QUAIL FARMING

May 24, 2024

303

QUAIL FARMING

Meenaxi¹, Deepika Jamadar²

¹Livestock Production and Management, Veterinary College, Bidar

²Assistant professor, Veterinary College, Bidar.

The term “Quail” refers to a collection of diminutive birds, known for their tendency to run rather than fly when confronted with danger, with the term itself connoting a state of trembling fear. The Japanese quail, also recognized as counter-mix quail, pharaoh’s quail, eastern quail, bater (Hindi), and battai in Nepali, is part of this group. Quails are extensively distributed across Europe, Africa, and Asia, often considered migratory creatures. Initially kept as pets, quails are now predominantly utilized for both meat and egg production. Quail eggs typically weigh between 7 to 15 grams, while adult quails weigh between 150 to 200 grams. These eggs are aesthetically pleasing, displaying a variety of colors. In their first year of life, quails can lay approximately 300 eggs, with production gradually declining to 150-175 eggs in the second year and subsequent years.

Keywords: Breeds, housing system, Brooding management, reproduction

Quail Breeds:

Japanese quail (Coturnix Japonica): commonly known as Bater.Utilizedfordevelopingspecializedeggandmeat linesofquail.
Bob white quail (Colinus virginianus): Birds are without tail,heavy and have white colored plumage as dominant character

	CARIbrown	CARI pearl	CARI sunheri	CARI sweta	CARI uttam	CARI ujjwal
Plumagecolor	Completelybrown	Whitebreastedbrown	Whitebreastedbrown	White	Pharaoh	Whitebreastedquail
BWT(5wk)	218	140	182	155-165	220	200
FE (5thweek)	2.70	2.50	2.80	2.70	2.60	2.80
Daily feedintake(g)	9	20.25	10	25	25-28	25-28
Ageatsexualmaturity(d)	38-41	44	43	42	42-46	40-43
Annualeggproduction	210	285-295	200	215	260	240
Ageatpeakproduction	10	10	12-13	11	10	10-11
Hatchability(%)	60-65	70-80	68	50-60	70-75	65-70
Livability (%)	90	95	95	80	96	97
DP(%)	74	72	72	73		74
Egg	Tinted	white	Tinted	Tinted	Tinted	tinted

DIFFERENCEBETWEEN MALE ANDFEMALE

Physical Appearance:

Characters	Male	females
Size	slightly larger	Smaller than male ( difference may not be very noticeable)
Plumage	more colorful and striking plumage	Less compared to females
Comb	larger combs	Smaller
Wattle	larger	Smaller

Voice and Behavior:

Call: Male quails are known for their distinctive calls, which they use to establish territory and attract mates during the breeding season. Female quails may also vocalize but usually have quieter calls.
Aggression: During the breeding season, male quails can become more aggressive, particularly towards other males competing for mates. This aggression may manifest in behaviors such as chasing, pecking, or vocal displays.

Nesting Behavior: Female quails are responsible for incubating eggs and caring for chicks. They exhibit nesting behaviors such as scratching at the ground to create a nest, laying eggs, and incubating them until hatching. Males may assist in guarding the nest but typically do not participate in incubation.
Reproductive Anatomy:

Male quails have reproductive organs such as testes and a phallus, which are involved in sperm production and mating. Rustybrownthroatand breastfeathers,cloacalgland.
Female quails have reproductive organs such as ovaries and oviducts, which produce and release eggs. They also have a cloaca, a common opening for excretion and reproduction, where eggs are laid. long and pointedfeathers with black speckles onthroatandupperbreast. Chest is broad and Femalesareheavier (200-250g) then male-(180-200g).
Understanding these differences between male and female quails is important for various aspects of quail farming, including breeding management, flock health, and behavior observation. Proper identification and management of male and female quails can help maximize breeding success and overall productivity in quail farming operations.

FEEDING OF QUAIL

Brooder feedup to3 week: high protein diet-27.5% high energy diet-2850kcal/kg
Grower feed 4th weekon wards:24% protein 2750-2800kcal/kgenergy

· layer feed content:22.5%protein 2700kcal/kgenergy

Quails start laying by:6–7-week age
They reach peak production of laying:13-14 week,
Gradually decline egglaying from25th week
Hen housed egg production ranges-260-275eggs

HOUSING SYSTEM OF QUAILS

Quail can be raisedin bothlitter and cagesystems.

DEEPLITTERSYSTEM

6 quails canbe reared ina sq.ftof floor space. Litter materials-paddy husk, ground nuthull,saw dust. Depth oflitter -2.5cm during brooding then 5cm. After2 week quail can be reared in cages.

CAGE SYSTEM

Quail farming in cage system is more suitable than raising them in deep

litter system managementisveryeasy anddiseasesandother problemsareless usewirenetformakingtheircages. Commercialegg layerisusuallyhousedincoloniesof10-12birdspercage.Each unit is about 6 feet in lengthand1footinwidth andsubdividedinto 6 subunits.Thecagescanbe arrangedupto6tiershigh. Bottomofcageisfixedwithremovablewoodenplates. Long narrow feedtroughsareplaced in frontof thecages. Water troughs are placed at the backof thecages.

