We are now offering our favorite Blue EB project line!
About Us
Quirky Origins
We began our journey with coturnix quail as a family of four with two young children on a quest for increased self sufficiency and a greater connection to the source and quality of our food. We have always been an animal-loving family. I have been surrounded by animals my entire life in the form of house pets-- dogs, cats, small animals, reptiles, birds...it would be shorter to list the animals we haven't had throughout the years. Like her mama, my daughter has never met a critter she doesn't love. My husband, the sweet, tolerant man he is never pursues the addition of animals, but always loves them once they're here. My son loves the animals from afar, not quite as 'at one' with nature as my little mini me and I.
My background is in nursing, my degree is in psychology and my husband has worked in customer service his entire life, so animal husbandry as a hobby was a bit of a leap for both of us. I took nutrition classes, learned about quail from an array of reputable sources and continue to learn from some of the best breeders in the U.S. And so, we began piecing this homestead and small business together bit by bit. We soon found that we love raising quail and expanded our scope beyond egg production. We began with one dozen quail eggs and a cheap incubator and things escalated quickly from there. We invested in equipment to grow and have expanded our operation to include many beautiful mixed and rare varieties of coturnix quail.
In summer 2023, we were very proud to have our quail in the Pips 'n Chicks 2023 Youth and Open Virtual Poultry Shows where 12 of our birds placed in 20 spots over 7 categories, including overall champion quail, reserve overall champion, second runner up, and first place in 7 other categories! Our daughter was proud to compete in this, her first poultry show, and was so excited that the birds she raised from hatch were so successful! (Pictures of her with her ladies are in the Tiny Hands section of our gallery.) It has made all of the hard days and sacrifices worth every moment.
With our two amazing, hard working little helpers by our side, we are proud of what we have built and we are excited to share it with our community. We offer quail eggs for hatching and consumption. We also hatch-to-order and sell chicks under a week old to make sure our birds stay comfortable and that their environment remains spacious. The decision not to routinely grow out quail for sale has been a barrier for the growth of our business but we believe wholeheartedly in health and quality first. Despite an increasing customer base, and so many new project lines in the works, we will remain small, because quality is our top priority. Our efforts go into ensuring that foremost, our birds are happy and healthy--that includes their diet, environment, and socialization. We breed for health, then temperament, then aesthetics. The 2023 summer season is the beginning of our expansion and we have began to offer some specialty lines. There is no end in sight and we have a lot of ideas and projects in the works, so this is only the beginning!
Our dedication to our birds' comfort means that there can be a wait list for our eggs or chicks. Please be patient with us, we are raising amazing birds and you will not be disappointed with the eggs/chicks you receive! Please reach out to inquire about a waitlist if timing is a concern.
We are more than quail breeders, we are a family passionate about educating and supporting the quail community, especially those just starting out. We are here to support our customers throughout their entire journey with quail. Every purchase of eggs or birds is accompanied by our own full lifecycle caresheet and the assurance that we can be easily and quickly reached with any questions, from incubation to brooding to breeding and beyond. Support is not a term we use loosely, there are so many threads of messages and texts from all hours of the day and night of customers telling me their first hatch has begun or asking for advice...we love running our business this way. Also check out our 'getting started' section for a wealth of information.
That, in a nutshell, is how we became crazy quail people. We hope you will become a part of our community whether by purchasing from our homestead, reaching out to ask some questions, or just following us on social media, we would love to meet you.
Our Happy Chicks
Our chicks are handled and socialized daily for at least the first week of life to ensure health and improve temperament. After that, most chicks are sold, but those that remain are kept in a clean and spacious environment. All of our birds are fed a healthy, appropriate diet and they receive fresh fruits and vegetables and live insects farmed right here on the homestead by my daughter, the critter lover. What we give our birds not only affects them, but the eggs we eat and incubate, so a top-quality diet is a main focus of ours.
Our Healthy Eggs
Our eggs are collected and stored properly (unlike our artsy photo here) to ensure the best chance at a great hatch rate. Eggs are collected several times a day and sold within a few days of collection. Shipped eggs are a gamble and we suggest buying eggs in-person for best quality and the very best chance at a high hatch rate. With shipped eggs, while we package our eggs very carefully and are here to troubleshoot any problems you have with hatching, we cannot offer any guarantee on hatch rate because so many issues can arise between the time the package leaves our hands and USPS takes over (improper handling, temperature fluctuations, and the plethora of problems that can occur in incubation, too much is out of our control). We recommend to expect a 50% hatch rate on shipped eggs to avoid disappointment. However, we want you to have an amazing hatch and we don't leave you hanging after purchase, so please reach out with any questions or issues and we will do everything we can to help out.
Family, at the heart of The Quirky Quail
From left to right: Benjamin (4), Lucy (5), Dave and Angie
Lucy, the inspiration
Lucy's love for animals inspired us to begin this endeavor. We wanted to give her the opportunity to see life from the very beginning stages. She loves every bit of raising animals and has the biggest, most compassionate heart I've ever seen.
Tiny Hands
In my experience, children raised around animals, especially baby animals, have a different kind of connection to nature and greater respect for life. We wanted that deeply for our kids.
All animals, big and small
Teaching our children respect and understanding for all life and creation is so important to us, so we create as many opportunities as possible for them to discover that on their own.
Val
Val the ball python was Lucy's 2023 Valentine's Day gift. They're best buds and watching her interact safely, appropriately, and lovingly with a variety of animals is incredibly rewarding for us.
All hands, big and small contribute what they can
Ben doesn't like being as hands-on with the animals as Lucy does, but he happily feeds them and helps with chores.
