California Quail

We moved to Middleton, Idaho in 2020 and have been feeding the CA quail that live in our area. There is an irrigation canal behind our property which they fly to before they fly over a four foot reed fence into our yard. At first we fed them a wild bird seed blend, but stopped because the leftover seeds will sprout in the spring. I bought thistle seed as it doesn't sprout and I can feed the finches and lo and behold the quail are now eating the thistle! They didn't care for it at first but now they love it. We can get as many as 40 quail at once. Sometimes we get different groups at different times of the day. In the spring as soon as the babies are able to fly they'll come in with the parents. They are so entertaining and are becoming a little more comfortable with my presence as I ... read moretalk to them while I'm out there filling the feeders. If I am out in the garden working I can hear them by the canal as they start to appear and I'll start talking to them so they know I'm there. They will wait patiently by the canal until I go inside or will sometimes get close to the fence and wait. They might come into the yard and stay over by a corner until I'm gone. Each group is different. And sometimes after they eat they will huddle by big pots or tree wells or benches I place out there for them and hang out before they leave. And when its snowing they'll eat and then huddle under the fire pit or a bench to keep warm until they're ready to leave. It's just the cutest thing! They hang out and have made our yard their safe haven. Our yard is mostly mulch and they make a huge mess when they scratch and kick it out of the way to find the seed. It can be frustrating to go out and find all these holes in the mulch and in tree wells and wood chips everywhere! LOL, So now I put their bowls on gravel under the bird feeders and surround that area with big rocks. It's interesting that everything I've read about what they eat never mentions thistle. I guess if they're hungry enough they'll eat it. It's expensive though so I'm looking to find an alternative that is cheaper but will not sprout. I'm hoping to find something in bulk that might lower the cost even more. I'd welcome any suggestions!

We have lots of quail every year in El Cajon, Ca

California Quail were introduced into New Zealand between 1862 and 1880. They live in open farm and scrub country where there are bushes and trees for cover and roosting. Quail are instinctively social birds - the covey can easily find food, and alert guards warn against predators. They are monogamous, and pair off in early Spring laying through to March. The nest is a rounded depression in the ground usually in long grass at the foot of a shrub or tree. An average of 14 eggs, and sometimes as many as 22 are laid. During laying and incubation quail are very secretive, and few nests are found. The eggs are a creamy-white colour, spotted, streaked and blotched with light golden brown. They lay one egg a day with several rest days until the clutch is complete, and then a priod of 23 days of i... read morencubation begins with the hen, while the cock guards the territory. The entire brood hatches within an hour or two. The embryonic chicks synchronise their development by a system of clicking sounds. About 90 percent of the eggs hatch. Within a few hours of hatching, as soon as they are dry, the down-clad chicks are ready to leave the nest with their parents. In wet weather the chicks stay in the nest warmed and protected by the hen for up to a day or so. The cock remains in close attendance during the following weeks assisting in guarding and brooding the chicks. During the first day or so the chicks can survive by absorbing the yolk sac within them. As soon as sun and warmth allow, they are on the move in search of food. They eat small weed seeds as well as insects, their eggs and larvae. As with so many nesting game birds, nest losses are high, and about a third of birds desert their nests because of discovery by predators. After a couple of weeks the chicks flutter off the ground, and within three or four weeks they fly short distances. By the age of four months they reach the size and weight of their parents. After hatching only about half survive to independence. After nine to ten weeks broods often combine to form larger coveys. Quail feed mainly in the early morning or late afternoon. They eat mostly seeds, grasses, clovers, sorrel and broom and insects in Summer, and fruits, berries and even acorns. They seek water and drink daily, but can survive in arid conditions without water if they eat succulent insects and green plants.