quail Archives - AgriLife Extension Wildlife & Fisheries

Statewide Quail Symposium set Aug. 14-16 in Abilene

July 1, 2019 by Teri Gaston

June 27, 2019

The 2019 Statewide Quail Symposium is slated for Aug. 14-16 in Abilene. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)

ABILENE – The 2019 Statewide Quail Symposium has been slated for Aug. 14-16 at the MCM Elegante Hotel in Abilene.

The symposium is hosted by The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Wildlife Association and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Early registration is $50. After August 7, the cost is $75. Cost for students is $20. Coordinators have reserved a block of rooms at the MCM Elegante until July 16.

“Proceeds from this event will be donated to the Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade,” said Dr. Maureen Frank, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist, Uvalde, and a symposium coordinator. “Our goal is to bring together a wide range of people who care about quail in Texas and benefit the next generation by supporting RPBB.”

Frank said all quail enthusiasts are encouraged to attend, including landowners, land managers, hunters, photographers, naturalists, students and others.

“We encourage attendees from both large and small properties to attend, as there will truly be topics for everybody to improve quail management,” she said. “Even if you don’t own or lease land, there will be topics for you.”

The first day’s activities will be held at the MT7 Ranch. In addition to a tour of the ranch and discussion of its quail management practices, attendees will have the opportunity to learn and practice habitat evaluation and plant identification.

The second and third days will feature problem/solution discussions, research updates and a panel discussion on integrating livestock with quail management.

Visit https://quailsymposium.nri.tamu.edu/ for more information and to register.

“We’ve also added something new this year,” Frank said. “We will have a Habitat Help Desk where landowners can learn about resources, tools and incentives available from USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, TPWD and other agencies.”

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Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu

Contacts: Dr. Maureen Frank, 830-278-9151, ext. 280, mgfrank@tamu.edu

Amanda Gobeli, 720-333-6224, amanda.gobeli@ag.tamu.edu

The post Statewide Quail Symposium set Aug. 14-16 in Abilene appeared first on AgriLife Today.

Wildlife 101 Program

January 22, 2019 by Teri Gaston

Do you ever feel like you need a Wildlife for DUMMIES Book?

Dr. Maureen Frank, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Specialist, will save you the reading! She will be on the Texas A&M AgirLife Extension – Val Verde County Facebook Page LIVE to share her knowledge about wildlife! Tune in on Facebook every Wednesday at 6:30pm and also get a chance to enter to win a pair of Vortex Crossfire Binoculars!

Wildlife 101 Program Guide

January 23 @ 6:30 PM – Deer 101
January 30 @ 6:30 PM – Turkey 101
February 6 @ 6:30 PM – Quail 101
February 13 @ 6:30 PM – Exotic Ungulates 101
February 20 @ 6:30 PM – Feral Hogs 101

Each week participants can receive an entry to win by watching the Wildlife 101 progra m as well as completing a short evaluation. Participants can receive up to 5 entries into the drawing throughout the Wildlife 101 series! Check out our Facebook page or the Texas A&M AgirLife Extension – Val Verde County Facebook Page to stay up to date on all of the latest program news.

Texas Crop and Weather Report – Sept. 25, 2018

September 26, 2018 by Teri Gaston

Reduced wildlife numbers expected going into hunting season

Writer: Adam Russell, 903-834-6191, adam.russell@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. John Tomecek, 325-650-3520, john.tomecek@ag.tamu.edu

THRALL – Drought conditions throughout much of the state this summer likely will mean lower wildlife numbers this hunting season, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.

Dr. John Tomecek, AgriLife Extension statewide wildlife specialist, Thrall, said deer, quail and turkey numbers would likely be affected. Fewer forbs and reduced nutritional value in browse and other food crops along with typical predation are contributing factors, he said. Hunters should also be careful not to over hunt quail broods.

Quail hunters should be mindful to not over hunt local birds as numbers declined due to drought. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Steve Byrns)

“Hunters in areas that experienced drought conditions can expect reduced numbers because of the heat and lack of rain and nutrition on the ground,” he said. “Young animals will probably be a little poorly going into the season, though recent rains may help them bounce back a little. But generally, hunters aren’t going to see the quality on a region-to-region basis that they might have seen the last few years.”

