Back in October I used several pen raised flight conditioned birds to mess with my pups. Today, the kids and I were walking around across the creek where I had turned the birds out. The kids saw one walking around. My wife got a picture of it. The kids got within about 3 feet of it before it flew. 2 or 3 others then flew from nearby. I know that pen raised birds cannot substitute for wild quail, but these 3 or 4 have survived for the last 5 months. How I will never know.

That's awesome!. They will make it for a while... who knows maybe a long while.

I know of that happening to my pen raised just once over the years. There were two separate clutches at the entrance of my subdivision across from the pasture where I kept my Johnny house. Both clutches were led by a rooster.

I've found them on our place the next summer with chicks in tow.

Any chance the chicks will have more "wild" instincts?

I only saw them one year. There were several wild coveys south of here.

It just depends on how many critters you have out there trying to eat them. On my land a dozen birds lasted all summer. Then one day I noticed a pair of Hawks gliding my valley. Then my dog started finding piles of feathers..no birds:(