LESSON 14: QUAIL FARMING FOR EGGS AND MEAT
STRUCTURE
• Quails vis-a-vis Chickens
• Reasons for quail farming
• Common varieties of quails by CARI
• Rearing of quails in cages
• Inputs requirement
• Summary
LEARNING OUTCOME
After going through this lesson, you will be able to:
• Gather information on benefits and purpose of quail farming.
• Identify different breeds of quails.
• Know about various quail farms.
• Study management tips of quail farming
INTRODUCTION
Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) are small flying birds weighing around 150 to
200 g. They make a peculiar sound and are considered a delicacy as a meat bird. Due to their
small size, this bird is also used as a laboratory model of chicken and other birds. So, cost of
conducting experiments can be greatly reduced because they eat less, need less space and
reproduce faster than chicken. In addition, they are also easy to handle. With growing
consumer awareness and appreciation for the quail’s tender and tasty meat quality, the
commercial quail production industry has gradually captured a sizeable section of the poultry
meat market. In the picture below, you will see a pair of Japanese quails (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1: Japanese Quail
At about 3 weeks of age, the adult male is identified by cinnamon-coloured feathers,
blunt and smaller feathers on the upper throat and lower breast region. The females
in the same region will have black stippled feathers on lighter cinnamon colour and
the feathers are pointed in shape. The male makes a loud voice which
usually sounds as “ko-turro-neex”. You will be surprised to know that the males
weigh less (160 g) than the females (200 g) at 8 weeks (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2: Japanese Quail Male and Female birds
QUAILS VIS-A-VIS CHICKENS
There are many types of quails like the Chinese quail, Italian quail, Rain quail etc., but not all
are domesticated. Most of the quails come under Wildlife Protection Act. Only the Japanese
quails and the Bob white quail are allowed to be reared under captivity. In India, we have the
Japanese quails which are gaining much importance and their eggs and meat are readily
accepted by the common man. Quails are also distinctly different from chicken because:
They are very small compared to chicks; adults weigh about 10% of adult chicken.
They do not have combs and wattles
They can fly
Quails get sexually matured by 6th week of age itself against 6th month
Quails eat 20-25 g feed vis-a-vis 100-120 g feed in layer chicken
REASONS FOR QUAIL FARMING
There are various advantageous in raising Japanese quails. The reasons for the popularity of
Japanese quail farming are as follows:
Does not require specially designed house as they can be comfortably reared even in
vacant rooms meant for human habitation.
The floor space requirement is much less, and the capital requirement therefore is
much less.
The quails are ready for the market as table birds at five weeks of age. The quail also
starts laying from the sixth week.
More resistant to diseases than chicken and do not normally require any vaccination,
deworming, etc. such that their management is easier.
Because of their smaller body size, the quails consume less feed and therefore
maintenance and recurring costs are also less.
Thus, the Japanese quail farming can be undertaken with less capital investment and little
skill, and the returns will be realized earlier.
Distribution of Quail Farming
With growing consumer awareness, an appreciation for the quails’ tender and tasty meat
quality has been reported. Many commercial quail farms for egg and meat production have
been established in different parts of the country.
BREEDS OF QUAILS
There are many types of quails like the Chinese quail, Rain quail, Italian quail. But not all are
domesticated. Most of the quails come under Wildlife Protection Act. Only the Japanese
quails and the Bob White quails are allowed to be reared under captivity.
Egg Type CARI Pearl (White Egger)
• Body Weight (5th week): 140 g
• Daily feed: 20-25 g
• Age at 50% Egg Production: 8 weeks
• Age at 80% Egg Production:10 weeks
• Hen day production: 285-295 eggs Fig. 3: CARI Pearl
CARI Sunehari (Brown Feather White Breasted)
• Body Weight (straight-run) 5th week: 182 g
• Age at sex maturity: 43 days
• FCR (5th week): 2.8
• Av. egg weight: 11g
• Age at 50% Egg Production: 8 weeks
• Age at peak EP: 12-13 weeks Fig. 4: CARI Sunehari
CARI BROWN (Brown Feathered Quail)
• Body Weight (5th week): 180-185 g
• Age at sexual maturity: 38-41days
• Hatchability on total egg set: 60-65%
• Plumage colour: Completely brown
Fig. 5: CARI Brown
CARI Sweta (White Feathered Quail)
• Body Weight (5th week): 155-165 g
• Daily feed intake: 25 g
• FCR (5th week): 2.70
• Hatchability on total egg set: 50-60%
Fig. 6: CARI Sweta
CARI Ujjawal (White Breasted Quail)
• Body weight (5th weeks): 175 g
• FCR (5th week): 2.80
• Daily feed: 25-28 g
• Hatchability on total egg set: 65% Fig. 7: CARI Ujjwal
Meat Type CARI Uttam (Quail Broiler)
• Body weight (5th weeks): 240 g
• Daily feed: 25-28 g
• FCR (5th week): 2.60
• Hatchability on total egg set: 70-75% Fig. 8: CARI Uttam
REARING OF QUAILS IN CAGES
In most of the cases, the quails are reared in intensive system either on the floor or in cages,
as the quails unlike chickens can fly and their rearing in free range system is not practically
possible.
