We're a family-owned and operated farm, tucked away in fresh, picturesque Poroti, Whangarei, New Zealand. We grow and supply only natural, fresh and healthy farm produce like our quail eggs.
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Quail eggs – these nifty buggers are packed with nutrition and healing properties – all supported by numerous scientific studies
When we decided to start a quail egg farm, we had little idea nutrition-wise where quail eggs stacked, particularly against chicken eggs. We knew there were some health benefits but assumed they were similar to chicken eggs – we just loved the taste of quail eggs and wanted to share that. We were blown away when we found out they possessed healing properties for many illnesses, all supported by scientific studies.
Having teenagers with frequent hay fever symptoms, I read with interest this study that was based off the findings of a French doctor, Dr Truffier who made the “observation of a lesser occurrence of allergies in quail farmers”
In the early 1970s, a French general practitioner noticed that farmers who raised quails (Coturnix coturnix) presented fewer allergy symptoms than the general population in the same area. He gave raw quail eggs to his allergic patients, including both adults and children, and observed a reduction in their symptoms (Truffier 1978). This finding was subsequently investigated in several human clinical trials carried out by a larger group of physicians under the direction of a highly respected French allergist physician Dr. G. Bruttmann. In these studies, subjects suffering from outdoor and indoor allergens were given quail egg powder tablets or placebo. The results of these studies indicated that consumption of quail egg powder led to relief of subjects’ symptoms with good tolerability of the administered product (Bruttmann 1995). The composition of quail eggs has been described by Prelipcean (Teuşan) et al. (2012) as containing about 68% of water, 12% of proteins including ovomucoids, 10% of fats, 8% of minerals, and 2% of carbohydrates.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4256569/
In this study, subjects were exposed to common indoor and outdoor allergens to trigger allergic reactions. Subjects in the treatment group were given a proprietary product made of quail eggs. Allergy symptoms were recorded and scored. The results showed significant improvements in nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, watery eyes, itchy eyes and itchy nose. No significant differences with the control group were found for sneezing. Significant improvements were recorded starting from the 15th minute indicating the fast acting nature of the product.
In this study, the active product was shown to be effective in healthy subjects overexposed to allergens. Under normal environmental conditions where occasional allergy sufferers are exposed to allergens, episodic allergy-related symptoms can be burdensome. When symptoms persist under these conditions, the repeated use of the active study product may provide long-lasting relief…..Administration of quail egg homogenate to these subjects on a daily basis for a sustained period (several months in duration) resulted in significant improvements in allergy-related symptoms and a reduction in the use of rescue medications.
This got me excited – a natural remedy that worked in 15 minutes?! Enter test subject in the throes of battle with uncontrollable allergic rhinitis – Daryl, son #2, aged 18 . Since we moved to the country, his allergies have worsened, and then doubled down when spring began. With no knowledge on dosage or how to administer this medicine, I cracked 3 eggs into a cup and he downed them raw and neat (with much difficulty). Then we waited, and 20 minutes later, all was quiet, the sneezing had stopped. Was it a coincidence, did it work? By the hour, the sneeze had returned and Daryl wasn’t sold on this remedy. The experiment was put aside but then later on, I came across some details on a possible treatment plan attributed to Dr Truffier for rhinitis
First two days of treatment: the patient should eat three eggs (raw)
Third day of treatment: the patient should increase to four eggs
From 5th to 49th day of treatment: increase to five eggs
… the eggs should be eaten on an empty stomach and you should not eat anything else for the next three to four hours
And another by a blogger who used this therapy on herself and found it cured her. Inspired and armed with some knowledge, I think we are ready to try again. Most importantly you do need buy-in – so first task at hand is to convince Daryl to give it a go. Hopefully will have something to share in a few months, will post an update when I do!
If you are thinking about using quail eggs therapeutically or otherwise, do note that quail eggs are contraindicated for those with egg allergies. Please read the disclaimer.
I’m still learning how quail eggs are used medicinally for many ailments and I hope to share more studies in the future. Meanwhile, if you’ve found this post interesting or have any comments or questions, please feel to comment below.
It’s been almost a year since we moved from busy Auckland to our little green dot in Northland. It’s been a busy year of small successes which we’re incredibly proud of, of things that didn’t go as expected, of many challenges, uphill battles but all the while learning as we go and then relearning as we go. We’re grateful for all of these experiences and gear up for the challenges ahead aware that nothing is insurmountable. Hello world, you’re looking fresh as yesterday!
One of the biggest challenges we face is dealing with pest pressures. How to deal with it in a targeted manner so only eradicate the pest with no harm to other plant or animal species. How to deal with it in a manner that is safe for our environment, safe for the animals we raise – ultimately how do we keep our food systems clean and chemical free.
Some of the pests we face on our property are rats, possums, slugs, snails and the farmer’s perpetual antagonist – weeds. Rats were our biggest nemesis when it came to keeping our quails safe. For months they didn’t bother the birds but one night we lost 25 chicks to a predator that snuck through a hole the size of a $2 coin. That began a cat and mouse game that lasted months. Sebastian set up traps – rat traps, mice traps and mustelid traps – we weren’t sure but judging from the savagery of the kills, we were leaning towards stoats as public enemy #1.
We beefed up the security of our cages, snagged a few mice and rats and then it was all quiet for a while. That peace was short-lived as we woke up one day to multiple adult bird casualties and then each day thereafter. Our best defences were futile against this very astute enemy – which never touched the snares set up all around for it , which always found a way in, which never slept and which never gave up. We know, because we set up a trail camera trained at the cages. Part of Sebastian’s morning routine was to check the camera footage. We found it was a Norwegian rat, and we watched it relentlessly try to find a vulnerability in the cage, all night. Sebastian would make routine patrols through the night and the trail camera would be triggered again right after he left the scene – the rat would be at it again after he left. Even when it couldn’t find a way into the cage, it was able to nibble feet or inflict harm from the outside.
It was at this point that I understood human loathing for rats. I remembered cheering on the rats as they tied up the health inspector in the movie Ratatouille – and I repented. The rats had to go. We didn’t want to use rat poison – we’re quite philosophical about poison on the property so we researched other safe ways to kill rats. No matter the tasty treats we left in the traps, the rats didn’t fall for them. Eventually it was a baking soda hack that did them in – rice, baking soda, flour and peanut butter rolled into a tasty ball.
The idea behind using baking soda to kill rats is that the bicarbonate in the powder will react with stomach acids of the rodent. This will create a gas that is carbon dioxide. Since rats cannot pass gas, it will just build up within their digestive system. Eventually, it will cause a rupture or blockage.
http://www.ratpoisonfacts.org/baking-soda/
The rats have lost this time; it has been a quiet few months. But not to be outdone, Sebastian built a high security cordon around the quail quarters. We sleep peacefully now but it wouldn’t hurt to leave a few tasty treats around every now and then, note to self. We know how this movie ends – the enemy is vanquished, its all smiles and celebrations for the good guys. Unbeknownst to them, the predator is rustling amidst the ashes, only to come back bigger and badder in the sequel. Stay tuned for any updates, and as always feel free to leave a comment.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 Peter 5:8