Quail--Free Ranging

Рет қаралды 16,131

5 жыл бұрын

Raising California Quail in my back yard without pens or cages for the past two years. Numbers increased from six to forty seven after meeting their nutritional and environmental needs.

Пікірлер: 75

@bubbleman441 2 жыл бұрын

I love how you observe and study the nature of these quail and give them what they need to thrive FREELY. I'm looking to get quail on my property soon which led me to your video. My goal is to know the nature of many different animals and integrate them into the land in one symbiotic and balanced ecosystem.

@richardrobertson1331 2 жыл бұрын

James, having a balanced ecosystem is also my goal and I applaud you for your efforts. Good luck achieving your goal. It takes lots of monitoring and adjusting, but for me, that simply makes it more fun and challenging. Thanks for your comment.

@jaylittleton1 Жыл бұрын

Hi Richard. I read through the comments before typing this. For the "Friendly Neighbor" who called F&W, I hope they get everything in life that they deserve. Kathy & I didn't know about the limestone, only egg shell. We will look in to that. Regards.

@raymondhill3 Жыл бұрын

I have a similar situation to yours and now I will be able to support my quail population better from the things you have shown in this video!

@richardrobertson1331 Жыл бұрын

Raymond, that's great. Now I'd like to see a video or your work. Just remember, the higher the bird density, the greater the predators. Sorry about that fact of life.

@raymondhill3 Жыл бұрын

@@richardrobertson1331 I do sometimes have hawks here and I am OK with them. Domestic animals I don't plan to tolerate. But so far, no cats or dogs. I don't do KZfaq videos, maybe someday!

@chrisleiser1013 4 жыл бұрын

I liked this. Would watch more videos on the quail and other wildlife you have attracted. Great job!

@richardrobertson1331 4 жыл бұрын

Chris, Thank you for your kind comment. I have two more wildlife elated videos almost ready to post. I'll try to get them posted this weekend. Thanks for watching.

@lasonyaluther3553 Жыл бұрын

Loved how your observed their environment. I learned something new about the limestone sand

@JULIOHERNANDEZ-mn6mq Жыл бұрын

Very nice video señor okay Papa Pa lante siempre palante okay 😎💯

@GuardianAngel.. 19 күн бұрын

Impossible! Nobody can tame these Quails but somehow You managed to pull it off

@noochy9091 4 жыл бұрын

Quails are so cute. I never knew.

@Shandornm 5 жыл бұрын

Very informative, great video!

@richardrobertson1331 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your kind comment. I'll try to post another this weekend.

@richardrobertson1331 Жыл бұрын

I plan to soon free-range my domestic quail in my backyard, as well. I feel certain that wild male California quail will mate with my domestic birds, which presents a problem. Most states require a license to raise California quail, because they are a "game bird". So, if my female domestic quail produce offspring that look like California quail, the Fish and Game authorities could have an issue with me. I do not want to go thru the permit requirements to raise pure-bred California quail; I avoid "empirial entanglements" whenever possible. Having a permit invites unannounced inspections, maintaining their required housing "standards", keeping records on every bird, etc. So, last week I paid a visit to my local State Wildlife office and spoke with one of their Rangers about this dilemma. Half-bred California quail do not come under their jurisdiction, so I'm on sound legal grounds but an aggressive Ranger could require me to do a DNA test on one of my very large California quail half breeds. Maybe I'll simply put up a sign telling the wild quail that breeding with my domestic birds is against the law.

@frillback Жыл бұрын

Awesome video. Very helpful.

@richardrobertson1331 Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. I wish I had a better mike and voice, but propagating quail in the "wild" like that was more fun than you can imagine.

@ks8579 Жыл бұрын

Very nice. Thank you.

@brightantwerp 3 жыл бұрын

That's lovely! Thank you for sharing this.

@Hangstaz 8 ай бұрын

Yes, please, please do another video! Also, tell facts about them and have live feed video!

@deathtoluke 3 жыл бұрын

actually really nice video. wish you made more

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

I'll work on it. Thanks for your kind comment.

@onlyintime9914 Жыл бұрын

!!! Limestone sand for quail to meet their calcium nutrition requirements

@Rapunzeledits38 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Richard,I loved your video it's very informative and I appreciate your first effort,can you please upload more videos...thanks in advance

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

Sayeed, I have one almost ready to post but it needs a little more editing. And thank you for your kind words about my first video effort.

@mattcarr2050 2 жыл бұрын

nice video man

@richardrobertson1331 2 жыл бұрын

matt carr, glad you enjoyed it. I'm about ready to film a follow-up. I hope you enjoy it, as well.

@mweber5459 5 ай бұрын

Salmonella issues are lessened in Quail thanks to their higher body temperature.

@richardrobertson1331 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for that information.

@theoldcypresshouse 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Richard, I really enjoyed your video...I live in Louisiana and just hatched a few valley quail to have as pets. I love how they are running around your backyard. My husband is going to build an aviary for them so they don't have to live in a cage. Hope your quail are doing well and I look forward to any other videos you make of them :)

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

Colleen, thank you for your comment. I hope you find satisfaction and enjoyment with your quail, as I do. My biggest challenge is seeing predators taking one or two every week (mostly house cats that are let outside for a few hours every day). Good luck with the aviary your husband is going to build.

@monicabond3218 2 жыл бұрын

@@richardrobertson1331 I would love to do the same thing Richard,the reason I haven't is because of the family cat which would to lie in wait for the covey that used to come through our yard at approx.4:30 every afternoon. It only happened when there were chicks with them,but after a while the quail quit coming through,and I haven't seen them for a year or so,and I really miss their visits. ,

@richardrobertson1331 2 жыл бұрын

@@monicabond3218 I appreciate your real concern about your family cat being the predator. I'm currently working on a very large project increasing the number of quail in the hills behind my house, and predators are the biggest issue. Family cats that have become wild (feral) are the number one issue, along with snakes and raccoons. Very few predators, like cats, kill for the pleasure of the hunt; they kill and move on leaving the dead birds to decay on the surface. That odor brings in animals like coyotes, which add to the problem. Birds that nest on the ground, like quail, have little chance of success as long as these predators are around, so I have an additional program which I refer to as my "predator mitigation" program. Thank you for your comment.

@monicabond3218 2 жыл бұрын

@@richardrobertson1331 Thank you for the reply Richard I think it's admirable that you are working to increase the wild population,which is all I would like to accomplish,although I have nothing against those that need to raise them for sustenance. I have learned a lot from your video regarding their feeding and nesting requirements. After seeing how they like to nest in your Junipers,I realize I may have unwittingly deprived them of their natural nesting habit by removing and burning the Buckwheat,which has a similar growth habit to your Junipers, due to wildfire concerns,as Buckwheat is extremely flammable. I plan on getting a collar with a bell attached to see if that will help with the cat problem. Thank you for posting your very informative article.

@richardrobertson1331 2 жыл бұрын

@@monicabond3218, I am always concerned about the risk of fires when providing good quail cover. I don't know how to get around it. If you discover a low cost solution, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks for your comment.

@thegipsygardener 3 жыл бұрын

Great info thank you🐥

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

The Gypsy Gardener, I'm glad you enjoyed this video. I did this "experiment" just to see if I could do it, and it worked. If the need for food ever became a life-threatening issue, the quail would certainly be available. I enjoyed seeing them in the yard and yet knowing they had the freedom of living anywhere in the neighborhood they wanted.

@EstebanZavalaF 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome, im about to start on free ranging. Hope in a months you can see update in my channel. The owners bought 2 females 1 male, but i dont want them on a cage, so the first chicken will be free on my yard

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

Good luck with your efforts. I hope predators like cats, raccoons, skunks and hawks are not a problem in your area.

@EstebanZavalaF 3 жыл бұрын

@@richardrobertson1331 thank you! There are skunks & cats, but I will work on reducing de possibilities of hunt. Thanks for the info!

@ajisrugbylicious 3 жыл бұрын

Great video, and great 1st effort! I hope the quail are doing well, and would love to see another video from you. Do the quail stay around all year?

