Why quails?

Why quails I hear you ask? (well, I don't, but for the sake of this feeling like I am not talking to myself, I am going to pretend that you did) Well, it all started when the chickens had an egg laying break in the summer. I started reading about different sorts of eggs, and quails seemed like an easy way to get eggs (even if they are tiny).

So, I trundled off to a garden centre and bought 2. As I said before, one died quickly, and it has just gone on from there. Long term plan is to keep some Golden Giants for eggs, and to eat the others.

Eat them?

Indeed. When we got the chickens I had an urge to go all vegetarian. Although this has passed now, the longer term affect is that I quite like to know where my food has come from and how it was treated. In the future I would like to raise chickens for the table, but quail seem to be an easy way into to my new 'hatch it, raise it, kill it, cook it, eat it' philosophy.

I want Small Boy and Small Girl to grow up in a slightly simpler way; slightly slower paced, with a real awareness of how simple things can be. I want us to grow our own seasonal fruit and veg, to raise birds for eggs and meat, make our own yogurt and preserves, and, as of Christmas, I am going to make our wine and beer too. Thats a whole new post though ;-)