both and rabbits are definitely easier because they're less needy. We have ours in a colony. They regulate breeding themselves. I highly recommend the colony vs cage for them!
Colony is a great idea!
@Uncle Iroh They're great! We currently have 10 living together. 3 adults (2 females, 1 male), 3 that are approx 6 months (I guess they're adults too??), and 4 that are approx 4 weeks old.
Do you have to register a homestead as a business because you are selling items? LLC? S-Corp?
It depends on where you live and your regulations so I would make sure to do some research!
We just got quail, and we are not even thinking about rabbits now. Friends have rabbits and it seems more of a hassle. We supply our own power so incubators aren't an issue.
Love to hear!
At least in warm areas or possibly indoors, I am sure Black Soldier Fly pre-pupae maggots (for panfish bait/food or poultry treats if not raised on poultry wastes) could be raised on the droppings (& post-slaughter offal) of either species. Unlike worms, these maggots usually crawl out when ready to harvest. Something to research.
where to get the good quail/eggs to start? Also the cages for a smaller backyard in a city? the amazon link to a product, if you read the reviews that overpriced for the number you get
You can’t try their website too!
This was a fantastic video. Thank you!!
Thank you so much Whitney!
Hello. Do you sell rabbits? If so, they would need to be shipped TX. I'm looking for 2 males & 4 females. From a hesthly farm. Thank you.
We sell rabbits locally only but best of luck getting some!
$5 per fertilized dozen or not?
also, hoper popper where to get?
We got ours from Etsy!
what incubator?
We use Nurture Right 360 and love it!
what quail bread would you recommend?
We love Coturnix
@@splitarrowfarm thank you and what is a good place to buy from? would you sell please?
Do u know any quail automatic feeder ?
We haven't found a great one yet unfortunately :(
New subscriber, looking forwards to see your content, also new at homesteading. What would be your “must for new homesteader?
Thanks for the sub! And I think researching what you truly want first and working on automations! We love our quail and chickens and are a great start for animals
@@splitarrowfarm , what automations are helpful to you?
Good vid! Now what about egg/meat nutritional value....and can i feed these critters off my garden? Lol. Oh...also how about their contribution to fertalizer and compost with their waste? I hear rabbits are high on the list in that regard...dont know about quail.
God bless
All great points! Looks like we might need a part 2!
Quail are a clean meat per the Bible while rabbit are not. This is something I’m considering. Of course God allows us to eat anything but He has good reasons why He told us what is clean.
Can you keep breeding rabbits from the same colony without having inbreeding gene problems ? And what about quails ?
I would suggest mixing it up just to prevent issues
I swear, the whole inbreeding thing is a myth. I really never have heard of anyone having problems with inbreeding most animals, but I don't know everything.
I do both. I sell rabbit manure almost as easily as the eggs.
What type of quails are you raising
We raise Coturnix
Quail can incubate their on babies. It takes more time but they can. Also you do have to remove the babies from the males and sometimes momma. But most time moms will take care of their babies. It just bug Ms the crap out of me that people don’t understand this.
Hi Donna, good point. With our setup the eggs drop down which makes it harder for the quail to incubate their own babies but yes, they definitely can raise their own!
It depends on the individual! Quail that were raised by their mother will also be more broody :)
Can you raise rabbits just to sell as pets for people? I feel like I could do this but while I could process a quail, I just don't think I could do it to a bunny.
We raise rabbits as pets so yes you can!
@@splitarrowfarm Awesome. I have a tyrannical township that won’t let me homestead but does allow pet rabbits. I’m thinking if I just say they’re pets I could get away with it.
Show rabbits of good quality will produce offspring that you can sell for a good price. The more active you are in the show community, showing your rabbits and winning awards, will up the value of your rabbits' kits. Plus you will be in contact with the customer base your rabbits are targeted toward- other rabbit show enthusiasts.
@@ArtByKarenEHaley I was curious about show rabbits as we have two angoras and many local shows we could enter. I also saw show feed at a local mill. How do you know which rabbits are best for showing?
@@angrydwarfofdoom if you want to do angoras, you can look in to your country's rabbit breeders association. Which breed of angora do you have? French, or English?
There are clubs online for all breeds, where you can order a breed standards book and learn about the features of your breed the judges will be assessing. I raised mini Rex, Dutch, and mini lops, and all had different breed standards.
