the mq covey.wmv

The remaining 5 chicks (with the 2 parents) finally grew up!

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• mountain
• quail
• covey

[daringraf]

Nice birds. How long did it take them to get this size? What type of feed do you use?

[ntsees]

@daringraf

It took about 4-5 months to get the adult plumage. As for the feed, I used chick starter during that time. What I wanted to use was the gamebird starter that has more protein but I was unable to get it. It looks like it didn't matter much since they were free-roaming and so they had additional protein from the insects they fed in the backyard.

[smileygriller]

do they just stick around?

[ntsees]

@smileygriller

Lol, of course, only because I cut their primary flight feathers...otherwise they'd fly away. An fyi, they're my pets and not birds from the wild. Even though if they've been domesticated for I don't know how many generations, I know that they won't come back if they flew away.

[omitnot]

what lovely birds! do you breed them?

[ntsees]

@omitnot : Yes, I will try to this year again.

[smileygriller]

@ntsees well yeah i know i clip mine too and theyve lived generations even on the farm before i got them. mine have flown away before (in extremely cold winters i let their feathers grow out in addition to the heat box for extra warmth) and it was a nightmare to get them back. expecially cause it flew into the neighbors yard with their huge, bird-hungry dog

[ntsees]

@omitnot : yes they are.

[omitnot]

aren't they quail family?