Breeding quails at home for beginners may seem like a complicated and even exotic activity. No wonder. Quail farming in our country is not developed on such a large scale as the breeding of chickens, geese, ducks, etc.

The value of quail meat and eggs is mainly known to people who, for one reason or another, adhere to certain diets. And this is of course not fair. Quail birds are unpretentious and can lay eggs almost every day, and the meat costs an order of magnitude more than chicken and is much more nutritious.

You can breed quails almost anywhere - in a private house, in a country house, and even on the balcony of an ordinary city apartment. Quails do not need large premises and they do not need to build a large chicken coop with paddocks. For example, fifty quails can be comfortably placed in a cage with an area of ​​about 1 square meter. And with properly organized conditions of keeping (this is done very easily) and care, such a small flock can lay about 48 eggs (each weighing from 10 to 12 grams) during the day, which is equal to eight chicken eggs.

If you are a beginner quail breeder and you have no experience in keeping these birds, then we advise you to decide before acquiring these cute and cheerful birds what is more profitable for you - purchasing adult birds or hatching chickens from eggs in an incubator.

Organization of conditions of detention

Regardless of where the quails will be kept (barn, apartment, living space), the main thing is to ensure the required temperature conditions.

As a result, before purchasing birds, give them a place in advance where the air temperature will be between 18-20 degrees.

Temperature fluctuations above 25 degrees and below 12 can not only negatively affect productivity, but also birds will begin to lose plumage (when high temperature), and at lower values, for example -7, they will simply die.

The next condition is a correctly made cage.

If you are a beginner quail breeder then Special attention give cells. If you decide to make it yourself, then follow the tips and drawings that are presented in our section; it offers various options that can be assembled in ordinary home conditions, even without special skills in this matter. In the store, a quail cage is quite expensive and, accordingly, will pay for itself in more than one month.

It is also worth noting that cages designed for keeping parrots or other birds are not suitable for quails.

Video “How to properly make cages and organize watering and feeding”

This video shows the main points of keeping and caring for quails. Pay special attention to how cages, feeders and drinking bowls are arranged.

What to look for when buying a quail cage

If you decide to purchase a quail cage, then pay attention to the following. It is desirable that the main elements be metal and the walls made of mesh. It's better if it's galvanized.

It is also worth paying attention to the presence of feeders and drinkers, which should be located on the front wall; this makes care and feeding easier. The mesh in this place should be such that your charges can freely stick their heads through and reach the food.

The dimensions of the quail house are also important; its height should be at least 20 centimeters and even a little more. Otherwise, quails with a tendency to jump may injure their heads.

Unlike chickens, which lay in special nests, quails are not demanding in this regard and lay on the floor, which must be inclined, and the cage itself is equipped with a special egg receptacle.

Also, for ease of cleaning after quails, a cage for quails should have a special tray for droppings, which is located under the mesh floor and should be easily pulled out. If such a tray is not provided, then you risk facing a lot of problems, ranging from contamination of eggs to various diseases of your feathered charges.

Purchasing quails

If you decide to purchase adult birds, then try to take individuals aged from 1 to 1.5 months. A female quail reaches sexual maturity at the age of 1.5 months and it is at this age that she begins to lay eggs.

Quails should only be purchased from experienced, reputable poultry farmers or farms. Quails, unlike chickens, can be taken regardless of the time of year, because their egg production is the same all year round.

Please also note that when purchasing quails, it would be a good idea to buy from the seller the feed on which the birds were fattened. A sudden change of menu and moving will certainly affect not only their egg production, but in some cases can lead to indigestion. Stock up on food for about a month, this time will be enough to gradually transfer your charges to the food that you have.

Incubation

If you decide to seriously start breeding quails at home with the subsequent expansion of your farm and the subsequent organization of even a small poultry farm, then it is better for you not to spend money on an adult bird, but to get an incubator.

Quail eggs are incubated in almost the same way as the eggs of any other poultry: chicken, duck or geese, with slight differences in timing, humidity and temperature conditions.

Many quail breeders often complain that it is difficult to incubate quail eggs in an ordinary incubator, which is designed for approximately 80-100 chicken eggs. Especially if it is a small batch of up to 80 pieces. This is due to the fact that the eggs are simply rolled out in the incubator.

And here, vanity and unnecessary trouble arise. Many go to extremes. For example, they are starting to make special quail incubators. But the solution here is very simple. Quail eggs are simply covered with cotton wool or cloth around the edges. But it's not that.

In almost all incubators, the temperature deviation from the middle to the edges is at least 0.5 degrees, because of this, eggs begin to be endlessly transferred, then to the middle, then to the middle.

But this is unnecessary, do as we suggested above and this problem will be solved by itself. In addition, under such conditions, quality and hatchability increase significantly. In a word, without any extra thought, buy a regular incubator and lay eggs in it.

If you have the appropriate skills, you can make a quail incubator with your own hands in normal home conditions.

When purchasing an egg for incubation, the first thing to note is that it must be fresh (no older than seven days). It is better to purchase from experienced quail breeders or farms.

In fact, the incubation of quail eggs from chicken eggs is disabled only by timing. If it takes 21 days from the laying of chicken eggs in the incubator to the hatching of the chicks, then the quails are born earlier in 16-17 days. Eggs need to be turned 4-5 times a day.

For the first 10 days, maintain the temperature in the incubator at 38.5 degrees. If the incubator is not equipped with an electronic sensor and thermometer, then the check is carried out using a medical thermometer. In the final seven incubations, it is desirable to reduce the temperature to 38 degrees. And on the eve of hatching, about a day before the chicks start hatching, it reaches 37.5 degrees.

Compared to chickens, quails are born quite amicably within a maximum of twelve hours. Those that hatch later usually have various deviations and attempts to hatch them are not very successful.

Raising quail

Raising these birds is more profitable and, most importantly, takes less time than raising the same chickens. And caring for them is even easier. For example, it takes about six to seven months for a chicken to turn into a chicken, but a Japanese quail fully matures and begins to lay eggs within six weeks.

In order for raising quails at home to be profitable and successful, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions for small quails from the first days of life.

The brooder into which the young animals will be transferred from the incubator must be prepared in advance. Various wooden or even cardboard boxes may be suitable for this. Quails have a lively character, so a net should be stretched over the top of the box. However, it is better to make a special brooder in which all the necessary conditions for the successful growth of chickens can be created and in which it will be convenient to care for them.

