Have had 30+ young quails penned up in their release area for 2 weeks giving them the opportunity to get bonded with their surroundings. Today was the day i'd planned to release them, but i can't help worry about all the wild things that might make a meal of them. Still it had to be done, so i went about the preparations. First i propped the cage up on rocks and set their feed tray under it. The pen roof will still keep the food dry and provide them some cover, yet they can go under the pen to eat and still be able to flee from predators. I didn't want them going back inside the cage itself for food because they could get cornered. Then propped some big leafy branches up against the pen in the hopes of foiling or slowing any hawk attacks.

Then the big moment. Opened the cage and they very slowly filed out. They headed toward a small stream and were soon very happily picking at green plants. At one point they all discovered they could fly and flew up a very short 10 or 12 feet and came back down. One quail got lost from the others. I tried to scare it toward the rest, but it ended up actually letting me pick it up before it tried to flutter away. That one might be brain damaged from the hatch, it'll probably be the first to get ate. Pen released quail have a low survival rate. I hate for any to die, but at least they'll experience freedom first. They looked very happy with their necks cautiously stretched out looking at a world they'd only viewed through mesh wire. All i hope is that some of them live and go on to lead natural lives and multiply.

Plinker.....

I went to check on them today and they were along the far edge of the deer plot field. They were exposed but close to the weed cover. I rode up and stopped the ATV and watched them for a long time, they were hunting bugs or something. They seemed happy. I started ATV and they all dashed for cover, so they're doing good.

Plinker

Well, here it is almost a week later. I saw 13 the other day, so i didnt know if they split up or if that was all that was left. Today i was shooting my bow down at the garden and out of some weeds come these quails from over at the left of the targets. What's matter with these retards?? they're free they're not supposed to come home! So i count and there's 14 of them. Maybe the group split up or maybe i miscounted the other day. If i miscounted, at least none got ate since last time i saw them. But the little buggers come up in the garden eating the rye seed i had sowed there and they didn't seem afraid of me at all. So i lunged at them, then they burst into flight and landed on the hill in the weeds and they ducked under all the grass and blended in and disappeared. I thought they'd stay where i turned them loose, because it was at least a quarter mile from the house. More like a half mile. I hope they go back, because i tried to put them in a safe place, but there's house cats around here.

Plinker

Plinker, good to see you are enjoying the quail. Cats and raptors will take many of them until they become wild and take to cover or flight at the slightest hint of danger. If I can get rid of some more of this dense fescue I hope to have some quail to flight train next spring. We have a swamp and side field that I've worked on to get it back to navtive grasses. Maybe someday wild quail will return or I can establish from releases.

How is your fall plot doing?

The plot is doing okay. We got a downpour right after it was planted that washed some of the seeds away. It's greening up though. Also planted 4 lbs of pure turnips and have broadcast winter rye on some of the bare spots. Thanks for asking, hope your plots are doing great, too.

Plinker

So, now they've been out 17 days. Yest i counted 9 running through MIL's yard and eating under her bird feeder. Today they're still around and eating at my feeder. There is a pen of 10 quails i kept. The released were under the pen getting dropped seeds and also flying up against the pen to visit. They are very tame, unlike a wild bird they'll let you get within 10 foot. Right after they hatched they were so wild they trampled and smothered one another at the slightest movement.

Nine out of 30 something isn't very good survival, although it could be they're coming into the yard to avoid predators which would mean these ones are survivors. This release effort hasn't been exactly what i'd hoped for, but i do enjoy seeing them in the yard. If i raise more, i'm going to have to use some sort of solar or battery heat source to be able to get them imprinted to their release area at a younger age.

Plinker

Plinker, Build a recall pen. Keep it away from the house. Infrared heat lamp from the farm store and keep away from them unless you have a bird dog to flush them on a regular basis. They must fear you and all other creatures.