www.TheDoItYourselfWorld.com

Recently, I have started raising coturnix quail. I have found them easier then chickens in some ways.

They hatch (fast) in 17 days.

These birds are meat size or egg laying size in 6-8 weeks. Much faster meat cycle then most chickens and faster to egg laying size then any chicken I know of.

Quail about are as easy to clean and dress as a fish (much easier and faster then a chicken).

They lay eggs one a day like chickens.

There is an all dark meat and the Texas A&M variety is all white meat.

With quail, the Cages and coops can be much smaller.

They do not tend to eat their own eggs.

Fertile eggs can be sold on eBay to supplement feed costs.

There are some drawbacks.
-they are not as weather resistant as a chicken
-the eggs are smaller
-you need two butchered birds for a good serving of meat.
-coturnix quail will not incubate their own eggs. ...so you need an incubator or broody bantam chicken.

The speed of egg to meat/egg layer seems to make it worth it so far.

Consider the quail.

Some quail links

http://www.survivalblog.com/2012/06/cot ... yland.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Quail butchered (breasted out) in 60 seconds

http://youtu.be/9i1dM0cRzrA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Full bird

http://youtu.be/PkDc4vbBrnY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I once had quail as pets but sadly left a window open and a cat got in and destroyed the cage. I only found a few feathers. Not sure if he got them al or not.

I guess I would keep them indoors then, like a shed or garage to keep them warmer. Sounds like a good business though.