Immediately after hatching, chicks should be kept at a temperature of about 34 degrees. Next, it needs to be gradually reduced and brought to 25 degrees within a month.

Lighting should be around the clock for two weeks. Then it needs to be reduced to 17 hours, but no less. Otherwise, a decrease in egg production is observed.

Feeding the young

Young quails are fed practically the same as chickens. But there is also a difference, which lies in the design of the feeders and drinkers.

Any container with low edges can serve as feeders. You need to pay more attention to drinking bowls. Use only vacuum ones, otherwise small chicks in deep drinkers may simply drown.

Hard-boiled eggs are given as the first food.

Later, the young animals are transferred to feed for broiler chickens.

To avoid having to deal with relocating the quail all the time. which grow very quickly from one bunker, then at two weeks of age, place them directly into cages for adult birds. And to make it easier to maintain optimal temperature conditions in them, simply sheathe them, for example, with sheets of cellular polycarbonate or other material, but just don’t forget to make ventilation holes in them.

First of all, you need to know that a quail eats on average about thirty grams of food per day, i.e. during the year approximately 10 kilograms. In a year, she can lay up to 3 hundred eggs weighing 3-3.2 kilograms. Over the same period, a laying hen can eat about 50 kilograms of feed and lay up to 180 eggs weighing about 10-11 kilograms.

Feeding quails

At first glance, there is no difference in feeding overfish and chickens. It would seem that 4 quails can eat the same amount of feed as one chicken. Lay approximately the same egg mass. But this is a misconception. The difference is in content and productivity. For example, a cage containing fifty quails, which can easily replace 10 chickens, can be placed even in the very small farm or even in an apartment. This cannot be said about chickens. But it is advisable to feed them with compound feed that is made at the factory.

But there is one problem - compound feed is not produced specifically for laying quails. If you see compound feed for quails somewhere on the market, then this is a scam.

Therefore, many quail breeders recommend immediately giving starter feed for broiler chickens of the PK brand - 5-2. In particular, this feed contains the required proportion of highly digestible protein, which this species of birds needs for good egg production.

Adults need to be fed 3 times a day, and the feeding norm must be strictly observed. It varies for different breeds, but ranges from – 25 to 30 grams per day.

If you feed more or less feed, this will negatively affect egg production. Do not forget that feeders should be placed on the front side of the cage, and drinkers should be drip.

These are probably all the basic recommendations for breeding and caring for quails at home for beginners. If you are an experienced quail farmer and have your own experience, please share it with your novice colleagues by leaving a comment below. Both we and the readers, of course, would like to receive as much information as possible.

This video shows where to keep and how to feed young quails.

To raise quails, a small area is required, since the bird consumes little feed, grows quickly, and farm products are sold without problems in markets, stores and public catering. How to start making money by raising quails, selling meat and eggs?

Economic aspects of quail farming

Advantages:

• raising quails does not require large premises; up to 120 birds can be kept per square meter of cages; a four-tier cage can accommodate up to five thousand birds per one square meter floor area;
• due to the close housing of the birds, the costs of lighting and heating cages even with 1000 quails are quite small;
• Caring for quails is very easy. An adult can easily care for cages containing several thousand quails;
• high cost of meat and eggs;
• high speed of production: quails begin to lay eggs already at one month of age, broilers are fattened to marketable weight in 60 days;
• quails are unpretentious in food, feeding birds with home-prepared feed is cheap;
• quail breeding is still not widespread, the market niche is still free;
• high profitability of the business: quails that have stopped laying eggs are sold for meat, down and feathers from birds are sold, and bird droppings packaged in bags are excellent for gardeners in the spring and summer.

Legal aspects of the quail business

Before creating a quail farm, you need to decide on organizational form farms. There are two options: personal subsidiary farm(LPH) and obtaining a certificate individual entrepreneur(IP). It is believed that private household plots only sell surpluses from running their farms, therefore, according to the law, the products of private household plots can be sold on the market or to catering establishments. The individual entrepreneur is initially focused on making a profit, so he has no restrictions on options for selling products. The products of private household plots are not subject to taxes; in order to sell them, it is necessary to obtain a certificate from the local administration about the presence of private plots. An individual entrepreneur must register with the Federal Tax Service, Pension Fund and Social Insurance Fund and pay taxes in accordance with current legislation.

To sell their products, both private household plots and individual entrepreneurs must obtain a quality certificate from the veterinary service.

Breeding quails for eggs

In a year, a quail can lay 250-300 eggs. The cost of one egg is 3.80 - 4 rubles, therefore, per year from the sale of eggs from one quail you can earn from 950 to 1200 rubles. The daily amount of food for quail is 30-35 grams, 1/3 of the diet consists of vegetables, the price of good feed for poultry is 25-30 rubles per kilogram, a self-made grain mixture costs one and a half to two times cheaper.

Consequently, for the year the cost of feeding laying birds will be 250-300 rubles. Naturally, the cost of keeping poultry also includes the cost of lighting, heating the poultry house, the cost of cages, equipment, and the barn itself, but when maintaining a farm of 500-1000 laying hens, these costs will be quite small.

What are the benefits of quail eggs

Whether quail eggs will be beneficial or harmful depends on the individual organism. The weight of one egg is small - only 10-12 grams; it is better to eat them raw. Unlike chicken eggs, quail eggs are not affected by salmonella and other microorganisms. This is due to the high (42 degrees) body temperature of the bird; microorganisms die already at 40 degrees. Therefore, when breeding quails, antibiotics are not used to prevent diseases.

• eggs are very rich in vitamins A and B, as well as microelements: magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, iron. By eating one egg, a person receives ¼ of the daily norm of cholesterol and 1/50 of the norm of protein;
• after enhanced physical activity eggs help the body return to normal;
• if you are overweight, eating one or two eggs a day and getting a minimum of calories can completely provide the body with a daily dose of microelements;
• proteins, polyunsaturated fats and folic acid maintain normal levels of hormones in the female body;
• taking quail eggs helps for normal pregnancy;
• with regular consumption of eggs, sexual function in the male body is improved and enhanced;
• Quail eggs have a complex effect on a child’s body. Their regular use enhances attentiveness when learning; improves memory; increases energy when playing sports; removes toxins and radionuclides from the body. Physiological consumption rate: preschoolers 1-2 eggs per day, schoolchildren 2-3.

