a case of cybercondria

Earlier today, I decided to do a cull of my male Japs. I butchered, plucked and gutted them this morning. My other half then agreed to cook some for tea. He had easten quail in restaurants before and enjoys them. As it was the first time he has cooked quails, he decided to make a simple roast. We then discussed why certain foul are eaten on the rarer side in posh restaurants (e.g. duck). So he googled something like "eating quail rare" and the first thing on the search was a paper of Coturnism a form of poisoning from eating European migratory quail that causes rhabdomyolysis (rapid breakdown of skeletal muscle)

Quail poisoning article

The first few paragraphs were enough to put him off and panic set in, specially when he read the various symptoms. Needless to say, it's worth reading the bottom of the article, which explains why eating wild European migratory quail caught in the autumn may not be a good idea. Apparently, the wild birds eat all sorts of things including hemlock among other things. I assured him that I didn't feed my quail any hemlock

Hehehe, I love the picture of the roast birds, looks so funny in an article.

I read about that the other day but as you said its to do with what they eat while migrating, so I'm sure you will be fine to eat yours.
I must admit Emma that the picture makes them look very tasty! But I still doubt I have the heart to do the culling myself

Aww I just couldnt eat one, they're way to cute! Although I'm sure my other half would butcher it for me if I asked him, I just couldnt! Nice to see some diversity on one of my quail sites by the way. All the colors of the rainbow on coturnix corner. Ed

They are looking tastier and tastier. Especially when they all crow in my den at 5AM! It's amazing how they all have different "voices". The most shrill are going to be the first to go! I just have to get up the nerve. I'm down to just 2 possible girls out of eight hatched. One of the guys is foaming but no crowing yet. I don't have enough cages to keep them from fighting with each other. In another 2-3 weeks I think we will have 4 quail for dinner!