RE: Late Autumn in the Garden
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I see no failures here, only many successes. Lovely space!!!
I have a question about the quails. I now have an itty bitty tiny little yard, and I miss having chickens and their nutrition-packed gifts. What you you think of my keeping quails instead of chickens? I could probably swing 25 or so square feet for coop and run, maybe more with a bit of gerrymandering.
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Quails aren't as intelligent as chickens, so snuggly ones are rare. The female coturnix, which are the ones bred for egg laying, only live around 3 years. They are absolutely suitable for smaller spaces, no more than about one per square foot is recommended. They can fly a bit better than chickens, so a fully enclosed run is a good idea, or you'll lose them to predators and wandering off. You actually don't even need a coop, as they don't use nest boxes or roosts and would rather sleep out for the most part. You'd have to put them in the coop if you want them in there. They lay wherever the feel like it on the ground, usually in a slightly sheltered spot, but not always. I occasionally tread on an egg out in the open.
Feed wise, the only difference between them and chickens is that they need a bit more protein, as their eggs are large for their size. They also grow super fast after hatch.
Thanks! You've made them sound even better. Are the males noisy?
They vary. None are rooster level noisy, but some are louder than others and I've heard some people will still get complaints from neighbours about them, especially if they crow through the night. Most won't crow at night, but some do; usually the loudest ones too... I tend to cull the louder ones for food and keep the quieter ones. They only crow in mating season, so you won't hear them in winter or for most of autumn.
Oh you are talking me right into these creatures! Don't need an unsightly coop (my yard is TINY). I could just put a nice sized cage along my back fence. Eggs, meat, fertilizer. I need these. If you have any other info, or a know a good source I can consult, please let me know. Would they like cohabitating with a small holly? I have many questions.
I don't think they'd mind it. They may eat the lower leaves a bit, but they won't strip bushes like chickens. I gather the berries are toxic to us, but there doesn't seem to be anything to say they are for quail. I even found this which says holly is safe for them:
https://green-shack.com/plants-for-quail/
If you're ever unsure of anything, just do a search on it. What you might encounter in your garden may be different to mine, but someone else will be guaranteed to have an answer somewhere.