Regular consumption of quail eggs normalizes digestion and alleviates the human condition in many diseases:

• for bronchial asthma, it is recommended to eat 1 egg per day for 30 days in a row. Then take a short break, after which the treatment is continued. After six months of treatment, the patient begins to feel improved health;
• In case of poisoning, it is recommended to take 1 egg every hour. After a few hours, the victim’s condition improves;
• dietary nutrition with quail eggs is indicated in the treatment of diseases of the thyroid gland, gastrointestinal tract, nervous system disorders and heart disease;
• For allergies, taking one egg a day relieves attacks. Allergy symptoms disappear within a few days.

Egg shells are useful for brittle nails, hair, insomnia, constipation and irritability. To use, crushed shells are mixed with lemon juice. Take the composition every other day, one teaspoon in the evening before bed.

At the same time, we must not forget that, as with any product, the human body can react negatively to quail eggs. In childhood (up to 1 year), a reaction to the ovomucide contained in eggs is possible, so eating eggs is contraindicated for infants. Also, with some diseases of the liver and kidneys, poor absorption of protein by the body occurs. In this case, you should consult your doctor before eating eggs.

Breeding quails for meat

Quails are a very early ripening bird. The weight of a broiler cockerel by 60 days of age reaches 300–400 grams. The selling price of meat is 400-500 rubles per kilogram, a carcass is sold for 150-200 rubles. The cost of fattening consists of the cost of purchased feed and succulent (green) feed. In the case of independently growing succulent feed (pumpkin, fodder beets), replacing part of the feed with boiled potatoes, as well as replacing purchased feed with a self-made mixture of inexpensive grain, the cost of fattening is very low.

What are the benefits of quail meat

Quail meat has a wonderful taste and an absolutely unique composition. Product recognized dietary dish. Quail meat is superior in taste to chicken, beef, pork and rabbit.

Includes a large number of amino acids necessary for the human body:

• lysine. Helps the body increase muscle mass, breaks down fats, improves human memory, enhances libido, protects the body from viruses, drugs for the treatment of herpes and anabolic steroids are produced on its basis;
• cystine. Participates in the process of protein formation in the body; insulin and immunoglobulins are produced on its basis;
• methionine The absence of this substance in the body leads to the development of many pathologies;
• planin. Accelerates metabolism in the body, increases the amount of energy;
• glycine. Lack of substance intake into the body leads to disturbances in neuropsychic activity;
• glutamic acid. Strengthens and normalizes the condition of tissues and blood vessels. Anti-cancer drugs are produced on its basis;
• Aringin. Removes waste and toxins from the body;
• valine Normalizes metabolic processes in the body, stabilizes hormonal levels;
• aspartic acid. Increases alertness and concentration. Participates in the formation of amino acids;
• tyrosine Normalizes hormonal levels, participates in the process of melanin production. Increases body tone, stress resistance, and mood.

In addition, the composition contains a variety of micro and macroelements: phosphorus, potassium, copper, iron, manganese, selenium, copper, magnesium, zinc, sodium, potassium, calcium, vitamins A, D, C, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9 , B12, K.

Meat is easily digestible by the human body; it is healthy to eat at any age:

• children. The contained vitamin D protects against rickets and strengthens the bone tissue of the body;
• pregnant women. Quail meat protects against toxicosis, improves the balance of vitamins and minerals in the body;
• nursing mothers. When eating meat, the amount of breast milk increases and its composition improves;
• elderly people. Meat improves the digestion process, strengthens and rejuvenates body tissues, improves the condition of hair and nails, and eliminates age-related pathologies;
• athletes. The proteins and amino acids contained in meat accelerate the growth of muscle mass, replenish the body’s energy expenditure for training, and increase the body’s tone;
• patients after surgery. Eating quail meat promotes tissue healing, normalization of the patient’s condition and a speedy recovery.

On a note!

The calorie content of quail meat is low; 1 kilogram of product contains 2300 kilocalories. Meat contains 2/3 proteins, 1/3 fats.

• oncology;
• diabetes;
• anemia;
• radiation sickness;
• dystrophy;
• arrhythmia;
• caries;
• apathy;
• irritability;
• lack of erection;
• thyroid diseases;
• pathologies of the respiratory organs;
• asthma;
• bronchitis;
• tuberculosis;
• for gastrointestinal diseases.

A meat diet helps you lose excess weight.

Breed selection

When breeding quails, you must immediately decide what product (meat or eggs) the farm will be founded for. The choice of breed depends on this. Like any other poultry, all quail breeds can be divided into four large groups:

• breeds with high egg production;
• meat breeds;
• meat and egg breeds;
• decorative breeds.

Egg quail breeds

The birds have a low body weight (150-200 grams), their egg production reaches 280-300 eggs per year.

The bird has a small, slightly elongated body, small wings, and a very short tail. The color is variegated brown, males are more brightly colored. Quails are distinguished by their light-colored breasts. The weight of an adult bird is up to 130-150 grams, egg production reaches 300 eggs per year.

The breed was bred in Great Britain. Its distinctive feature is its black or brown plumage. The weight of an adult bird is up to 200 grams, egg production is up to 280 eggs per year.

On a note!

There is a similar British breed of White Quail. The plumage color of these birds is white with small spots of black, brown or golden hue. Otherwise the breeds are completely identical.

Tuxedo quails have an original color: the back and head of the bird are dark in color, the breast and belly are white. The weight of an adult bird is up to 160 grams, egg production reaches 280 eggs per year.

Meat breeds of quail

Meat breeds are distinguished by exceptionally high early maturity and excellent taste of meat.

White Texas Quail (White Pharaoh)

The breed was bred on the basis of quails of the Pharaoh breed in Texas; it differs from its progenitor in the dazzling white color of its feathers, which is why this breed is also called the White Pharaoh. This is the largest breed of quail - the female weighs up to 400 grams. Also, due to the white plumage, the skin of the bird is lighter, this gives the carcass a more colorful presentation. Quails of the Texas breed look very large due to their wide back and powerful chest.

Meat and egg breeds

Quail breeds for meat and egg production are very versatile. Having a slightly lower egg production than egg breeds, they surpass them in body weight, which ultimately allows them to receive much more income from poultry breeding.

Pharaoh

The meat and egg breed Pharaoh was bred in the USA. The bird's feather color is variegated brown. The weight of an adult bird reaches 300 grams, egg production is 200-220 eggs per year. The disadvantage of the breed is the darkish color of the carcass, which negatively affects the presentation.

Manchurian golden quail

In appearance and uniform variegation of color, the breed resembles Japanese quails. It differs from them in the lighter yellowish color of its plumage. The breed is considered universal - the weight of a female quail reaches 300 grams, egg production up to 220 eggs per year. Another one distinctive feature breed - eggs are almost a third larger than those of other quails.

