Cottrell Country Farm has been selling quail eggs at the Hillsboro Farmers Market for year. However, our stocks are getting older and it is time to replenish the layers. Today we have received 100 new baby bobwhite chicks. Raising quail is much harder than raising chickens. On average, you loose about 30% of your chicks. Also unlike large commercial chicken farms, which provide measures for the birds to lay unnaturally, our quail have as much a natural environment as possible without them being in the wild. Thus, our quail on average only produce eggs from May – October. This is natural not to lay year round. When a bird does not think their chicks will survive, due to weather change, shorter days, etc., they stop laying. Many large commercial bird locations add heat and artificial light to get their birds to lay egg longer. Also, they swap out their layers more often. When a bird is pushed to lay an extended season their laying life span is shortened. I can assure you all our quail live a natural full happy life. We don’t butcher them for meat, only raise eggs. If you have never had quail eggs, you should give them a try. They are a specialty item. See you at the market.