Also, humanely harvested angora wool can sell well. especially on Etsy, where hand spinners would purchase the wefts from you online.
I got chickens and quails and now I’m thinking only sticking with quails less space and they sell eggs 100 for 30$ here we’re im at
Rabbit tractors allow you to grow out rabbits for almost free. You do need to move the tractor at least once a day, but hey, free food works.
You can also cut your lawn and after drying, pile up for winter hay. Growing a mulberry tree, or 2 or more, makes shade for your rabbit area, as well as cutting the branches during the summer thinning that you then hang and dry for winter tree hay.
Rabbits also love raked up leaves added to their winter nesting as a delicious nibble treat.
Love this! Great tips, thank you!
I get rabbits about $10 a head at the auction quail run about $5-$10 same auction
QUALITY matters!! Get good stock with rabbits. Your looking for growth rates and good typing!!
Very true! Gotta have a good breeding pair to start with!
And good mothering.
I had New Zealand rabbits now I got quails it’s easier for me to process quails I get sad about having to cull rabbits but yeah easier to maintain rabbits quails is a lil more bad cause they noisy lol and poop a lot and can’t use fertilizer cause it’s hot it’ll dry ur plant rabbit manure on the other hand add directly and watch ur plants grow fast
Think if you had chicks rabbits and quail and they where all born on the same day in 8 weeks or 2 months you could harvest them all the same day just saying. Kinda a neat way to look at it.
Very true!
a 50 pound bag lasts 2 to 3 months I have 3 years worth of stored food for my quail still saving feed and I am going to have rabbits for meat and to sell.
I vote both
Me too!
Selling rabbit meat would be a waste of time if you can sell them alive without having to butcher, them at a loss. So, if you were to sell quail eggs for consumption or for hatching, would you make sure that the eggs for consumption aren't fertilized? Doesn't take any more work to have them fertilized, but then you'd be selling fertilized at a cheaper price than they would be worth.
I'm not watching the video,but want to say this.I've had both,and although there is quick turn over with both.With quail their poop really stinks,and every day you go out to feed you better be looking for snakes.Quail are snake magnets.
Hi mark, sorry to hear that you did not watch the video but thank you for the comments this is helpful. We have not had any issues with snakes but when keeping small animals, eggs and feed out it is always something that you could run into!
Quail is winner
Agreed haha
What is the life cycle of your male breeders
Before you bring in new males
Is this for rabbit or quail?
@@splitarrowfarm both?
I had a rabbit when I was a child. It kept eating/mutilating its own babies right after birth....! I'd rather have a quail and take the eggs, fertile for incubation or not, both are good. Quails for the win!!
Love it
Good stuff!
Thank you
For rabbits, you can raise fishing worms in the droppings.
Nice!
Had both, quail never again. Couldn't really keep them clean, bones are small! and thus a pain to fish out of the stewpot, omnivores so feed is more costly. Need incubator and brooder so electric (cost + loss in case of grid down) and stuff you cannot fix or make yourself. Gratefull for them for being the first animals i put in the freezer, but one batch was enough.
Rabbits on the other hand, i could feed from the garden, and they'll provide the fertilizer for it as well. Don't need help raising young, one or even half will give me 3-5 meals (and i don't raise a meatbreed size wise but borderline size dwarf/minirex). Now i will let them grow out much longer, mainly due to wanting a pelt i can tan and for that they need to be 4-6 months so the hide can handle some strain but defleshing is still fairly easy. Not having to harvest large numbers is helpfull i find, don't want to do many in a day. Rabbit given also the flexibility with free feed can be kept on the hoof as a foodsupply much easier than quail. Saving me a freezer/freezerspace and worry about foodsupply in case of powerfailure (risk of that is rising due to transition to renewables and a grid that can't keep up with both demand and supply).
If i get birds for eggs again it would be bantam chickens, stronger beaks make better able to turn compost and kitchen waste, need less animal protein (slaughterwaste rabbits) and eggs that are a usefull size for bakeing and so on. Rooster (keep an eye on adds for free ones so i can replace him every year) + broody hen and i'll have plenty of layers and some meat in the form of surplus roosters + older layers. Did this for years, had to stop unfortunately, rabbit and chicken make good combo.
Agree on a lot of these details, thanks for sharing!