Decorative quail breeds

Ornamental quail breeds are not distinguished by either high body weight or high egg production. Their advantage is their bright, variegated body coloring. Body shape, feather color, number and location of colored plumage spots are very diverse. These breeds include Californian, Virginia, Chinese painted breeds and many others.

What to look for when purchasing?

To start a business selling quail meat and eggs, you need to purchase a breeding bird. There are three purchasing options:

• purchase of hatching eggs;
• acquisition of day-old or week-old chicks;
• acquisition of an adult bird.

Purchasing a hatching egg

Purchasing an egg and then raising the bird yourself in an incubator is the cheapest way to initially develop a farm. Since quails are poor brood hens, in the future the population of birds will be renewed by hatching chicks in an incubator. When purchasing a breeding egg for placing in an incubator, you must consider the following:

1. The egg weight must correspond to the breed standard. Eggs that are too large or too small are not suitable for hatching a full-fledged chick.
2. The shell should be matte in color, without bulges, cracks, or protrusions.
3. The egg should have a clearly defined, regular, pointed shape. It is desirable that all eggs are approximately the same weight and size.

To breed the most viable chicks, eggs are taken from quails aged from two to twelve months. The shelf life of eggs is also important. It is optimal to purchase an egg that was laid two or three days ago; the maximum shelf life of a breeding egg before placing it in the incubator is 10 days. Each subsequent day of storage reduces the likelihood of breeding healthy offspring.

Purchase of day old chicks

Purchasing day-old chicks is a good start in business. Within a month, the birds will begin to produce returns, and the farm will begin to make its first profit. Proper feeding and maintenance will ensure maximum survival of the young. Before purchasing, it is necessary to carefully examine the chicks. Birds should be cheerful and energetic, dry feathers, without lumps of stuck dirt, clear eyes. Chicks should actively move and peck food.

On a note!

Week-old quails are slightly more expensive than daily ones, but when purchasing them, you can already select males or females based on their plumage, and therefore such a purchase will be more economically profitable.

Purchasing an adult bird

Purchasing an adult bird is the fastest start in business. After a short period of adaptation to new living conditions and a new diet, the bird will begin to produce a marketable product and make a profit, recouping the purchase costs.

The rules for choosing an adult bird are not very different from the rules for choosing babies: the feathers and down should be shiny, even and dry; the bird must be cheerful and active; eyes are clear, without mucus crusts; the beak is smooth, without chips; there should be no dried feces or dried blood on the cloaca; breathing is even, without wheezing.

Particular attention should be paid to the bird’s legs: the skin should be smooth (the presence of scales indicates that the bird is of advanced age), the fingers should not be bent, and the joints should be free of bumps and thickenings.

To get the most out of a quail farm, the premises must be comfortable for the birds to live in.

The room for breeding quails should be dry and warm. Quail is very thermophilic, so the room temperature should not fall below 18 degrees Celsius. The material and thickness of the walls must provide the required temperature conditions at any time of the year, if necessary winter time the room is additionally heated. The easiest way to organize indoor heating is with oil-fired electric heaters or infrared bulbs, but still the most economical option is to install a long-burning wood-burning boiler with a water circuit and several radiator batteries. IN southern regions To prevent overheating, air conditioners are installed in the poultry house.

On a note!

The use of additional heat sources normalizes the humidity conditions in the poultry house.

The presence of windows in the room has a positive effect on the well-being of the bird, but using additional lighting you can do without natural light. The light should illuminate all corners of the house, but its brightness should be dim. Too much light disturbs the bird and can lead to cannibalism. It is optimal to organize the lighting of the poultry house with 40-Watt fluorescent lamps. To obtain maximum productivity, daylight hours should be 15-17 hours.

Particular attention should be paid to good ventilation. Quails are very active birds; when moving, they emit a lot of heat and carbon dioxide, so ventilation must constantly provide the inhabitants of the house with fresh air. The volume of the room and the number of birds housed in it determine the air exchange rate, pipe cross-section, and the need to install additional fans. According to the standards, ventilation must provide an air supply of 1 cubic meter per hour per 1 kilogram of live weight of quails.

On a note!

Quails are very afraid of drafts. When there is a large intake of cold air, they get cold, lose feathers, reduce weight gain and practically stop laying eggs.

An important indicator of room comfort is the humidity level. To measure it, a psychrometer is hung on the wall of the room. A humidity range of 50 to 70 percent is considered normal. With a lower value, quails begin to consume more water; with a higher value, feed consumption increases. If the humidity is not normal long time, the bird reduces egg production and sharply loses weight gain. If the humidity in the room is less than normal, open containers with water are placed on the floor of the room. Evaporating water increases air humidity. Excess humidity from the room air is removed by increasing air exchange, or, in winter, by increasing the air temperature in the room

Excessive humidity leads to the development of pathogenic microbes and viruses that can cause various diseases of quails.

For the normal functioning of a quail farm, the poultry farmer must simultaneously maintain several groups of birds:

• chicks up to 10 days old;
• adolescents under one month of age;
• quail families to obtain breeding eggs;
• laying hens for the production of marketable eggs;
• quail for meat fattening - young males and quail over 12 months.

According to zootechnical standards, 1 square meter of cage area contains from 80 to 120 quails. When producing hatching eggs, 60-70 birds are kept per 1 square meter. No more than 25-30 quails are placed in one cage; for every 4-8 females, 1 male is placed. To produce food eggs, only females are placed in cages at the rate of 110-120 heads per 1 square meter; for meat fattening, 120-130 quails are placed per 1 square meter. The height of the cells is 25 centimeters, with higher altitude the bird begins to try to fly and injures its back and wings. The design of cages for different categories of poultry is almost the same, and consists of a frame and lining.

The frame is made of metal corners or wooden blocks with a cross-section of 30 by 30 millimeters. For the manufacture of walls and lids, galvanized mesh with cells of 20 by 40 millimeters is used; the floor is made of a mesh with cells of 10 by 10 millimeters. The side and back walls of the cage can be lined with plywood, plastic or fiberboard. As a rule, when there are a large number of birds, cages are combined into vertical blocks up to 3-4 floors high. In order not to chill the bird with drafts, and also for ease of maintenance, the lower cage is installed above the floor level at a height of 80-100 centimeters.

On a note!

For longer service, all wooden parts of the cages are treated with an antiseptic.