Tomecek said he does not expect catastrophic herd declines in deer as happened during the 2011 drought. But along with fewer deer, hunters will likely see a decline in antler quality.

“Genetics play a role in antler quality, but the vast majority of antler production is nutrition,” he said. “It would take an aggressive supplementation regimen for a deer herd to make a difference because it’s very difficult to replace an entire diet with supplemental feed.”

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department quail survey is not complete yet, but long-term AgriLife Extension studies show quail numbers dwindle during drought, Tomecek said. This means hunters and landowners should pay close attention to the quail they are harvesting to avoid a long-term detrimental effect on local bird populations.

Tomecek said landowners are very adept to self-regulation when it comes to quail, and that this season might be the time to dial back on harvest numbers.

“Historically, severe drought conditions can have a sharp effect on quail in the short-term,” he said. “Quail should have a lot of offspring compared to the number of adults during a typical year. So, hunters should age the birds in hand during hunts. If they see higher numbers of mature birds and not many juvenile birds, they may want to stop hunting for the season to avoid cutting into the brood stock too much.”

Turkey numbers will likely be affected by drought conditions, but hens and young birds have a dietary option – insects – that may assist a flock’s survival rate,Tomecek said.

“Turkeys don’t reproduce in high numbers like quail, so hunters might see smaller flocks,” he said. “Hens and younger birds have a more flexible diet and may have zeroed in on insects. We had a decent grasshopper crop this summer, and those birds may have made good use of them.”

Tomecek said dove season has been slow in many areas of the state, but migration numbers could rise quickly with a cold front.

“I would tell hunters to have their shells and shotguns ready for the first real cold front of the season,” he said. “Landowners who have millet, sorghum or another seed crops would be smart to hold off shredding some until then and cut heavy before the cold front. That might mean birds stay in an area for a day or two if there is extra food on the ground.”

AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:

The 12 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Districts

CENTRAL: Most fields and pastures had armyworms, and producers were actively spraying between rains. Pastures and crops continued to recuperate following recent rains. Livestock were in good condition. Hay producers should be able to get one or two more cuttings. A majority of cotton producers were done harvesting. Nearly all counties reported good soil moisture. Overall crop, livestock, rangeland and pasture ratings were good in a majority of counties.

ROLLING PLAINS: Recent rains helped replenish soil moisture and fill stock tanks. Pastures and rangelands improved and were in fair to good condition. Armyworms were very active in pastures, lawns and newly sprouted wheat. Winter wheat planting picked up. Producers were applying fertilizer and defoliating cotton. Cotton started to bloom in some areas.

COASTAL BEND: No report.

EAST: Scattered thunderstorms paired with steady rains continued to replenish soil moisture levels across the district. Gregg County ponds were filling up, and conditions were extremely wet. Marion County reported ponds were still low as was the quality of grasses in pastures. Anderson County reported cotton was fair, and land preparation for wheat planting was at a standstill. Pasture and rangeland conditions were poor in Wood, Anderson and Marion counties and good in Sabine and Shelby counties. All other counties reported pasture and rangeland conditions were fair. Sabine County reported warm-season grasses rebounded, and producers were hopeful about forage and hay crops and chances of a good third cutting. Subsoil conditions were adequate apart from Marion, Angelina and Houston counties, which reported short conditions. Topsoil conditions were surplus in Panola, Gregg and Polk counties. Anderson, Marion and Houston counties reported short topsoil conditions, and all other counties reported adequate conditions. Anderson and Marion county producers continued supplemental feeding due to drought. Livestock were fair to good in Smith County with some supplementation taking place. Houston County cattle prices were up, and buyers were aggressive with continued optimism for wheat. Gregg County cattle prices were holding steady to lower than average overall. Armyworms were very destructive in all counties despite producers spraying. Cherokee and Panola counties’ producers were reporting the worst infestations they’d ever experienced. Anderson and Shelby counties reported insecticides became hard to find due to armyworm outbreaks. Feral hogs were still a problem in Anderson, Wood and Henderson counties. Horn files were out in full force in Anderson County.

