What was your question? Or are you concerned about them in some way?
Quail are skittish and nervous, and they flush up when startled, as they do in the wild. Cages need to have soft tops (such as small gauge chicken wire) and/or welded wire. I never build cages more than 2 feet tall, as they can flush up when they get nervous and actually crack their heads open and sometimes die. They cannot be free ranged, as they can easily become prey for raccoons and/or foxes and/or rats. Quails don't roost up high, they hide down low - as they do in the wild. Cages should sit low on the ground - if they are suspended more than 3-4 inches, rats get under the cages and will pull quail's legs off at night when they are sleeping. It is horrifying. Please make sure rats cannot get under the quail's cages!! It's a really good idea to do some research on how quail live in their natural habitat and then work with that knowledge to help them thrive in captivity. We have aviary cages that I built and put over a trough that collected their
poop in sawdust shavings, of which were deposited in the worm bins. Everything was closed up tight and only 4 inches off the ground - the trays slid right underneath and quail would roost in
milk jugs (see below).
Quail eggs are nutritious and buttery. They are good for all types of eating. They are of
course small, but it's only an issue if people want it to be. I just figure it's part of their charm.
Quail need a sand or dust bath handy and places to hide and shield themselves - like branches or boxes cut out or something. Milk jugs that have a window cut out of the side and filled with sand are excellent for this. They can't be pets unless you feel like putting an ungodly amount of time into taming and hand feeding them, and then if that's your bag, right on.
Coturnix quail (pharoah or D1 brown speckled) are all dark meat and have a gamier taste. They are smaller in size. Texas A & M quail (all white) are beefier and have more lean meat that tastes more like chicken. They are heavier than regular coturnix quail. We have raised both and have found both have good qualities. I would raise Texas quail again. Hardier, less prone to leg breakage and braining themselves on the tops of cages. Just a tougher bird, all around. And snow white pretty. There are other kinds, too, but we have no
experience with them, so I'll leave those alone.
Anyhow, hope all this helps. If you aren't impressed or interested in keeping them, a lot of area farmers would be interested - their eggs fetch a novelty price and hollow eggs are routinely sold for crafting. Also there is HUGE market in the Seattle area for ethically and organically raised quail from area farmers. I'm sure Vancouver wouldn't be that different....
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