The floor in cages for keeping laying quails is made sloping towards the front side in order to laid eggs rolled forward into a special egg collection trough located at the bottom of the façade; in brooders and cages where birds are kept for fattening, the floor is made without a slope to reduce the cost of construction. In order for the eggs to roll down across the entire width of the façade, a 3-centimeter-high slot is made at the bottom.

A system for collecting litter is installed under the floor of the cage. In a small poultry house, this is simply a manure collection tray made of plywood, fiberboard or fiberglass; on a large farm, under the floor of several cages, a moving conveyor belt is installed, the manure from which is automatically swept away by scrapers into a special container.

Trays for watering and feeding birds are attached to the front side of the cages. The easiest way to make feeders and drinkers is from 50 mm plastic plumbing pipes or 0.5 liter plastic bottles, hanging them horizontally on the cage and making long wide slits. The volume of the feeders must contain daily norm stern.

To assemble a room for day-old chicks (brooder), a mesh with cells of 10 by 10 millimeters is used. The sides and back of the brooder are made of plywood or fiberboard. To control and measure temperature, a thermometer must be hung in the cage.

To heat babies in a brooder, you can use two heating options:

1. A tripod with a light bulb socket is permanently installed above the cage. Light bulbs of various wattages are screwed into the socket. By changing the power of the light bulb, as well as the height of the cartridge suspension, they regulate the temperature inside the brooder.
2. A light bulb socket is secured in a plastic lid from a liter jar. The light bulb is screwed into the socket, placed in a liter jar and covered with dry river sand. The jar is placed in a cage, the babies warm themselves by clinging to it.

The drinking bowl and feeder in brooders are installed inside the cage. The very first drinkers and feeders were flat plastic lids from cans. To prevent the quails from choking, the water level in the drinking bowl should not exceed 5-7 millimeters.

Quail breeding

To replenish the quail population on the farm, an incubator is used. They do this for two reasons:

1. Quails are very poor brood hens and often give up hatching eggs halfway through.
2. The entire time the bird is sitting on the eggs, it takes a break from laying eggs. This reduces the yield of useful products and, consequently, the return on business.

The incubator for hatching chicks is selected based on the expected productivity of the farm. With a production output of tens of kilograms of meat per day, several incubators are purchased. The main requirement for an incubator is the ability to lay small-sized eggs in it; it is also desirable that it be equipped with an automatic egg turning system and the ability to be powered from a car battery in case of power outages.

Before laying the first batch of eggs for hatching, you need to run the machine in test mode. This will determine the stability of temperature and humidity levels. After they are convinced of the reliability of the apparatus, they begin laying eggs.

Before laying, the eggs are examined using an ovoscope. Under the light of a powerful lamp the following are clearly visible:

• cracks in the shell;
• the quality and location of the yolk in the egg (in a viable egg the yolk is in the center, its color is deep yellow);
• the number of yolks in the egg (double-yolk eggs are discarded);
• protein structure (the protein should be dense and transparent);
• the presence of foreign inclusions (eggs with blood stains are discarded).

Incubation of quail eggs

In an incubator, a quail chick hatches 17-18 days after laying. All this time, the device maintains a constant temperature of 37.7 - 37.8 degrees Celsius. Humidity in the first two weeks of incubation is maintained at 50-55%; on day 15 the humidity is increased to 70%. Starting from day 7, the incubator is ventilated for 15 minutes twice a day. For better hatching, the eggs are turned 6 times a day for the first two weeks of incubation. Turning is stopped after the first squeak of the chicks appears (at about 15 days).

If the eggs are cooled for a while, the embryos do not die, but simply slow down their development. In overheated eggs, embryos die.

As a rule, the majority of quails hatch within 24 hours, but some chicks may hatch on the second day.

Maintenance and feeding of young animals in the first month of life

Newly hatched chicks are placed in a brooder under a light bulb to dry out. The first feeding is carried out a few hours after the birth of the quail. For the babies to find food for the first time, insert a knitting needle or pencil into the brooder and gently tap on the bottom of the feeder. The quails see a flashing object, mistake it for their mother, run towards the sound and find food. The next time the quails find food on their own.

Feeding the quail:

• on days 1-2, the chicks are fed hard-boiled eggs and finely ground oatmeal or wheat cereal. Chicken or quail eggs are boiled and rubbed through a fine sieve. Egg shells are ground into powder and added to food. Cereals add ¼ of the volume;
• on days 3-4, the norm of eggs decreases, cottage cheese (2 grams per head), fresh finely chopped greens and finely grated carrots are introduced into the diet;
• from day 5, fish oil, small mealworms, and compound feed intended for broiler chickens begin to be added to the feed. This feed consists of finely crushed wheat and corn, as well as vitamin, mineral and protein supplements. Eggs are gradually removed from the diet, replaced with additional cottage cheese or yogurt;
• from the 14th day, large river sand, fine gravel, ground shells and shells. The bird is gradually transferred to an adult diet; chopped grass and grated raw vegetables are added to the feeder.

In the first week of life, the chicks are fed 5-6 times a day, then the number of feedings is gradually reduced; by the age of one month, the quails are fed three times a day. Before each feeding, the feeders are washed, removing any remaining old food. Quails like to dig into the food, scattering it, so the feeder is filled 2/3 with food.

Only boiled water is used for feeding babies. For the first time, several crystals of potassium permanganate are placed in it; in subsequent times, watering with a solution of manganese is periodically repeated.

In the first days, the temperature in the brooder is maintained at 35 degrees. Every week it is reduced by 5 degrees, bringing it to 20 degrees Celsius. To stimulate the activity of babies, the lighting in the brooder should be on around the clock for the first two weeks, then the daylight hours are gradually reduced.

Growing and fattening adult poultry

A month after birth, the young quails are separated. By this time, it is already possible to clearly separate males from females based on their plumage. In males, the plumage on the chest is darker, the skin of the cloaca is pink. Females have lighter chest feathers, and the skin on the cloaca is bluish-gray.

Based on the needs of the farm, some of the quails are separated into the parent flock to receive breeding eggs, the females are transferred to cages to receive eggs, and the rest of the birds are moved to cages for fattening for meat.

The basis for feeding quails from all groups is the same:

• 60% ground grain (barley, wheat, oats, corn, legumes),
• 40% proteins (cottage cheese, curdled milk, fish and meat bone flour).