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

A.J. Campbell, they would have if the Fish and Game were not called by a neighbor and trapped and relocated. I was not home when they did this. I am currently doing the same thing on a 30 acre parcel in the foothills near my home with the permission of the property owner. He won't call Fish and Game. The big worry here in Utah is that some winter snow storms dump lots of snow that stays around for more than a week. If sturdy plants were not available for them to hide and be protected from the elements, many would starve or die of exposure. Low juniper shrubs in my yard provide adequate protection and I could make sure their nutritional needs are being met. They're almost "domesticated" and tolerate my presence if I move slowly and am alone. Thanks for the question.

@wanzueni 3 жыл бұрын

they are so beautiful.ill have to bring some to my farm in Kenya

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

I wish you luck if you are going to raise quail. They are very satisfying to work with.

@idoreactionsbysayingmeanst4332 2 жыл бұрын

Awwyyyy ❤️

@ramirohuerta7589 2 жыл бұрын

Very cool

@richardrobertson1331 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it.

@JudgeMarmianWiZard 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for showing me these very cute and funny to watch birds, I like how they kick mud behind them, do you eat their eggs?

@richardrobertson1331 4 жыл бұрын

Furious Teasipper, no I don't eat their eggs since I have been trying to increase their local population. In two years I went from 6 birds in my back yard to 47, until Fish and Game was called by a neighbor and many of them were trapped and relocated. They;re pretty good at hiding their nests under the juniper shrubs and if I disturbed their nests, they might start nesting elsewhere. Thanks for asking.

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

@nick sweeney I love your humor. And I wish all my problems were so simple and enjoyable. Moses had the same issue when feeding manna to the 12 tribes . . . the quail ate it too, and their numbers exploded. But Moses had a remedy that seemed to work pretty well. Thanks for your comment. You're a smart guy.

@Monicafebriantini 4 жыл бұрын

so cute!! how large is your backyard??

@richardrobertson1331 4 жыл бұрын

It's small, maybe one third of an acre.

@carolleenkelmann4751 2 жыл бұрын

I have the perfect solution to making sure they don't overpopulate. They are pretty. "And they all scatter" call. Would have been nice to hear.

@richardrobertson1331 2 жыл бұрын

Carolle Enkelmann, my microphone is not sensitive enough to record their calls, but I do enjoy listening to them. Maybe I could replace it someday and make another video with their many calls on it. Even though they are totally wild, they tolerate me being near them bringing them food and sand. I try to always wear the same hat so they know it's me. Thanks for the suggestion.

@jasmynesartstudio 3 жыл бұрын

Do you get eggs from these quails?

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

These are truly wild quail, even though I can get quite close to them as they are feeding. They nest under yard shrubs and I do not disturb them when they are nesting. To collect eggs I would have to purchase domestic quail and keep them in a cage. The new house I moved to has too many neighborhood cats that wander into my yard, so I think it would be difficult to increase the number of wild quail here like I was able to do at my former location. I plan to attempt to increase the quail numbers in the hills just a few blocks from my new location if I can get permission from one or more of my "neighbors" who have a few acres of land and are farther away from all these cats. It would be illegal to attempt to collect their eggs since they are a "game bird" and, thus, protected by law. Besides, I want to increase their numbers . . . I have a few chickens for my egg needs. Thanks for asking.

@owengratzer2366 3 жыл бұрын

Those are beautiful can you buy them domesticated?

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

Owen, very good question! California quail have a very frightened and nervous nature and don't do as well as almost all other breeds of quail in captivity. They usually only breed in the Spring, so you can only buy fertilized California quail eggs in March and April. On the plus side, they are one of the few breeds of quail that can live in the "wild" since they naturally hide from predators, fly away at the slightest unusual sound, and constantly try to escape when put in a cage. Plus they are rather small compared to most other quail breeds. It takes more than ten generations of careful selection to domesticate a wild bird, and California quail are no exception. So, to answer your question, domestication is not a practical option. Your state government may want you to obtain special permits to keep California quail in a pen since they are a "game" bird in many states. Thanks for asking.

@saquibhafez 4 жыл бұрын

are these wild quails?