Housing
The Japanese quails can be reared on the floor or in specifically designed cages. Battery
brooders are used to rear up to 3 weeks of age; later on shifted to growing cages in which
many growing birds are grown in each cage called as colony or community cages. At 8 weeks
of age, they are shifted to laying cages. The cage design is similar to chicken, but smaller in
size. The battery brooder (Fig. 9) consists of tiers each measuring 160 cm x 80 cm with a
height of 25 cm which can accommodate 60 to 75 quail chicks. The colony growing cages
will not have brooding area, but have tiers of the same dimensions as that of brooder cage.
Each such tier can accommodate 80 to 100 growers. Three-bird laying cages (Fig. 10)
measures 25 cm wide and 15 cm in depth and height. Egg rolling space is 2.5 to 3.0 cm. The
colony laying cages are similar in dimensions to colony growing cages but they will have
slope in the floor with an egg rolling space of 2.5 to 3.0 cm. Each of these tiers can
accommodate 80 to 100 hens.
Fig. 9: Quail Chicks in battery brooder Fig. 10: Cage system of rearing
Space requirements of Japanese quail are tabulated below:
Space requirements of Japanese quail
Age (weeks) Floor space Feeder space Drinker space
(cm²/bird) (cm/bird) (cm/bird)
Up to 2 75 2.0 1.0
3 to 5 100 3.5 2.0
6 to 8 125 5.0 2.5
9 and above 150 7.0 4.0
Feeding
Quail rations are available wherever they are being reared on commercial purposes. Their
nutrient requirements are as follows:
Nutrient requirements of Japanese quail
Parameters Starter/Grower Breeder/Layer
(0-6 weeks) (6 weeks onwards)
Metabolizable energy, Kcal/kg 2900 2900
Protein, % 24.0 20.0
Lysine, % 1.30 1.00
Methionine, % 0.50 0.45
Calcium, % 0.80 2.50
Available phosphorus, % 0.30 0.35
Vitamin A, IU/kg 1650 3300
Vitamin D, ICU/kg 750 900
Vitamin E, mg/kg 12 25
Riboflavin, mg/kg 4 4
Source: NRC, 1994
During egg production, the feed consumed is 25 to 28 g/bird/day and during maximum
production period, feed conversion ratio can be 3.3.
Management
You should know that Japanese quail chicks at hatch will only weigh 6 g and therefore,
extreme care is necessary while brooding. You will be surprised to know that even if a chick
falls from a tier on to the ground, it may die.
(i) Brooding Chicks on Floor
Newly hatched chicks are small and require proper brooding management.
Fig. 11: Brooding of quail chicks on floor
Japanese quail chicks are purchased as day-old chicks, reared up to the age of five weeks, and
sold to the market for meat. Litter material like paddy husks or groundnut hulls is spread to
about 2.5 cm depth, and empty gunny cloth or a corrugated sheet is spread over it. A brooder
guard in the form of a cardboard sheet or metallic sheet about 20 cm height is arranged in a
circle over the gunny sheet on the litter material. Adequate warmth must therefore be ensured
by the provision of electric bulbs at the centre of the brooder guard arrangement, or by coal-
stove heating or gas brooding. In a brooder guard circle of 3 feet diameter (90 cm), about 150
chicks can be accommodated. Drinkers and feeders should not be kept under the source of
heat inside the brooder circle (Fig. 11). A drinker space of about 0.3 cm, and a feeder space
of 0.6 cm per bird, must be provided during 0-2 weeks. Up to two weeks, two chick drinkers
of 10 cm diameter and 1.5 cm high on the sides, each of 500 ml capacity, and two feeder
plates of 22 cm diameter and 2 cm high will be sufficient for 150 chicks in each brooder
circle.
(ii) Rearing Growers
From three weeks up to 5th week of age onwards these birds are known as growers. During
this period, the birds are much stronger and are able to withstand stress. During this period, if
the outside temperature is comfortable, then, the brooding bulbs may be removed. The
drinker and feeder space should be increased to 0.6 and 1.2 cm, respectively from 3-5 weeks
of age. From the third week, a linear feeder, 45 cm long, 2.5 cm height and 10 cm wide, and
a drinker of 15 cm diameter and 2.5 cm high at the brim and 1200 ml capacity will be
sufficient for 75 quail chicks. The feeders have to be designed in such a way that these birds
will not be able to place their feet inside and waste feed. The protein levels in the feed are
lowered during this period to 20-22% from 26%. It is essential to manage these birds well to
obtain a good body weight.