Additionally, they provide chalk, crushed shells and shells. The mixtures are thoroughly mixed and fed both dry and wet. Excellent mashes are made with yogurt or skim milk. At home, quails can be fed with bread. To do this, the bread is dried to breadcrumbs, crushed and added to the mash.

Additionally, quails are given crushed multivitamins (“Kvadevit”, “Undevit”). They are purchased at the pharmacy, ground into fine dust and added to food.

Crushed grain, not flour, is placed in quail mash. Flour disrupts the bird's digestion and may cause diarrhea.

You can feed the bird with either purchased feed or self-made grain mixtures. Naturally, if the entire quail farm consists of 5 - 10 quails, is placed in a small cage on the windowsill and serves as a source of eggs for personal consumption, then there is no need to crush grain, search meat and bone meal and so on. It is much easier to buy ready-made bird feed and feed it to your pets.

If a poultry farmer has hundreds, or even thousands, of quails, then it is much more profitable to buy grain that costs 10-15 rubles per kilogram and prepare the grain mixture yourself than to buy ready-made feed for 30-50 rubles per kilogram.

Maintenance and feeding of the breeding flock

To obtain an egg for subsequent placement in an incubator, families of quails are formed in separate cages. To obtain a high-quality fertilized egg, 4 to 8 females are placed with each male. It is advisable not to mix families subsequently, since the quails quickly get used to each other and may not accept the “stranger.”

The parent flock is fed in the most balanced way: the feeders should always contain fresh greens (if not available, cabbage leaves or sprouted grains) and grated vegetables, cottage cheese, fish and bone meal, mineral supplements and vitamins. In winter, dried and ground leaves of nettle, clover, and alfalfa can be added to the mash.

Maintenance and feeding of laying quails

To obtain quail eggs, female quails of egg breeds are used (Japanese breed, English black, Tuxedo). After selection, they are moved to cages in which the floor is made with a slope. To obtain marketable eggs, only females are kept; males are not required to be placed with them and additional feeding is not necessary.

The basis for increasing egg production is proper feeding. In addition to grain, laying hens should receive a large amount of protein. To do this, cottage cheese, meat and bone or fish meal, and fish oil are added to the feeders. Also, special attention should be paid to the presence of chalk, crushed shells and shells in additional feeders. If there is a lack of vitamin D (found in fish oil) or calcium (found in mineral supplements) in the diet, quails reduce egg production and begin to lay eggs in a film rather than in a shell.

For optimal productivity in the house where laying quails are kept, the duration daylight hours set equal to 17-18 hours. With increasing daylight hours, egg production increases, but the bird wears out and ages faster.

Birds begin to be fattened at one month of age. Of course, the best carcasses are obtained from quails of meat or meat-egg breeds, but male quails of egg breeds and quails culled due to old age are also fattened and used for meat. In order for the quail to move less and not argue over leadership in the flock, the daylight hours for them are reduced to 7-8 hours, and the light from the lamps is dimmed.

During the fattening period, quails are given a 1.5-2 times increased volume of food in the feeder, and a large amount of ground corn, boiled peas or beans is introduced into the diet. To speed up fattening, 5% feed fat is added to the mash. To avoid problems with gastrointestinal tract In birds, they are accustomed to a new diet gradually, changing the diet every day by 10-15%. The birds are fed to market weight for 30 days. An indicator of good fattening is the fat layer on the bird’s chest.

Poultry health

The majority of quail diseases occur from improper housing or feeding conditions.

1. At each visit to the farm, it is necessary to inspect the bird, identifying weakened, dejected, inactive ones. Such quails are carefully examined and placed in a separate room.
2. If signs of infection, ulcers, or rashes on the mucous membranes are detected, the bird must be shown to a veterinarian. A quail injured from pecking is placed in a separate cage, and the wounds are treated to prevent infection with brilliant green. The injured bird is returned to the common area after complete healing of the wounds.
3. If diarrhea occurs, check the freshness of bird food, disinfect drinking bowls and feeders, and pour rice water into the drinking bowl.
4. Males that are too aggressive are placed in a separate dark cage and kept there for several days.

Bird slaughter

After the quails gain the required weight, they are sent for slaughter. Five hours before this, the birds stop feeding and are given only clean water.

According to veterinary standards, a special room is required for the slaughter of poultry and further processing of carcasses. It must have running water, sewerage on the floor, and tiled walls. Furniture, equipment, sinks and cutting knives must be made of stainless steel.

The bird for slaughter is hung upside down, then its head is cut off with a quick movement of the knife. After the blood has completely drained, the carcass is plucked. For small production volumes, poultry is plucked by hand. To ensure that the feather comes off quickly, the carcass is immersed in boiling water for several minutes.

If production volumes reach hundreds of heads, a feather removal machine is used to remove feathers. The carcasses are loaded into a drum, where up to 95% of the feathers are removed using beating fingers in 1-2 minutes. The water entering the drum during poultry processing washes away the feathers and cleans the carcass.

On a note!

Processing in a feather removal machine does not injure the skin of the bird. This gives the farm's products a marketable appearance.

Quail breeding in Russia is gaining more and more momentum, and for good reason. This business brings high income with small investments. What is the whole secret? These birds are better than ordinary chickens. Their meat is considered very healthy and nutritious, and their eggs contain high level vitamins

In addition, they are practically not susceptible to infectious diseases and can lay eggs in cramped conditions.

Therefore, they can be bred anywhere - in an apartment, in a country house, in a private house.

But if you decide to breed quails, then you need to familiarize yourself with all the nuances - what is needed for breeding, which breed is better to choose, what to feed, how to keep them and much more.

Features of breeding quails at home for beginners

Quail breeding – profitable business, which has a huge number of advantages over breeding other types of poultry. Anyone can open this business, the main thing is desire and perseverance.

In addition, this business will definitely pay off, even if you invest a little money in it. So what's the big deal?

It all lies in the peculiarities of keeping and breeding quails:

1. Quails have high egg production. With 100 heads per day, you can get almost 70-80 eggs.
2. Quails don't get sick infectious disease avian influenza and can multiply in close conditions.
3. No special conditions are required for their maintenance and breeding; it is enough to have a small cage.

The profitability of the business is high; if you purchase 500 heads, they will pay for themselves in 2-3 months. The eggs and meat of these birds are in great demand; demand exceeds supply several times.

Therefore, we can definitely say that this business will be profitable, no matter what the investment is, it will definitely bring good profit.

Basic requirements for breeding and keeping quails

It doesn’t matter at all where the quails will live - in an apartment, in a residential building or in a utility room, the main thing is to create comfortable conditions. The growth and normal functioning of quails will depend on them.