Reproduction and Breeding

In quail farming, reproduction and breeding play a crucial role in ensuring a consistent supply of eggs for consumption or for hatching chicks for meat production or replenishing the flock. Here are some scientific insights into quail reproduction and breeding:

Sexual Maturity:Quails reach sexual maturity relatively early compared to other poultry species. Japanese quails, for example, typically reach sexual maturity at around 6 to 8 weeks of age.
Natural Mating:Quails are capable of natural mating, where males court females by performing a mating dance, including vocalizations and physical displays. Once a pair forms, mating occurs quickly and can be frequent, especially during the breeding season.
Artificial Insemination: This technique allows for controlled breeding and enables the use of selected males with desirable genetic traits to fertilize a larger number of eggs.
Breeding Ratio:The ideal male-to-female ratio in a breeding flock depends on several factors, including the breed, housing conditions, and management practices. Generally, a ratio of 1 male to 4 to 6 females is recommended to ensure efficient fertilization without causing excessive stress or aggression among the birds.
Nesting and Egg Laying:Quails prefer to lay their eggs in secluded areas or nest boxes within their enclosure. Providing suitable nesting sites encourages natural egg-laying behavior and helps prevent egg damage or cannibalism. Japanese quails typically lay small, speckled eggs, with each female capable of producing several eggs per week under optimal conditions.
Incubation:Quail eggs require specific conditions for successful incubation. The optimal temperature for incubating quail eggs is around 37.5 to 38 degrees Celsius (99.5 to 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), with a relative humidity of approximately 60% to 70%. The incubation period for quail eggs is relatively short, typically lasting around 17 to 18 days.
Hatchery Management:Proper hatchery management practices are essential for maximizing hatchability and chick health. This includes regular egg collection, careful handling and storage of eggs before incubation, maintaining appropriate temperature and humidity levels during incubation, and providing adequate nutrition and care for newly hatched chicks.
Genetic Selection:Selective breeding programs can be employed to improve desirable traits in quail populations, such as egg production, meat quality, disease resistance, and growth rate. By selectively breeding individuals with the best genetic characteristics, farmers can gradually improve the overall performance and profitability of their quail flocks over successive generations.

BROODING ARRANGEMENTS

The brooder house should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at least a dayinadvanceto receivethe chicks.
Littermaterialslikepaddyhuskor groundnuthullsisspreadtoabout2.5cmdepth andnewspaperisspreadoverit.
Abrooderguardintheformof acardboardsheetor metallicsheetabout30-45cmin heightisarrangedina circle overthenewspaperonthelittermaterial.
Japanese quail chicks are very tiny and cannot adjust themselves to a chill environment.Hence, adequate warmth must be ensured by providing infrared bulbs and a gasbrooderat thecenterofthe brooder.
Artificialheat and tempmanagementsystemfor14to 21daysfrombirth.1stweekrequiredtemp35ºCthengraduallyreduced to3.5°Cperweekuntilthechickswere fullyfeatheredat about4 weeks.

JAPANESE QUAIL EGG

Quaileggsaretasty;theycontainmoreyolkthan chickeneggs.
Smalleregg thanchicken
Quail eggs contain higher proportions of high-quality protein and Less fat and cholesterol

Eggslaidbetween3to5pm, weight is around 10-12g, 7to8%of

hensbodyweight.The averageageat1steggproductionisabout

JAPANESE QUAIL MEAT

Japanesequailcan besold tothemarket at 5weeksofageas live birds.Dressingpercent- is 70-75%
Cleanedmeatwillbe70-74percent ofthelivebody weight,quails carrymoremeatinthe breastregion(41percent)andalso contain ahighamountof calcium.
Quailmeatcontainsmoreprotein(22-24percent)and lessfat (about2percent)thanmostotherkindsofmeat,likemutton,chicken,etc.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF QUAIL FARMING

The advantages are as follows:

Quail is known for its fast growth and veryshort generationinterval. (3to4generationsinyear)
Quail farming needslowinvestment and they are very resistanttodiseases.
Easytohandle and Novaccinationis required
Earlymaturitymarketingagewithin4thweek-5weeks.
Veryhighegg-layingintensity:The femalestartslayingattheageof42daysand reachestopeakproductionby 10-12weeksofage. They requireminimumfloorspace
Quailmeatistestierthanchickenhaslessfatcontentanditpromotesbodyandbraindevelopmentin children.
Known for its rate of egg laying -280eggs/yrand eggscontainlesscholesterol.

Disadvantages:

Quailhasaparticularlyhighamountofammonia contentindroppingand odor may be objectionable.

Arapiddeclineinreproductiveefficiency, after8monthsofage.

Shelldamageoccursfrequentlyin quaileggs and candling is difficult due to colored egg shell
Newly hatchedchicksaresensitiveto draftsandmustbe givenspecialcareduring1stweek or2 weeksof age
Fertilityandhatchabilitypercentagesaregenerallylowerthan theturkeyand chickens.

Diseases of Quail

More resistant to common poultry diseases (Naveeen and Arun 1992)
Maximum mortality is during the brooding period.

Ulcerative Enteritis

Causative agent: Corynebacterium perdicum, Clostridium perfringes
100% mortality in young quails
Typical signs: birds die with feed in crop.

Important symptoms:

Watery droppings with urates
Birds became dull, humped up, ruffled feather and partially opened eyes.
Ulceration in intestine and caeca.
Liver – lesions are yellow spots with yellowish area of necrosis with edge of liver.
Spleen – Enlarged and hemorrhagic
Upper part of intestine hemorrhagic lesions.

Aspergillosis