Raising Domestic Quail For Profit

Selling quail meat, eggs, capes, chicks, and even adult birds offer financial benefits to those raising domestic quail.

In case no one has mentioned it, raising domestic quail can be a very rewarding endeavor. Coturnix quail are docile and friendly birds. Additionally, the entire process of keeping quail can be something that puts a few extra dollars in your pocket. Selling quail meat, eggs, capes, and live birds are ways your birds can fund themselves.

Sounds interesting, right? I’ll explain further. 

Quail, much like chickens, offer various natural products that can be bought and sold. However, unlike chickens, they allow folks to dabble in the homesteading lifestyle without fully plunging into it. That said, it’s a good idea to know what your quail are capable of producing ahead of time. That way, you can capitalize on their meat, eggs, capes, and the quail themselves. 

Domestic Quail Meat

Anyone who has ever hunted wild quail will already know this: quail are meaty little birds. Domestic quail are even more so. When fed a high protein diet, which quail need, they put on body mass quickly. After just six weeks of life, coturnix quail are ready to be processed and put in the freezer. They grow that quick. 

At restaurants, quail is considered a delicacy. It sells at top prices. If you can make a restaurant connection, raising quail for meat can be a rather lucrative business. 

There is the small reality that if you chose to do this, you would need a certified abattoir to process your tiny birds first. Then, jump through several hoops to be able to sell those birds. However, some homesteaders take it upon themselves to cut out the middleman and become a certified facility on site. It is difficult, but it is possible. 

Domestic Quail Eggs

Quail eggs were how I got into homesteading for profit. I sold quail eggs in my driveway to folks who were interested in trying them. Later, I sold pickled quail eggs. That did well, too. 

Eggs give you another means to profit on a small scale. While it’s illegal to sell ungraded eggs to restaurants, you can sell them on your property without going through the rigmarole. 

Selling eggs is a great way for your quail to pay for themselves. In fact, I’ve done this with every single kind of bird that I raise on my homestead. My driveway egg sales pay for bird food, bedding, hutch repairs, new builds, egg cartons, and anything else that might be needed. 

If you’ve started selling eggs and found a local demand, keep in mind that quail, like most domesticated birds, stop laying eggs while they molt. They also stop laying when the hours of daylight begin to wane. The latter is a good time to let them rest—it’s a simple practice and keeps their natural cycles in check. You can, if you wanted to, supply them with artificial light. Then, they would keep on laying eggs straight through the winter. However, out of principle, I choose not to.

Selling Domestic Quail Capes Or Pelts

Selling quail capes makes the process of skinning domestic quail a slower, more methodical endeavor. However, the end result is absolutely beautiful. 

The cape of a domestic quail is essentially the pelt from the lower neck down to the tail. That is different from what the classification of a cape is on, say, a rooster. Prior to knowing this, when processing my quail, I did a fairly sloppy job of skinning them. But then, I realized the value of a well-skinned cape. Friends who happen to fly fish and tie their own flies were happy to buy my capes. 

The great part about selling quail capes is that coturnix quail come in many plumages. Today, I raise several types. When the time comes to cull birds, I am certain that more of the bird is being used. Plus, I can make $15/cape doing so. 

Selling Live Quail

If you decided to sell live quail, there’s two ways you can do it: selling chicks and selling adults.

Coturnix Quail Chicks

Every spring, I make sure to keep at least two males. That way, I ensure that the hens are bred and that their eggs are fertile. Why? Because the going rate for quail chicks is $3.50/chick, but a quick internet search reveals some folks selling them for $5/chick. Similarly, selling hatching eggs during the spring, summer, and autumn can often be profitable as well, especially if you’ve invested in multiple varieties of coturnix quail. That way, you have a selection of plumages available. 

If you decide that you want to sell chicks, invest in an incubator. This will cost you some fairly serious dough, even for a used unit. You will also need space for a brooder, which requires a heat lamp to keep the chicks warm inside. Chicks will live in the brooder for about four weeks. At that point, they can be moved outside. Keeping quail outdoors is a commitment that I consider worth the time and energy. 

Another thing you need to keep in mind when raising chicks for money is that sometimes sales fall through. When this happens, you’re left with more birds than you expected. The trick to this is to automatically expect that some sales will fall through and that you’ll be left with more birds than you expected. These “extra” birds will ultimately become grow-outs that become part of your breeding stock or put into the freezer. 

Coturnix Quail Hens and Roosters

Much to my delight, I found that selling fully grown birds, especially laying hens, fetch more than $10/bird. Crazy, right? 

If you’re going to sell adult quail, make sure that your birds are in the absolute best shape possible. More than once have I responded to an ad showing perfectly plump, healthy quail, only to show up and see that they are anything but.

Selling adult quail is also a great way to rotate through your current stock, especially if you have too many roosters or old hens. Whatever you have for sale, make sure to be very specific when making an ad—leave nothing up for interpretation to the buyer. In the past, I’ve found it beneficial to have a small pen separate where I can keep quail that are already spoken for away from the rest of my covey. Doing so makes it easier to sort through the birds when folks come to pick them up. 

Raising domestic quail is rewarding beyond just having a supply of delicious little birds kicking around your property. Make no mistake about it, there is a demand for them. When you tap into that demand, it can be beneficial not only for you, but for your wallet. Raising birds for profit isn’t for everyone, but then again, you’ll never know unless you give it a try.