These conditions include the absence of drafts, compliance with temperature conditions, humidity and suitable lighting.

What can drafts lead to?

If there are drafts in the room, this may cause feathers to fall out. The plumage will become ruffled and disappear completely.

All this can lead to the death of the bird. Therefore, many experts recommend keeping birds in rooms without windows.

Temperature

The most suitable temperature in the sparrowhawk should be 18-20 degrees above zero. Fluctuations of up to 18 and 25 degrees are also allowed.

If it drops below 18 degrees, quails may stop laying eggs. And at a temperature of less than 10 degrees, the birds begin to freeze, flock to the center of the sparrowhawk, jump on each other, as a result they injure themselves and die.

Humidity level

The humidity in the room should be at least 55%. If it is lower, this may lead to a decrease in quail egg production.

In addition, the quality of the plumage decreases, the feathers become brittle and stiff, and the plumage takes on a ruffled appearance.

If suddenly the level of humidity in the room decreases, then the floor should be watered generously, wet rags should be placed on it and containers with water should be installed in different places. But don’t overdo it, high humidity is also not very favorable.

It is undesirable for it to rise above 75%. The optimal humidity level when breeding quails should be 60-70%.

Lighting

When breeding quails, it is important to maintain the required level of illumination. It is worth noting that these birds do not like too bright light.

They become irritable and can peck each other to death. Therefore, it is not advisable to let them out into the street in bright daylight.

The best option would be a regular light bulb with a power of 40-50 W. It can be installed in the room where quails live.

A mini-course on quail breeding for yourself and for business is presented in the video.

Creating comfortable conditions: equipment

Beginning entrepreneurs should raise quails in cages; it is advisable to purchase them or make them yourself. There is no need to invent or invent something else, because with the slightest mistakes you can completely destroy the entire population of birds.

But it is worth remembering that the cage must meet all the requirements for keeping these birds and have the following features:

It is important to remember that the cage is the main place of residence for birds, so you should not buy used ones, because they may contain various infections. Even if it is well processed in compliance with sanitary standards, it is still not always possible to completely destroy harmful bacteria and microbes.

If you decide to make a cage yourself, be sure to follow all safety precautions. The cage should be high, the distance between the bars should exactly match the size of the birds' heads, and be sure to install trays for feeding, droppings and receiving eggs.

Choosing a breed and purchasing quails for home growing

When purchasing quails, you should focus on the type of breed. But first you need to decide on the type of breed and the group.

The groups are divided:

• egg direction;
• meat and egg group;
• meat breed.

Therefore, in order to accurately determine the choice of breed, it is worth considering each group separately.

Egg breeds

This group includes the following types of breeds:

Meat breeds

Tuxedo Quail. This breed was obtained by crossing black and white quails.

The color of the lower part along with the neck and head is white, and top part has a dark color with a brown tint.
Egg production is average; they lay about 260 eggs per year.

The weight of the birds is high, the weight can reach 220-230 grams.

Meat breeds

Quail "Pharaoh"

Pharaoh. This breed was obtained by the American breeder A. Marsh through many years of selection.

Unlike other breeds, this species is quite impressive in size. The weight of males can reach up to 270 grams, and the weight of females is almost 300 grams.

Egg production is low; females lay about 220 eggs per year. The egg-laying age begins at 45-50 days.

Stages of raising quails

Unlike chickens, quails are not divided into meat and laying hens. The first year they are raised for the purpose of producing eggs, and in the subsequent period they are fed for meat.

The growing stages are as follows:

1. First stage.
   Raising chicks - from the moment of their birth until 6 weeks.
2. Second phase.
   Further maintenance and rearing of laying hens.

   The approximate period is no more than a year.

3. The third stage is fattening.
   Basically, many entrepreneurs initially focus on raising poultry for meat.

   They are usually fattened for up to two months and prepared for slaughter.
   Slaughter can be done when the bird reaches a weight of 120 grams.

It is worth noting that you need to buy birds no more than 1 month old. Moreover, you can buy them at any time of the year, because they can lay eggs all year round.

But you still need to buy from those who breed these birds themselves, and not from resellers. This is due to the fact that the young animals are already accustomed to the same diet and any changes can lead to big problems, including the death of the quail.

Therefore, it is advisable to immediately purchase food from the same seller for 3 weeks and it is best to take the recipe for preparing the food from him.

Food for quails, their feeding

Quails should be fed 2-3 times a day. You need to allocate about 25-30 grams of food per head.

Do not overfeed quails under any circumstances; this can significantly reduce egg production.

The following types of food should be included in the diet:

1. Feed for chickens.
2. Cereal crops – oats, barley, millet groats.



3. Greens - wheat germ, clover, green onions, lettuce, clover.
4. Skins of various vegetables - boiled or raw potato skins and the pulp itself, cabbage leaves, boiled or raw carrots.
5. Sunflower seeds.
6. Cottage cheese.
7. Boiled eggs, chopped into small pieces.
8. Fish meal.
9. Finely chopped raw or boiled fish.
10. Chalk crushed to a powder.
11. Chopped eggshell.
12. Small pieces of shells (2-3 times a week).
13. Fish fat.

If quails are kept in a private house, then they should be released outside in the summer so that they eat insects and slugs on the street.

But be sure to monitor the temperature, it should be at least 18 degrees.

If the birds are kept in an apartment, then be sure to give them various insects, which can be purchased at any pet store.

Taking care of pets' health

When breeding quails, it is important to monitor their health. This will help avoid many dangerous diseases.

It is worth highlighting the main symptoms of diseases that you should pay special attention to:

1. The presence of lethargy.
2. Drowsiness.
3. Passive behavior.
4. Lack of desire for food.

If a bird exhibits these symptoms, it should be placed in a separate cage and mandatory consult a veterinarian.

Also, if a bird has any injuries, it should be removed and kept in a separate cage until complete recovery.

During active egg laying, the females' oviduct may be damaged, which may result in the death of individuals. In these cases, the protein in the feed should be reduced and the length of daylight should be reduced.

Preparation for slaughter

After individuals reach 30 days of age, they can already be distinguished by gender. During this period, it will be possible to separate females and males separately and place them in different cages.

They are then fattened and prepared for slaughter.

