HATCHING & RAISING QUAIL

Organic quail chick and mother henQuail Why and how? Getting started.

I had read that for centuries in Japan and China quail eggs had been used in  the treatment of various respiratory diseases and allergies.  Finding no organic eggs on the market, I decided to raise them myself...read more

Organic quail chicks with mother Ardenner bantam

Quail Hatch - Taking you through the first few days.

Polly and the quail at three days old and already something of a handful! I kept them in the nest for the first three days, letting them gain in strength...read more

Organic quail chick and hen free-rangingHow your hen can bring out the best in baby quail.

Years of selective breeding have not only bred the broodiness out of domesticated quail but also their ability to identify and seek out their own food. read more

A very broody hen displayingUnderstanding broodiness in hens. How  this helps in raising quail

The idea of 'a' broody hen is a simplified human interpretation of what is a complex and recurring phase in a bird's life. ...read more
Raising quails with a mother hen

Choosing the right Mother Hen

Raising quail with a hen is a three way process, there has to be understanding and adaptability from both mother and chick(s) but there also has to be...read more

My coturnix quail is broody and sitting eggsOne of my quail has gone broody and is sitting eggs.

So here I am with my design for a secure quail breeding area still in the workshop and Ginger already sitting and on her 6th day of incubation...read more

Organically raised quail eggs - my quail is sittingOne of my quail has gone broody and is sitting eggs - Update.

I should have known nothing is ever simple with quail but it certainly is exciting...read more

My coturnix quail is nesting and sitting her own eggsOne of my quail has gone broody Update 2.

Everything seemed to be going well, Ginger, our golden coturnix quail had been sitting her second nest very seriously now for 14 days ...read more

My coturnix quail and her chickMy quail is raising her own chicks  - Update 3.

I was amazed by the way Ginger had accepted the quail chicks and they had instantly warmed to her...read more

Quail chick with riboflavin deficiency - curled toe paralysisIdentification of riboflavin deficiency in purchased quail and hatching eggs

Quail have a high basal metabolic rate and as such their problems with nutrition are dramatically and rapidly revealed...read more

Quail chick being treated for riboflavin deficiencyCure curled toe paralysis (riboflavin deficiency)

For my 'field study', I am using the example of quail chicks, from non-organic purchased hatching eggs because this is the area in which, sadly I have a great deal of experience ..read more

 

Treating an injured quail Nutritional support for sprains, strains and nerve damage

Here's Drusilla she is one of my coturnix quail and over the past few days she has started to limp, holding up her foot and hopping...read more

Treating inflammation and infection with cabbage poultices

Recently I had occasion to use this poultice on two cases simultaneously, my quail and my neighbour's hen's suspected bumblefoot.. ...read more

Treating a nasty head wound and shock

Our poor quail, Nuggets with a horrible injury to her head and eyes (Happy ending!) ...read more


Quail, Chickens & Watercress - A winning combination

So what is it that makes watercress so special? It's not just the quantity of individual vitamins and minerals but the...read more


Quail, Chickens  & Watercress Part 2 - Cultivation & Harvest

Contrary to its common name nasturtium officianale does not need to be grown in water, moist soil is fine. However,  it does give the watercress...read more

quail eggs medicinal usesA comprehensive guide into the history & use of quail eggs in medicine Part 1


How we cured Andy's hay fever and eczema with a dip into Ancient Egypt and 60's France...read more

quail eggs for allergies and diseasesA comprehensive guide into the history & use of quail eggs in medicine  Part 2

Now we eat quail eggs for pleasure..here I look in depth at the clinical trials in the 1960s and the posology used then and by us...read more

Tips and strategies for raising natural organic quail chicks

I hadn't really intended that 'Snow Kitten' should raise quail but she was broody and I'm always wanting to spread the word on cage-free quail. In fact it caused quite a stir and eve...read more

Encouraging Pair-bonding, Nesting and Broodiness in Coturnix Quail

An introduction to the setting up of a safe quail breeding area. Andy and I created this last year but the broody quail beat us to it...read more

Creating A Safe Quail Area Part 1 Design & Materials 

Once my quail started to pair bond and create designated nesting sites,  I realised that, any interference on my part, such as putting them away at night, or covering the nests, interfered with..read more

Creating A Safe Quail Area Part 2 - The Build

A detailed, step-by-step account of the making of the safe quail area, with photos, tips and strategies for a trouble free build..read more


Creating a Safe Quail Environment

Building a Quail Safe Habitat - Part 3 - Planting Up & Fitting Out

To complete our quail safe area and to create a more varied and interesting terrain, I decided to experiment with all sorts of vegetation. some of which I had already used successfully in other areas.read more 

The Colours of Coturnix Quail - Intro & Pharaoh aka Brown

In the pages of this site, I write mostly on practical issues and as 'The Holistic Hen', I do always hope that I am looking at the whole bird. Thus plumage colour is important ....read more

The Colours of Coturnix Quail 2 - Gold

The controversial Golden quail is there just one or more and what's with the yellow lethal allele? That and more discussed here....read more

Rosetta - Colours of Coturnix Japonica Quail

Colours of Coturnix Japonica Quail Part 3  White, Panda, Tibetan, Rosetta & Tuxedo

I'm not sure why this would be, possibly hidden within the genetics of breeding these lovable creatures but along with the golden quail....read more

In Search of the Singing Coturnix

Two World Wars destroyed the bloodline of the singing quail, which had been established over centuries. Now however...read more

Scaly Leg/Tassel Foot & Scaly Face in Quail

Knemidocoptes mutans a very successful, microscopic burrowing mite, is one I have dealt with before within these pages in its relationship to my hens and cockerels. I also mentioned that it could....read more

Scaly Leg & Scaly Face Part 2 - Treatment

In the following we will look at how to treat scaly leg and scaly face with organic, readily-available, effective and low cost solutions.....read more

Scaly leg treatment for organic quail
Scaly Leg & Scaly Face in Quail Part 3 - Follow-Up Treatment

Above you can see the difference after over a week of dust-bathing and my quail working on her feet. There is still more to do but I have given ...read more

pain surprise sandwiches Halloween style

Perfectly Horrid Halloween Pain Surprise - 

I've been raising organic mealworms for some years, mainly for our quail. This year I have had a bumper amount of mealworms hatching and pupating due to the continuous hot Summer weather, so they need of a new home...read more

Common Nutritional Deficiencies in Quail, Game-birds & Poultry

Many nutritional deficiencies in chicks are in fact due to gaps in parental diet, which impact directly upon the quality of the embryo's nutrition and therefore start within the shell..read more 
Raising Mealworms Organically for Quail

Raising Mealworms Organically for Optimum Poultry Protein - Part One 

I've always been concerned about the level of protein in the diet of my quail. This is not only from the point of view of egg laying but also and more importantly because..read more 

Raising mealworms organically for poultry

Raising Mealworms Organically for Optimum Poultry Protein -- Part Two

As with all my work both writing and films, my intention is to share that observation is key in the understanding of how we can best raise our poultry. This also holds good for how we raise...read more 

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