SOUTH PLAINS: Recent frequent rains helped saturate the topsoil and subsoil, but most areas still needed more moisture. Rains varied across counties from 0.5 of an inch to 3-plus inches. Cooler temperatures and more cloudy days prevented moisture evaporation. Crops continued to mature. Producers began the peanut harvest. Armyworms damaged much of the hay crop. Cotton looked very good despite short moisture this season. Producers were beginning to utilize harvest aides and prepare for harvest. Winter wheat needed moisture. Some ranchers reported improved pasture conditions. Pastures and rangelands remained in fair to good condition. Cattle were in good condition.

PANHANDLE: Temperatures were near-normal with some moisture in areas. Rain events also brought fall like temperatures. More moisture was still needed throughout the district. Armstrong County was still very dry but was expecting to receive moisture. Sorghum started coloring, and some wheat was planted. Pasture conditions were still dry, but no fires were reported in the past couple of weeks. Carson County received some rain, but conditions were still very dry. Hall County received county-wide rain, which eased drought pressure and helped pasture and cattle conditions. Cotton looked good and continued to develop, but producers were concerned about fiber maturity due to cooler night-time temperatures. Lint yield potential remained very high. Cotton harvest aid applications were expected to start soon. Peanuts were being harvested. Ochiltree County received some general rainfall, which halted early corn harvest and wheat planting activities. Wheat already planted was off to an excellent start. Grain sorghum continued to develop with record-breaking yields expected. Harvest of early planted fields should begin soon. Soybean harvest was halted due to rainfall, but yields so far were very good.

NORTH: With the recent rain, most of the counties reported adequate topsoil and subsoil moisture. Over the district, reports of anywhere from 4-6 inches of rain fell during the reporting period. Almost every county reported armyworm numbers were almost insurmountable. Despite a vast outbreak of armyworms, farmers did not report significant damages to crops so far. Grasses were green, and pastures and hayfields had rebounded. Hay producers were ecstatic with recent cuttings. Livestock were in good condition.

FAR WEST: No report.

WEST CENTRAL: Rains of up to 2 inches were reported, but all areas needed more moisture. Pastures improved, and forage growth increased. Many producers were waiting for conditions to dry enough to plant small grain. Armyworm activity increased. The market continued an upward price trend with stocker steers and heifers selling $5 to $10 higher per hundredweight. Prices on feeder steers and heifers were steady to $2 higher per hundredweight. Packer cows and bulls were steady. Pairs and bred cows continued to grow in demand with improved grazing conditions and hay production potential.

SOUTHEAST: Rainfall replenished soil moisture. Livestock were in good condition. Some cotton was harvested and weathered the rain well. Wet field conditions in some areas halted cotton harvest, and defoliated cotton fields that received rains were seeing seeds germinating in the bolls. Armyworm numbers were high and were impacting pastures and hay fields. Rains helped green up pastures. Rangeland and pasture ratings varied from excellent to poor with good being most common. Soil moisture levels ranged from adequate to surplus with adequate being most common.

SOUTHWEST: Pasture and rangeland conditions improved significantly due to recent rains. The soil profile was fully saturated. Rivers, creeks and tanks were filled. Cotton farmers found it difficult to harvest due to recent rains. Livestock conditions responded favorably to increased forages. Producers in many counties were battling armyworms.

SOUTH: Parts of the district reported mild weather conditions with the continuation of adequate soil moisture levels. Some parts reported surplus moisture following rains. Rain amounts ranged from 3-21 inches for the reporting period. Very little field activity was reported due to rain. Conditions were good for many cotton producers, but it could be challenging getting the remainder of their cotton out. About 75 percent of cotton was harvested in some areas. Peanut harvest of early planted fields was slowed, and some Southern blight and leaf spot were reported. Armyworms came out aggressively. Pasture and rangeland conditions improved dramatically with recent rainfall. Stock tank levels increased, and forage conditions were improving in quality and quantity. Body condition scores on cattle were good and improving. Some producers reported field conditions should be suitable for wheat, spinach and cabbage planting soon with no additional rainfall. Pecans were reaching split shuck stage in some orchards. No supplemental feeding was reported.