Ty so much u really helped me decide! Rabbits win!
I know quail are delicious. I'm not so sure about rabbit....
Thanks for the small book you wrote, can't wait to subscribe to your own you tube channel since you have so much to share to the world.
@@mrjon75 too lean for me, quail is more nutrient dense than chicken, plus eggs are super healthy food. And quail can be canned! No freezer needed.
If your going to sell pelts you need a rabbit that has quality pelts like Rex or Satin rabbits
Good tip!
Also I think they need to be harvested older than meat rabbits, or the skin will be too fragile.
$10 to $15 per quail? You've got to be kidding me haha! The US has to be one of the most expensive places in the world to live these days. I have at least 200 quail, 2 incubators on a rotor with 50 eggs per time and I've decided to stop raising them because it's just not worth it for the little bit of meat you get. I eat 4 quail per sitting and it's so time consuming picking the meat from the bones and the quail eat so much. It would be cost effective to raise if they cost $10 each but here you could get 2 kilo butchered for that price. (Thailand) Back to the drawing board!
Oh wow, yeah the USA is a lot different then Thailand prices j can see!
I heard some just take off the skin in one fast movement, so they don't need to pluck feathers.
Atrium? Don't you mean aviary?
Good catching Brandon!
Tbh best not to have livestock in the home you will get attached easily (the kids)
Sadly, you lost me at the mention of the commercial cages you promote. I'm just learning, yet the definite drawbacks of those cages make me realize I won't trust anything else you say... 😕
Additionally, no wood is needed for Closetmaid cages where the cage stays quite clean on its own simply because of the design.
Sorry to hear that and best of luck on your quail journey
Unlikely to be either or who wants to ro only eat one meat
He is giving ya the snake eye....serious debate haha
It is definitely a close call with these two!
I believe quail are also a clean meat as the Bible says, while rabbit is not.
Interesting!
I was thinking the same thing, but I’d rather have rabbits to eat. Got chickens so good there just find it difficult to raise the rabbits and eat them if I’ll be sinning every time I feed my family. I know my ancestors ate them as it was probably a more eat or die scenario, but if I’m raising to harvest maybe I’ll go a different route.
@@fargoalspach557 I don’t believe it’s a sin but that’s something to bring to YHWH in prayer. ❤️ blessings to you family.
A rabbit has many streams of income for rabbits skull tail face fur pelt feet skull manure ears meat
I can't believe you guys are selling rabbits for $40 a piece I'll get rabbits all day long 5 to $10 each
Oh wow, we do live in the Northeast of the US
Sell meat as “dog food”
Oh that’s a good idea!
Bunnies :(
Thanks!
Rabbits are not a good one i have the Flemish Giant
Wow!
Rabbit food were I'm at is 21.50 a bag and I have 19 of them there a lot of work and it might just be me but there not worth all I have to do to keep up with everything
Midsized breeds are usually considered much more productive. The big ones take longer, and need bigger bones so less of their mass is actually eaten. Have you tried New Zealands?
I loved your videos but died inside every time you said “quails” like dude… it’s just QUAIL.
That’s like making a group of moose moose’s! Stopppp
Oh interesting thanks
Harvesting=Slaughter I think we all need to use the proper words. An animal is not wheat.
Thanks for your perspective here
I'm thinking you don't like the term
Freezer Camp
Either
Why do you hate the grasses and insist on slaughtering their unborn children? BTW, lots of animals die in the cultivation of wheat and vegetables. Ever left the city?
Do a little research before you tell everyone you know what the correct word is. It is called harvesting.
@@MickSupper 2 years ago! Were you in a Covid coma or are you just looking for trouble? My comment is to say we need to stop sugarcoating "slaughter". Just because the people use the word "harvest" doesn't mean it's the correct term to use when it is "slaughter" that is happening.
This couple sounds absolutely sick for keeping their quail in such a tiny hell house
Not everyone will have the same opinions but thanks for sharing.
I had an online rage period too. Good luck!
@@splitarrowfarm love your videos!
??
I had New Zealand rabbits now I got quails it’s easier for me to process quails I get sad about having to cull rabbits but yeah easier to maintain rabbits quails is a lil more bad cause they noisy lol and poop a lot and can’t use fertilizer cause it’s hot it’ll dry ur plant rabbit manure on the other hand add directly and watch ur plants grow fast