The Quail Have Landed!

We officially have quail! All three of us headed across the bridge into the next county over to pick up our quail today. Ten hens (females) and two roos (males). Then we spent a good hour just sitting outside watching them.

This will be quite the experience for us considering not one Frühlingskabine inhabitant has ever eaten quail eggs or meat. Never ever. But, as with anything else, we are jumping in head first. I have done research on the basic care of quail and their most basic of needs, but I haven’t found too much information beyond that. It seems like most quail raisers feed “game bird crumbles” and house them in wire bottom hutches. There certainly isn’t anything wrong with that… don’t misinterpret. I was just hoping for some examples of others breeding and raising their quail in pens on the ground and feeding more natural diets.

So, in the void of a model utilizing more natural methods of care and feed, I’m winging it. So to speak. And yes, that pun was intended. If you have any tips for me or would like to share what/how you feed your quail naturally, I would love to hear from you!

In the meantime, check it out…

Operation Quail :: Let’s Get Started

We are officially getting quail on Saturday! You can stop badgering me now… just kidding. You guys are great.

With a little rolling and lifting and kicking of rocks, I expanded the existing flower bed next to our big oak tree. Trevor shoveled in some fill dirt… and bingo, ready for action!

20130515-202110.jpg

20130515-202127.jpg

The three of us took a quick trip to the hardware store and picked up a bundle of 36″ tall wooden stakes and a 20′ roll of rabbit cage wire (1″x1/2″ mesh; 16 gauge). We quickly hammered those puppies in and stapled the wire to the stakes with horseshoe nails.

20130515-202220.jpg

20130515-202233.jpg

20130515-202253.jpg

Next we scrubbed out the converted dog house that the turkens lived in last year. This is going to be a little shelter for the quail. I certainly don’t expect them to be laying eggs in there like chickens do, but it can at least be a sanctuary for when the quail get frightened or when it rains.

20130515-202338.jpg

20130515-202354.jpg

20130515-202404.jpg

Tomorrow we will:
* finish up the wire fencing
* stack more rocks around some gaps along the bottom edge of the enclosure
* make the quail house more cozy
* zip tie the netting on the top of the fenced enclosure
* plant more barley seed
* find the chick-sized feeder and waterer

Then Saturday afternoon we will be driving into the next county over to buy our new quail!

We’re Live On GRIT Folks

… and my very first GRIT magazine blog post is about raising meat animals. I decided to name my GRIT-based blog “Gold Rush Homesteader” to give recognition to the beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills we live in. Our neck of the woods hoasted the thriving Californian gold rush of the mid-1800′s.

Check out my new post and many more to come at GRIT magazine’s Gold Rush Homesteader blog.

Yeah Baby!

20130514-180545.jpg

My new business cards just arrived! I’ve always loved graphic design work, but sometimes it’s nice to see what another designer can come up with as an outside perspective. Plus, it means I can spend my time on other projects. I ordered a big ol’ box of 1,000 full-color, glossy business cards complete with custom design work from Pixels Printed on Etsy.

LOVE!

Thanks to Emily from Pixels Printed for a job well done! Isn’t the little farm house she drew for me absolutely quaint? My current “farm house” is definitely smaller, but a girl can dream can’t she? If you’re looking for some quality business cards, invitations, or announcements, head over to Pixels Printed and support an American small business.