How we got from Ancient Egypt to where
we are today..

Quails were kept domestically in Ancient Egypt and bones have been found in African firepits and remains dating back 80,000 years.

The Tobutt family tradition of keeping quails started a little more recently in 2005, when Sylvia and Charlie stumbled upon a 1’ x 2’ box containing 7 quails on a stand at a local agricultural show. ‘How much space do they need?’ Charlie innocently asked, to which the stall holder replied gruffly ‘There’s room for half a dozen more in there’.  Sylvia promptly bought the lot (forgetting to ask what sex they were!).

We housed our new family in a two storey rabbit palace, until the males started to get a little possessive over the females and had to be separated to stop them fighting.  Little Jim, the smaller of the males, was left to take care of the four girls and became the icon of our flock.  The two larger males were housed individually in open runs and complained bitterly until we reintroduced some female company!

Quail are prolific layers and with the new arrangements, we soon had enough eggs to spare to hatch incredibly sweet, bumblebee-like baby quail.  We bought an incubator and brooder and by the end of the summer had successfully hatched a flock of 60 healthy, thriving quail.

We wanted our quail to be free to fly so long gone are the rabbit palaces, replaced by an open air secure run.  Young quail enjoy flying straight up and for short distances, though the veterans fly rarely and are content to watch over the others.  All are ground dwellers and love to roost in undergrowth or deep straw.  After turning or replacing their straw it’s wonderful to see them dive straight in, poking their heads out and chirruping happily!

They really are happy garden quails and we hope you will enjoy their produce as much as we enjoy raising them!

Nik