# Viability of raising quail and microgreens for everyday use and survival?



## aroglesby85 (Dec 26, 2013)

Hello all.

I came across a coworker who grows his own micro greens in his kitchen, I became interested in this and would like some more information.
Is it viable to grow this from a prepper stand point, in say my two car garage? Also I currently already raise my own quail, to feed my hawks and falcons. Would these be viable to eat in a survival situation?

(i currently raise in the area of 3000-5000 quail at any time) I also have at least a 1 car garage area or I could possibly build a greenhouse (depending on cost) to raise some form of greens.

My goal is to supply myself year around with both meat and greens.

How practical is this idea?

Any info on this, or other ideas would be great.


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

aroglesby85 said:


> Hello all.
> 
> I came across a coworker who grows his own micro greens in his kitchen, I became interested in this and would like some more information.
> Is it viable to grow this from a prepper stand point, in say my two car garage? Also I currently already raise my own quail, to feed my hawks and falcons. Would these be viable to eat in a survival situation?
> ...


Your Bio is not updated so I cannot help you.

If you live in a southern climate it could probably be a viable option, if you are in a northern climate it might not.

So my suggestion is to update where you live.


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## retired guard (Mar 7, 2013)

I already have preparations to use the local quail and rabbit populations to supplement my other food sources domestication would allow accessing this with less travel and competition.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Food will require a lot of time and labor with out modern day equipment. Any thing you can do is going to help .
Hunting well not be that great after a while. Once people start killing everything in sight to eat it will get hard and hard to find the free stuff.
A mix of different ideas and system will likely be the best, fine tuned over time.
As for how your idea will work , try it live off it for a year see how it goes.
Good luck keep us posted.


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## Rigged for Quiet (Mar 3, 2013)

In Texas wild quail are almost extinct. Pretty much the only way to take quail is to pay for a private hunt where the vendor places domesticaly raised quil and flushes them for the hunter. No thanks.

It would take a crap load of quail to feed a family.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

I think it sounds like a great idea! Keep us posted on how it goes. Many people raise quail and grouse here in New Mexico.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

Have you eaten your quail? wondering how much meat you are getting for the effort. I have been interested in raising them myself but hesitate since they are so small and seem to require more effort than something like the chickens and geese. So far hands down my geese are my favorite for a more reason than I will mention hear. 
How much do they eat and is it something you can give them from your surrounding area or do you have to depend on purchasing feed somewhere?


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

I like the idea of geese and chickens over quail from a monetary standpoint. I will have to find a way to allow "free range" while offering protection from predators and a way to keep them out of the garden. Ducks are also good and they love slugs. (good for the garden as long as they don't eat the garden.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

PaulS said:


> I like the idea of geese and chickens over quail from a monetary standpoint. I will have to find a way to allow "free range" while offering protection from predators and a way to keep them out of the garden. Ducks are also good and they love slugs. (good for the garden as long as they don't eat the garden.


Geese actually get rid of the predators and therefore protect the chicken flock. They are awesome as foraging for their own food just like free range chickens. After they know where there home is they will always return at night despite their wandering around the place in search of edible treats. 
Some will lay eggs all year long just like the chickens and are full of fat so a good SHTF meat source.


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

Since we haven't heard from the original poster let me expound.

Meat is a really inefficient way of raising protein, it takes thousands of gallons of water and hundreds of pounds of hay to make a pound of meat.

You are way better off growing crops for direct consumption than growing animals, it isn't even close.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

The opposite is also true. Yes, it takes ten times the weight to raise an animal but to get the same nutrition you would have to eat the same amount of foods. the difference is that the animal can get the nutrition from plants that we can't digest. Meat and cooking it is the reason that our craniums are large enough to support our brains. We don't need the large jaw muscles that would restrict our skulls growth so we can grow bigger brains. We are omnivores. We can eat a wide range of foods but our bodies need to take in certain proteins that are not synthesized in our bodies. You can do this by consuming large amounts of grains and nuts or by consuming small amounts of meat. I like meat - all kinds of meat - but I also eat a lot of fruits and veggies. I eat more fruit and veggies than I do meat but I refuse to give up meat. Beef, venison, pork, poultry, fish - it doesn't matter because I like it all.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

I would also have to disagree since I expend very little resources for the production of meat by allowing chickens, geese and goats free range. Rabbits as well as the rest also get weeds pulled from the garden and peelings etc that would otherwise just be thrown in the composts. The only "grain" I feed my animals is all food that I could and do grow in the garden.


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## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

aroglesby85 said:


> Hello all.
> 
> I came across a coworker who grows his own micro greens in his kitchen, I became interested in this and would like some more information.
> Is it viable to grow this from a prepper stand point, in say my two car garage? Also I currently already raise my own quail, to feed my hawks and falcons. Would these be viable to eat in a survival situation?
> ...


I currently raise quail as part of my preps and because they are delicious.


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

Montana Rancher said:


> Since we haven't heard from the original poster let me expound.
> 
> Meat is a really inefficient way of raising protein, it takes thousands of gallons of water and hundreds of pounds of hay to make a pound of meat.
> 
> You are way better off growing crops for direct consumption than growing animals, it isn't even close.


I can't argue with your science, since you are 100 percent correct. However, I have a fondness for eating meat, therefore it is a worthwhile labor for me.


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## aroglesby85 (Dec 26, 2013)

tirednurse said:


> Have you eaten your quail? wondering how much meat you are getting for the effort. I have been interested in raising them myself but hesitate since they are so small and seem to require more effort than something like the chickens and geese. So far hands down my geese are my favorite for a more reason than I will mention hear.
> How much do they eat and is it something you can give them from your surrounding area or do you have to depend on purchasing feed somewhere?


I have tried eating them, I only have a family of two, with 6 week old quail, which is what I feed my hawks, (and this is about full grown) we figured about 3-4 of them would make a dinner, supplemented with other items such as the micro greens, garden, foraging, food stores, and hunting we could easily get by with 2 per meal rather than 3-4. There are also the eggs to mention although they are tiny quail lay an egg almost everyday, so long as you remove them. 3 eggs is one chicken egg, and with the constant egg production I really think we could make it. I did a head count yesterday and we have over 4500 quail and I picked up over 1000 eggs in one day. Although we hatch 90% of them currently with incubators, we could alternate that in survival situations. Im working on plans for solar power for the freezers and incubators in a bad situation, that way we can production up 100% that currently would be our only downfall.

I currently raise them as a business and as a hobby, so I figure, I should try to use them in the event that something happens, no? I use their excrement as a fertilizer for my garden and will do the same for micro greens that i am going to grow. Although greens are easier to grow in large quantities in comparison to meat, we have long winters in northern New Mexico and limited growing seasons.


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## tirednurse (Oct 2, 2013)

so what kind do you raise? from what I can tell there is a big difference in sizes. Are some more hardy than others? and would you be able to have only a portion of the hens be broody and just set on eggs like you can with the chickens therefore eliminating the need for an incubator?
I've seen people raise them in a rabbit hutch type set up. Is that what you do?


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