(iii) Cage Rearing
Two differently designed types of cages are required to rear Japanese quail chicks up to
market age. A brooder cage is required to rear them from day-old to 17-18 days of age and a
grower cage from 18-19 days to market age. The cages are designed as multi-tier cages with
about a 10 cm gap between each tier, and a droppings tray fitted into the gap (Fig. 12). Each
tier can be further divided into smaller compartments. A brooder cage can be constructed as
four or five tiers of 180 x 120 x 25 cm, and each tier can be divided into four compartments
of 90 x 60 cm size each. About 100 chicks can be reared in each compartment, and 400
chicks in each tier. Provision must be made for heating bulbs in the centre of each
compartment (Fig. 4.7). The grower cage can be 240 x 120 x 25 cm size, with each tier
divided into four compartments of 120 x 60 cm size each. About 60 grower quails can be
reared in each compartment up to market size. Feeders and drinkers are fixed outside the cage
units. Feeding is done three times a day and watering twice daily without limiting the intake.
Japanese quail chicks should not be left without feed or water at any time of the day. This
will affect their growth rate and increase the mortality rate.
Fig. 12: Rearing of Quails in Cages
(iv) Rearing of Layer Quails
The layer quail can either be raised in cages or on floor. If the birds are raised in cages, then
you could have tiered cages or Californian type cages (Fig. 13). Each bird must be provided
with 180 cm2 space. The waterers may be fitted outside the cages or nipple waterers
(automatic waterer) may be fitted in the cages. In a layer cage, the floor of the cage must
have a slight gradient to enable the egg laid to roll out of the cage and to be held by a folded
sleeve that extends out of the cage by about 2.5 inches. Japanese quail requires 14-18 hours
of light per day to maintain maximum egg production.
Fig. 13: Layer Quails in Cage
(v) Egg production
Japanese quails mature by 8 weeks of age and peak egg production is attained by 13-15
weeks of age. They produce eggs which are about 8% of their body weight; whereas, in
chicken, it is about 3.5 % of body weight. Most of the eggs are laid between 3 pm to 8 pm.
The eggs weigh around 10 g and are highly mottled (dark colours of different shades and
shapes on the shell). The Japanese quail egg has a mosaic pattern egg shell (Fig. 14) and the
egg shell is very thin, therefore care has to be taken while collecting and storing these eggs.
However, there is a white egg producing line developed. As the bird gets older, the egg size
also increases. The eggs have to be collected at least thrice a day.
Fig. 14: Quail Eggs
(vi) Beak-trimming
Procedure is similar to chicken; done at 3 weeks of age. More care is required because the
birds are small and handling is more difficult than chicken. Beak trimming is particularly
important because while mating males are likely to cause severe injury to females.
Health Care
Japanese quails are also hardy; but they are susceptible to diseases such as Ranikhet disease,
Infectious Bursal disease, E. coli infections etc. They can be controlled on the same lines as
explained for chicken. Sanitary management is the best guarantee against disease by
providing clean potable water, prevention of overcrowding and placing birds in a well
ventilated place. Japanese quails are comparatively more resistant to infectious diseases than
chicken. Fowl cholera, coli-bacillosis, enteritis and mycotoxicosis are some diseases that
affect Japanese quail. However, more deaths (even up to 20-25 per cent) occur during the
brooding age (0-14 days) due to managerial errors, especially failure to provide adequate
warmth, the entry of chill air, too many chicks in one brooder unit, improper drinkers, etc. If
adequate care is taken, the mortality rate up to market age can be restricted to 8-10 per cent.
INPUTS REQUIREMENT
• Finance
• Land
• Electricity
• Water
• Building/Houses
• Chicks/Brooders
• Cages
• Feeders
• Waterers
• Feed
• Medicines
• Vaccines
• Transportation
• Manpower
• Know-how
• Shelter for staff
• Security
• Store House/Freeze
SUMMARY
• Quails are reared for hatching eggs, day-old chicks, table eggs and meat purposes.
• Several improved varieties of Japanese quails have been developed by ICAR-CARI.
• Many commercial quail farms have been established throughout the country, both for
egg and meat production.
WEB RESOURCES
http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/farm_enterprises/Farm%20enterprises_%20quil%20farming.html
http://vikaspedia.in/agriculture/poultry/quail-farming
http://www.krishisewa.com/articles/livestock/416-quail-farming.html
http://www.agrifarming.in/quail-farming/
http://www.elearnvet.net/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=8437
http://www.elearnvet.net/moodle/file.php/32/Articulate/12.Brooding_and_rearing_practices_f
or_Japanese_quail/player.html
http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/mod/page/view.php?id=129895
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWCebh69Sqg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mBtxv4Z8v8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn5jtiw1pXg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHLNpURnzVc