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The post Texas Crop and Weather Report – Sept. 25, 2018 appeared first on AgriLife Today.

A Quail’s Tale

January 19, 2018 by Teri Gaston

Kirby the Quail helps spread message of wildlife conservation

Writer: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu

Contacts: Amanda Gobeli, 720-333-6224, amanda.gobeli@ag.tamu.edu

Dr. Jim Cathey, 979-458-2565, james.cathey@ag.tamu.edu

Dr. Maureen Frank, 830-278-9151, mgfrank@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – One of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute’s most popular “spokespersons” for quail appreciation and conservation isn’t a person at all, but a sociable 6-inch-tall northern bobwhite named Kirby.

“We have been using Kirby as a ‘life model’ for a variety of educational programs and activities related to the conservation of quail and quail habitat,” said Dr. Jim Cathey, an associate director of the institute in College Station. “Texas is home to four quail species and quail are a vital part of the economy and ecology of the state. Unfortunately, the number of quail, especially northern bobwhite, has been declining for decades. Some possible causes are land use changes and land fragmentation, drought, habitat loss, predation, invasive species and disease.”

Cathey said the institute, which has offices on the Texas A&M campus in College Station and in San Antonio, as well as additional personnel based in Texas and other states, has an extensive wildlife conservation and mitigation program that helps address today’s wildlife and habitat management issues.

Kirby and Amanda Gobeli at a statewide conference of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society. (Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute photo)

“We promote stewardship of wildlife populations, including game, nongame, endangered and threatened species and their habitats through the application and translation of sound science and outreach,” he said. “Among those outreach efforts is providing educational opportunities for youth and adults to better understand the challenges wildlife such as quail face in the wild — and what can be done to help them overcome those challenges.”

He said using Kirby as part of the institute’s educational component connects people with nature.

“A lot of youth and even adults, particularly in urban areas, may never have seen a quail,” he said. “Having Kirby during educational events provides an opportunity to talk about quail physiology and how quail are built to occupy a particular niche in nature.”

Cathey said quail have a short wingspan so they aren’t strong long-distance fliers; consequently, they spend much of their time on the ground. They also have large feet, which they use to scratch the ground to find food, like prairie chickens and other wild — and most domestic — fowl.

“Since most of their life is localized within a square mile or two, they are strongly affected by changes to their habitat,” he said.

Dr. Dale Rollins, retired Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist, San Angelo, has worked for more than five years on the statewide Reversing the Quail Decline in Texas Initiative and on other quail and quail habitat conservation initiatives for the past 35 years.

Rollins said a 2000 survey of more than 250 members of Quail Unlimited in Texas showed the average expense for a quail hunter is more than $10,350 per person, including travel, accommodations and lease fees. A 2012 follow-up survey showed only a small reduction in the amount spent.

“In many of the counties where there is quail hunting, smaller communities really depend on those hunters,” Rollins said. “So if there are an inadequate number of quail, the hunters won’t come, and their absence will have a significant negative economic impact on these communities.”

Rollins also noted in ecological terms quail can be thought of as the “canary of the prairie” in that they serve as an early indicator of problems with the habitat or ecology of the landscape.

“Quail are subjected to all sorts of predation by other animals and face many environmental challenges,” he said. “So if you have abundant quail on land that’s suited for them, then there’s likely been proper use and stewardship of that land. But if there aren’t many quail, that means the land likely also is not suited to and will not sustain an abundance of other species.”

Amanda Gobeli, institute associate based in Dallas, is Kirby’s keeper and caretaker and takes him to educational “gigs” throughout the state.

“Kirby was hatched from an egg a breeder provided and I was the first person he saw, so he imprinted on me,” Gobeli said, “He is basically a pet, staying in my house and interacting with the other birds in the household. He lives in a large enclosure lined with pine shavings. He has a jar with sand where he can take his dust baths. And he has a heat lamp. He eats a gamebird crumble, a nutritionally complete food, and he gets sunflower and chia seeds as treats. I also hide treats he has to scratch for, so he can use that natural food-finding behavior.”

She said Kirby has been around people since he was a chick, so he is comfortable interacting with and being handled by humans.

Gobeli said Kirby is an excellent conversation starter and popular with both youth and adults. (Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute photo)

“He has been part of presentations at schools, quail appreciation events, and wildlife conferences and conventions throughout the state,” Gobeli said. “He’s always the star of the show when I do a presentation. Kirby gets people’s attention just by being there, and then sometimes he will whistle or do a covey call that draws people to him. He’s a big hit, especially with the kids.”

She said one particular question frequently asked about Kirby often leads to meaningful discussion about the many challenges quail face.

“Many people ask me how old Kirby is,” she said. “When I tell them he’s 3, I also add that, in the wild, the average life span for a quail is less than a year — and most of them never make it to their first breeding season. This usually leads into a meaningful conversation about the various reasons for quail decline and what can be done to help protect quail and quail habit in Texas. He’s a great ambassador for engaging people so we can start a dialogue with them.”

Gobeli said while estimates of how long quail live in captivity vary, she expects Kirby’s life span should be at least five years.

Dr. Maureen Frank, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist in Uvalde, has presented at several events, lectures and conferences where Kirby has been shown. A few of the more recent events at which they appeared were the first-ever Urban Quail Appreciation Day last fall at the Witte Museum in San Antonio and a quail appreciation program last summer at the El Progreso Memorial Library in Uvalde.

“People are drawn to wildlife and it’s a unique and memorable experience for them to see wildlife in person,” she said. “Attendees may not remember everything about a presentation, but they’ll definitely remember seeing and interacting with Kirby.”

More information about habitat requirements of Texas quail can be found on the institute website at http://bit.ly/2D0ttX7.

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AgriLife Extension names Amanda Gobeli to state quail study post

July 11, 2016 by

Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu

Contact: Dr. Dale Rollins, 325-653-4576, d-rollins@tamu.edu

Amanda Gobeli, 325-653-4576, agobeli@tamu.edu

SAN ANGELO – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has hired Amanda Gobeli as the new associate in quail studies.

Gobeli is headquartered at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

Amanda Gobeli is the new AgriLife Extension associate in quail studies.(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)

“Amanda will be working with AgriLife Extension agents and other ‘students of quail’ in the quest to reverse the decline of quail,” said Dr. Dale Rollins, state coordinator for Texas A&M AgriLife’s Reversing the Quail Decline Initiative at San Angelo.

Gobeli recently earned a master’s degree in environmental science with an emphasis on avian conservation biology from the University of North Texas at Denton. She also earned a bachelor’s in environmental science from Winthrop University at Rock Hill, South Carolina.

She was able to work closely with landowners while conducting quail work at the University of North Texas, which included call counts, habitat studies, and trapping and tracking quail.

Gobeli served as a teaching assistant at the University of North Texas and worked as a summer camp counselor for the North Texas Land Scholars youth camp. She also completed service as a volunteer trainer at the University of North Texas quail research program.

Gobeli succeeds Becky Ruzicka, who resigned in order to pursue her doctorate.

AgriLife Research scientists study wild pig impact on bobwhite quail populations

April 7, 2016 by

By: Paul Schattenberg

UVALDE — As part of an effort to understand the reasons behind the decline in wild quail populations, researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife Research have studied whether the continued increase in numbers and distribution of wild pigs, commonly referred to as feral hogs, may be a contributing factor.

According to data from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, within the South Texas Plains ecoregion bobwhite populations have been consistently low since the mid-1990s and to date have shown few signs of recovery despite land-management efforts to improve populations.

“Wild pigs are known to eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds, but whether they impact wild quail populations is unknown,” said Dr. Susan Cooper, AgriLife Research natural resource ecologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde, who served as lead study investigator.

Wild pigs, commonly known as feral hogs, are known to predate quail nests and eat their eggs. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

Cooper said nest predation studies using artificial nests baited with quail or chicken eggs, as well as in-vivo field experience, showed wild pigs invade the nests of bobwhite quail to consume their eggs.

“Our study was able to demonstrate that on semi-arid rangeland, differences in habitat use and selection by Northern bobwhites and wild pigs should limit interaction between the species,” she said.

However, she noted, the study also showed there are still opportunities for quail nest depredation by wild pigs due to riparian areas providing access to drier upland areas.

By comparing the habitat use of quail and wild pigs, Cooper and her fellow scientists hoped to provide guidance on the rangeland sites where control of the feral swine might have the greatest positive impact on northern bobwhite quail populations. To achieve this, the scientists solicited the cooperation of the owner of an 84,000-acre-plus, low-fenced ranch in Zavala County used for game production and cattle grazing.

“We combined GPS data on the movements of 40 feral hogs collected in a prior study, with 10 years of spring call-count data available for quail on the ranch and three nearby properties,” Cooper said.

To get information on their habitat preferences, wild pigs were trapped and outfitted with a GPS collar. (Texas A&M AgriLife research photo)

The call counts were made annually from 2004 to 2014 during mating season — mid-April through May. Quail rooster calls were recorded at 10 call stations spaced equidistantly along about a 10-mile route on each ranch. Information on habitat use and selection by wild pigs was based on two years of data collected on the main study ranch using GPS-collared wild pigs whose movements were recorded every 15 minutes.

“Through combining these studies, our goal was to identify habitats within South Texas rangeland in which wild pigs were most likely to overlap in distribution with the bobwhites,” Cooper said.

Cooper said the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service had determined the soil types of the study ranch were predominantly clays and clay-loams with a small area of deep sandy soil..

“The most characteristic woody plant on the ranches was honey mesquite, which was growing in combination with pricklypear cactus and a diverse array of drought-tolerant shrubs,” Cooper said. “Riparian areas were predominantly narrow bands of dense shrubs and mesquite trees along drainage areas. In contrast, the sandy areas provided an open prairie habitat.”

Research results showed bobwhites on the study ranch strongly preferred the area with deep sandy soil. In contrast, wild pigs favored areas underlain by clay soils, and especially riparian areas of that soil type. On the other three ranches, which lacked the sandy soils, the bobwhites showed no clear preference for any particular ecological site.

“There is a thermoregulatory requirement for wild pigs to stay near riparian areas because, like their domesticated relatives, they have no sweat glands and the water and cool ground in these locations help regulate their body temperature,” Cooper said.

She said in spring and summer, when quail have nests on the ground that are vulnerable to predation by mammals, feral hogs were typically in the vicinity of water and riparian habitats that make unsuitable nesting habitat for quail.

The study showed the greatest overlap in habitat selection by wild pigs and bobwhites occurred early in the quail-breeding season when the swine were more often located in the clay-loam areas.

“These shrub dominated sites, while not highly preferred by bobwhites as long-term habitats, are used extensively for nesting,” she said. “However, most locations of wild pigs within clay-loam areas were not in native vegetation but fallow fields too sparsely vegetated to be of use to nesting quails. Thus chances of the swine locating quail nests were less than may be expected.”

However, Cooper noted, the network of creeks and drainages allowed hogs to infiltrate into drier rangeland areas where quail do nest.

“The special distribution of creeks and drainages may provide these opportunistic omnivores with travel routes into the drier upland areas preferred by bobwhites as a habitat for establishing their nests,” she said.

AgriLife Research investigators study effects of aflatoxins on quail reproduction

April 7, 2016 by

By: Paul Schattenberg

UVALDE – In an effort to discover find what’s causing the decline of Texas wild quail populations, Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists investigated whether regular ingestion of low levels of aflatoxins by bobwhite and scaled quail may impacttheir ability to reproduce.

VIDEO: Quail and Afaltoxin Study: https://youtu.be/KV1r1ZONWDE

The study on aflatoxin ingestion by quail addressed what might occur if quail consumed grain-based feed infected by these fungal toxins. The study’s purpose was to see if repeated consumption of low levels aflotoxins might affect quail reproduction. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

“In trying to identify reasons behind the decline in quail populations in Texas, we determined it would be worthwhile to study whether aflatoxins, which are fungal toxins that contaminate grain, might be a concern,” said Dr. Susan Cooper, AgriLife Research wildlife ecologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde.

“We wondered whether eating grain-based feed supplements for wildlife, especially deer corn, might possibly expose quail to chronic low levels of aflatoxin poisoning, thereby affecting their reproductive ability.”

Cooper was helped in the study by research assistant Shane Sieckenius and research technician Andrea Silva, both of AgriLife Research in Uvalde.

Cooper said previous research has shown acute dosages of 100 parts per billion of aflatoxin in poultry could cause liver damage or dysfunction, leading to ill health as well as reduced egg production and hatchability.

In wild quail, such effects would result in a decrease in reproductive output and reduction in quail population, she said.

“We knew that experimental doses of even small amounts of aflatoxins may cause liver damage and immunosuppression,” Cooper explained. “So the objective of this study was to determine whether consumption of aflatoxins in feed at those levels likely to be encountered as a result of wild quail eating supplemental feed provided for quail, deer or livestock, would result in a reduction in their reproductive output.”

The researchers conducted feeding trials using 30 northern bobwhites and 30 scaled quail housed in breeding pairs. They initially conducted free-choice trials on three replicate pairs of each type of quail to determine if they could detect the presence of aflatoxin in their feed. The birds could not detect and avoid aflatoxins.

Then for 25 weeks, encompassing the breeding season of March through August, the researchers divided the remaining quail into four groups of three pairs of each species. These 12 pairs of caged northern bobwhites and 12 pairs of scaled quail were fed diets that included twice weekly feedings of 20 grams of corn. The corn had either 0, 25, 50 or 100 parts per billion of aflatoxin B1 added to it prior to consumption by the quail.

“These amounts of aflatoxin — 25, 50 and 100 parts per billion — represented the recommended maximum levels for bird feed and legal limits for wildlife and livestock feed respectively,” Cooper said. “And the feeding schedule mimicked what would occur with wild quail periodically visiting a source of supplemental feed.”

Quail were weighed monthly to see if there was any weight change due to the consumption of grain-based feed with low-level amounts of aflatoxion. (Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo)

The researchers measured any changes in reproductive output and quail health over the six-month breeding period. Reproductive output was measured in terms of number of eggs produced per week as well as the weight of the eggs and their yolks. Health changes were measured by the amount of food consumed by the quail on a weekly basis and by any reduction in weight as measured on a monthly basis.

“We had to extract the birds from the pens using butterfly nets, then put them into a small enclosed cage area to weigh them,” said Sieckenius, who also prepared the corn for adding the aflatoxin. “We collected eggs daily and hard-boiled the eggs collected on the last week of each month to extract the yolks so we could accurately measure their weight.”

Cooper said the results of the study showed intermittent consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated feed had no measurable effect on the body weight, feed consumption and visible health of either species of quail.

“The reproductive output, measured by number of eggs produced, egg weight and yolk weight, was also unaffected,” she said. “Thus, in the short term, it appears that chronic low-level exposure to aflatoxins has no measurable deleterious effects on the health and productivity of quail.”

Cooper said as a result of the study it was possible to conclude that aflatoxins in supplemental feed are unlikely to be a factor contributing to the long-term population decline of northern bobwhite and scaled quail through reduced health or egg production. However, she cautioned that feed should be kept dry to avoid potential contamination with higher levels of aflatoxin that may be harmful.

”This project also does not address any long-term effects of aflatoxin consumption that may become evident when wild quail are exposed to nutritional or environmental stresses,” she said.

Webinar on Texas Quail Index

October 28, 2014 by