typical quail nesting.

What are the time frames for the Gulf Coast? I already have a [censored] - if not more than 1 whistling, but need to disk.
I also have a really good abundance of food and shelter.
Our rains have left us with major WATER... I had 2 pair fly out of our pond area, but I think this may be too early for pairing.
Thanks for input..... I am doing this for establishment, not to hunt.
BK

I've found them still in coveys in the middle of May.

I am in burnet co and have birds pairing up as we speak

In far West Texas and I saw two birds that were paired up last week. It sort of caught me off guard.

15 days to lay eggs that assumes a nest of 15 eggs, 21 days to hatch.
If start nesting today chicks on ground late May.

I am in Western Goliad County and have seen pairs now over the past 2 weeks also. Seeing them daily now in pairs. So tall and green I can only see them in the shredded roads though.

Saw birds a week old last year in Archer County May 22. Reports of them already pairing up this year.

Need Advise positive or not. I have several pens of quail I have raised from eggs. I am planning to start releasing them onto the ranch, they are flight ready and already a year old. I have done my best on predator control and will begin my release very close to my pens so the penned quail can communicate with the released quail so maybe they wont travel to far at first. I have great habitat for the birds and plenty of water. What will my survival rate be on my pen raised birds. I will not be hunting them just trying to build up a population on the ranch. I am hatching chicks as we speak and will continue to release as many as 30/40 pair at a time as they become able to fly. I just wanted to wait till I had mature birds before I started to release.

Your chances of survival are slim but I have had them go feral.

I would either eat them or keep them till the season opens in November, then turn them loose and hunt them within a few weeks. I seriously doubt they will survive if your turn them out now.

5%

I seen 50 to 60 pairs today, blues and bob's, it's like I was running into them every 75 to 100 yards. Everything's green the grounds wet and lot's of seeds and bug's.

I released flight conditioned birds several years ago for the same purpose. As it turned out, I was just feeding the predators. The day after I released them I found numerous feather piles. I don't think there is anything you can do to adequately prepare them for the wild. Survival rate is extremely low. I'll put it this way; I never did it again. Considered it a waste of money.

Thank you guys, I didnt mean to hijack this thread just thought this would be the best place to ask. I am going to relase about 25 pairs to start, I have great cover and will try to keep them fairly close to my pen birds to start. might even sit out a few days with a 22 just to keep an eye out. I guess night time will be the biggest time of issue.

BowsnRods,
You didn't jack this thread, or did anyone else.
We (here) are working on getting things cleaned up, cleared up, and back in order. All input, suggestions for conservation, or side discussion is welcome and appreciated.
We want to be able to enjoy what naturally should be there and keep in check what really shouldn't.

BK

Thank you Sir, I hope my hard work will help put a few quail back into the hill country. I do enjoy listening to them in the mornings and evenings.

I have plenty of fertile quail eggs if anyone in my area wants to try their hand at hatching some. I have a commercial incubator full at this time and have about 15 days to go. I dont like putting eggs in there that are over 5 days on the ground.

I say go for it, you never know

Do you think once I start turning the birds out it might be a good idea to have someone come out with dogs to have the birds become more alert to predators by jumping them up a few times.

Birds in Cameron County (near Brownsville) have been paired for several weeks.

Your survival rate will be less than 5%. There is a reason no state releases quail it is extremely expensive, since almost all die.

After years of trying I finally established a covey near my house. I released hundreds of birds. I believe the birds that survived were birds that I worked a pup on and then retrapped repeatedly before releasing them. Pen raised birds just don't have predator awareness. They are almost always eaten.

Thank you for the information, that's why I was giving some thought to having a dog work the birds a little when I first turn them out to get them to be more aware.

Got reports this weekend of chicks hatched out already in the panhandle north of Amarillo

Hearing bobwhites sounding off here in Okla., but with 12" of rain last 6 days who knows about nest???>

Scaled quail or bobs? Most of the bobs I am seeing north of Amarillo are still in small coveys.

Had my first hatch, 32 chicks. This is not the number I was hoping for with 100 eggs in the incubator. I will start another batch in 5 days hope it has a better hatch.

You should have a much higher hatch rate. What kind of incubator do you have? Is it in a an air conditioned building or a barn? Do you have a humdifier on your incubator?
To do the numbers you are trying to do you need a cabinet style incubator and should have it in an area where you can control temperature. The other possibility is that your eggs were damaged in shipping or are old.

Yes I have a commercial style incubator with 6 large trays and a humidifier. I could probably put 1000 eggs in at one time. I think my problem was that I picked the eggs from my pens which some had been on the ground longer than others. My first eggs started to hatch out at 22 days and the last eggs hatched at 27 days. I will give the incubator a few days off and collect all eggs from 2 days of dropping.I have the incubator inside a closed feed barn and the inside incubator stays at 100 degrees constant. I can gather about 100 eggs a day from my pens.

the sooner the eggs go into the incubator the better. eggs in the sun for too long are easily killed. if you are storing eggs for a day or so they need to be in a tray at a slight angle in the shade and the tray turned around twice a day. I notice my incubator worked much better when I put it in a temperature controlled building. It is in a cement block shed with a window air conditioner set at 80-85. If you have more than three hens per male some of your eggs may be infertile. Best fertility is from a one to one ratio. Humidity and temp are crucial. I shoot for 99 temp and measure with a good digital thermometer. If you are having temperature problems consider replacing your thermostat. They fail more than anything else. Watch your humidity tray, if it empties you will have a problem.

Thank you. my ratio is pretty close to 1/1. I allow the quail in the pen to also lay in a nest and might try removing the eggs from the nest only and not the ones scattered about the pen.