Quail

[hausmutti]

I know a few people travel with pet birds.  I have a few quail I want to bring with me and wondered if CA or AZ ag inspection stations have a problem with birds.

 

[highdesertranger]

you don't have to stop at AZ inspection stations unless you are commercial. I know the CA stations have a problem with chickens. might want to ask about Quail to be sure. I will say this that Quail are one of the most unusual pets that we have discussed here. mind you I am not saying that's bad. highdesertranger

 

[hausmutti]

I have a few that I keep for eggs.  Since they can't free range, I feed them organic alfalfa and broccoli sprouts in addition to their crumbles.  I want to experiment with them to see if they will lay if they are traveling.

 

[highdesertranger]

just asking, what do you do with the eggs? highdesertranger

 

[hausmutti]

I eat them.  A few for breakfast, make small amounts of mayonnaise, hard cooked and peel and eat.  They are tasty, nutritious and don't carry salmonella.  Just right for one person.

 

[highdesertranger]

hey that's cool. I though they would be to small to eat. highdesertranger

 

[hausmutti]

It does take a few to equal a large chicken egg.  They are commonly eaten in other countries.  In South America, there are street vendors who steam them right when someone pays and puts them into a bag with some salt for a snack.

 

[1shemp]

Quail are good eating.

 

[maki2]

I know a few people travel with pet birds.  I have a few quail I want to bring with me and wondered if CA or AZ ag inspection stations have a problem with birds.

This is what California has to say about going through its agricultural checkpoints with Livestock. Looks like your best bet is to get the birds a health checkup with paperwork so there won't be any issue about their status as being healthy animals. You could call them pets but since they are very unusual pets and normally seen for agricultural use you will may possibly end up needing to play their game if you ever run into a situation where you have to declare that you have them onboard. That health certificate should avoid getting them confiscated or having you turned away at an agricultural check station in any state. Quail are not exotic but also might not qualify as "native" to the state. Tricky stuff to predict because sometime you might run into an inspector who like to give people a hard time when they are having a bad day.

From the FAQ question section:

What do I need to bring livestock into the state?

Border station inspectors record the movement of all livestock into California. When you arrive at the station with livestock, you will be asked to provide information on the owner, origin, destination address, species, and number of animals. You should also present any health or brand certificates you have for the animals. This information is forwarded to the CDFA Animal Health Division for tracking and regulatory enforcement. For more information on livestock entry requirements, visit the CDFA Animal Health Division Website or phone (916) 654-0446.

 

[sushidog]

Some people keep pet potbellied pigs. These are considered pets and not livestock, as they will never be butchered and eaten. The same I think would apply to a couple pet quail. Now if you have a couple dozen quail, all bets are off. Good luck with that unless you have health certificates from a vet with the name of each quail. (Ranchers don't name livestock.) You might want to band them to prove they are pets.

BTW, raw quail eggs are great on sushi. I like them on ikura (salmon eggs) served gunkan style ( as a battleship roll) called ikura uzura no tamago. Yum!

However, if you eat their eggs, they are probably considered livestock. I have a pet sun conure but would never eat her eggs, though she's laid a few. I think that would be - just wrong!

Chip

 

[highdesertranger]

" sometime you might run into an inspector who like to give people a hard time "

I have run into these inspectors a few times over the years.

California has three types of Native Quail, Valley Quail(state bird), Mountain Quail, and Gambel's Quail. I would just get the certificates. I never heard of them turning someone around, I have heard of them quarantine livestock plenty of times. guess who is responsible for all the bills of quarantine?

highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

I think quail would make lovely pets to travel with

 

[bullfrog]

There are plenty of Quail in the southwest areas of our country and plenty of people enjoy watching them in their natural state. If you wish to use them or their eggs for food I would recommend getting a hunting license and enjoying all the local varieties in season. Many ranches have started raising birds for hunting on their properties and would probably be open to having someone board their birds or even offer them employment while in the area. I passed a really pretty ring necked pheasant on hwy 24 in Utah just standing on the side of the road in the Hutt ranch area which I imagine was part of a hunting program experiment. Raising birds for sport hunting has become very common and I imagine the ranchers have had to deal with natural resources or fish and wildlife agencies in order to deal with interstate transport so I would contact them as well.

 

[hausmutti]

Well, that answers that. I emailed the CA dept of AG and they told me there is a quarantine on poultry for the area I'm going to because of Newcastle. I could probably get a waiver for a few pet quail but not worth the bother for this experiment this time. So, they will become dinner and I'll start over when I get back home.

 

[bullfrog]

As the saying goes "There is a place for all God's creatures on this earth, right next to the mashed potatoes."