@richardrobertson1331 4 жыл бұрын

saquibhzafee, yes they are totally wild. In Utah, they are considered a "game bird" so they cannot legally be trapped or kept in a cage. They reproduce so quickly (3 or 4 clutches per year) and start laying eggs at three months of age. It's relatively easy to propagate them in the wild, if they have multiple places to hide from predators and have protection from the heavy snows we have here. Skunks, cats, raccoons and hawks are our biggest predator threats here, and you may find it necessary to cage trap predators (hawks are federally protected, so I don't mess with them). I have since moved 15 miles from this location and am doing the same thing in my "new" back yard. Thanks for asking.

@georgezakedis8702 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks this is something I would like to do in my back yard. But I think the main worry is the predators we have cats, possums, raccoons, skunks Crows, hawks and such. I am in a housing track with a good size yard, but they all seem to come by mostly at night. Do you think this can be done where I live?

@richardrobertson1331 4 жыл бұрын

Jorge, two neighborhood cats get one of "my" quail every week and a hawk gets two every month, or so, but they reproduce so quickly that I can maintain 45 to 47 quail at all times. Winter snows destroy more than predators, because their nutritional requirements are so high. It's worth a try, Jorge, but remember the feed I put out every day is mainly for the bug population, not the birds. Grains only have 6 to 12% protein, and quail need 22 to 27% protein. The bugs provide the balance. You can purchase feed with 25% protein, but it has already been supplemented with either fish meal or meat from another source. The juniper shrubs are excellent natural cover since they keep out cats, hawks and support quite a snow load. Good luck in your decision.

@georgezakedis8702 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, I am in California the SF bay area so we don't get snow but I will need to build some kind of cover. I am thinking about a " covered Cage" with wide enough space between the bars for a quail to go thru but not a cat. My wife likes the Idea and we have neighbors that I don't think would mind. 45 birds seems like a lot, do you have to "reduce" them from time to time?

@richardrobertson1331 4 жыл бұрын

@@georgezakedis8702 good question! Yes, if you let the population density get too high, predators or disease will thin them out. I let the density rise as an experiment to see if I could do it. I later found out the Fish and Game must have been called and they trapped and relocated the majority of "my" birds. Loss from cats is a big concern since some cats do it for the joy of the hunt and dogs may do the same thing, killing as many birds as they can catch in one day. Sad, but it's in their DNA, so I try to make it more difficult for them to get to my birds, like you suggest. Good luck with your efforts.

@vincenzaperriano876 Жыл бұрын

What state Re u in?

@richardrobertson1331 Жыл бұрын

Utah

@user-rb2po4rz2u Жыл бұрын

😍😘👍

@noumanjadoon1056 3 жыл бұрын

What is the name of this bird 🐦

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

Norman, these birds are known as "California Quail" here in the western part of the United States, but I''m sure every country has a local name for them that is different.

@bluepterosaur Жыл бұрын

They’re so fat and cute

@kyrie26 10 ай бұрын

Hi. Why did you join "quail" and "free"? Confusing. Hyphens are for joining words especially with no spaces around the hyphen. You're not freeing "range quails". Neither are they "range quails" that are free. Rather, they are free-range quails. They hyphen is important. "Free-range" or even "freerange" must be joined in this case. Also, you are free-ranging quails. Please help bring back word joinery and visual reading, thank you!

@richardrobertson1331 10 ай бұрын

@kyrie26, you probably have two good points here and you sound sincere in your presentation. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I wish it were the biggest mistake I made that day, or any day, for that matter.

@summerbreeze5758 3 жыл бұрын

Theee are fat quails! The quails out here are regular sized

@richardrobertson1331 3 жыл бұрын

Summer Breeze, yes, they are a bit heavy. I provided adequate food for both the quail and the bugs that ate the excess grain for a reason. I wanted a healthy bug population, because grain alone does not provide enough protein (9 to 12% protein) for optimal growth (22 to 24% protein diet), plus this was an experiment . . . and it worked. It takes energy to convert carbohydrates (grain) into protein, plus their brains are genetically programmed to scratch around looking for bugs. That's why most birds (including chickens) scratch their food dishes even when it's full of grain. They want to supplement their diet with bugs. Thanks for your comment.