During this period the following conditions must be met:

1. The temperature should be kept at 20-24 degrees above zero.
2. The length of daylight hours needs to be reduced.
3. Quails need to be fed 4 times a day with plenty of food: 2 times grain crops, 2 times chopped greens.
4. The duration of fattening should be at least 50-60 days.
5. Approximately 6 hours before slaughter, the quails stop feeding and are given only water to drink, this will help cleanse it of all unnecessary things.
6. Slaughter can begin when the weight of individuals reaches 120-160 grams.

Sales of finished products - profitability of quail breeding

Of course, many are interested in the question of whether it is worthwhile to engage in the breeding of hemp and whether this business will bring income.

But first, it’s worth drawing up a business plan, let’s look at the example of 1000 heads:

1. The cost of 100 birds is $1,000.
2. The cost of the cells will be about 12 – 2200 dollars.
3. Small-sized household incubator - $200.
4. Feed costs: $200 per month.
5. Lighting and heating costs: $100 per month.
6. Monthly profit from selling eggs is $800.
7. Monthly profit from the sale of meat products is $300.
8. Net profit per month – $900.
9. Payback period: 5 months.

Eggs should be packaged in special packaging. The shelf life of eggs in the refrigerator is no more than 60 days, with room temperature no more than 30 days.

Eggs should be sold in markets, shops, and supermarkets. It is also worth considering that this is a dietary product and very healthy, so you can agree on supplies to kindergartens, hospitals, health centers, sanatoriums, tourist centers, and holiday homes.

Quail meat can be supplied to restaurants and try to organize sales through large retail outlets.

It is also worth considering that in order to cooperate with buyers, you will need to conclude an agreement and you will need to obtain permission for supply and sales from the veterinary service, which is usually issued after a complete examination of the product in the laboratory.

1. If you are a beginner entrepreneur, then you should not chase big profits.
   As a rule, the first pancake is lumpy and it is worth considering that quails are capricious birds, they can die and be stunted.

   Therefore, to begin with, it is worth purchasing a small number of quails.

2. In addition, a small number of individuals will not require the preparation of additional permits, acts and certificates, which will greatly simplify the further sale of products.
3. It is important to observe all the necessary conditions of maintenance: temperature level, humidity, lighting and absence of drafts.

Quail farming is a profitable business that will be an excellent option for small businesses or simply, as an option, for family business. The main thing is that you need to approach this matter correctly, prepare everything you need, equip places for breeding and observe all the necessary conditions during the growth period of quails.

Then you can get a high income with a small investment.

You can learn about the quail business from the video.

In contact with

Keeping and breeding quails is a very useful and profitable activity. The meat and eggs of these small birds contain important human body animal protein, as well as a balanced complex of substances beneficial to humans. Many people say that quail eggs have medicinal properties. Quails grow and develop very quickly, they are prolific, so within a year the existing population of birds can be increased tens of times.

General information about quails

There are the following directions of development of these birds: egg, meat (broilers), fighting and ornamental. The most useful and profitable is the breeding and maintenance of egg-laying quail breeds.

In terms of egg production, quails are leaders in comparison with even purebred chickens, because the female quail is capable of produce about 300 eggs per year. In terms of the ratio of egg weight to body weight, quails have the highest indicator among other industrial birds. The standard weight of a female quail egg is from 9 to 12 g. The color of the eggs is variegated, the spots are usually dark brown or of blue color. Each quail has its own special pattern on the shell.

Birds of different breeds and hybrid forms have differences in appearance, feather color, weight, performance and other features.

The only slight drawback of quails is their small size. But as a result of this “disadvantage,” undeniable advantages emerge: quail meat and eggs do not lose their taste, egg production does not deteriorate, and susceptibility to diseases does not increase, which is typical for large birds due to the constant increase in their body weight.

Female quails have a larger body mass than males. Quails in captivity mature for oviposition as early as one and a half months. These birds are less likely to become infected with avian influenza because they are kept indoors.

Adult quails. Breeding, maintenance and care

When purchasing birds, know that it is better to take individuals aged from one to one and a half months. Young quail will endure transportation without much stress and will get used to a new habitat, a new daily routine, diet and light regime. pay attention to appearance birds. There are several signs indicating the health of an individual:

• The quail's beak should be dry and free of growths.
• The feathers around the cloaca should be clean.
• The bird should not be obese, but it should not be too thin either.
• No extraneous noises, such as whistling or wheezing, should be heard in the quail's breathing.
• If the bird is sick, then lethargy and dishevelment will be present.

Ornamental quails are kept outdoors in spacious enclosures with a ceiling height of at least one and a half meters. Quails for meat or egg production live exclusively in cages. The room where birds are kept must be equipped with artificial lighting and a ventilation system. There should be no drafts, otherwise the birds' feathers will suddenly begin to fall out.

The house must be warm. If necessary, you need to install an additional heat source. It is not necessary to heat a room with adult animals; it is enough just to insulate it well. The optimal temperature for keeping adult quails is considered to be 20–22 °C, with possible permissible fluctuations from 16 to 25 °C. When the temperature drops below 16 °C, quails will not lay eggs. And if the temperature drops below 5 °C, the birds may die.

In the room where quails are kept, it is necessary to maintain air humidity of 50–70 percent.

Signs that the air is not humidified enough:



But birds will not feel comfortable in rooms with high humidity.

When keeping quails at home, regular poultry cages or even simple boxes may be suitable. The floor should be covered with sand, hay, sawdust, straw, and newspaper. The litter needs to be changed to a new one every day. If this condition is not met, the room will smell of bird droppings, which is not only unpleasant, but also harmful. Female quails do not need nests; they lay eggs directly on the floor.

The cage should be placed in a quiet place where the temperature environment close to room temperature. A loggia is not suitable for placing a cage, since the air temperature there is subject to significant fluctuations. You should also not place the cage on a windowsill, because bright sunlight will make the quail restless and aggressive, and they may peck eggs and hit each other with their beaks.

If, nevertheless, the birds began to fight, then there is Several ways to calm them down:

• transplant the “fighter” into another cage;
• using opaque material, fence off a corner for an aggressive bird in a common cage;
• darken the cage a little;
• take the cage to a dark place and leave it for up to 5 days, not forgetting to feed the birds.

The optimal daylight hours for quails lasts seventeen hours. These birds do not like bright lighting. The dim light calms the quails; they do not fight among themselves and do not peck at the eggs. It is recommended to turn on the lights at 6 a.m. and turn off at 11 p.m. If you make the daylight hours of quails more than seventeen hours, you can increase the egg production of females, but this will negatively affect the duration of their productivity, in other words, they will age faster. Feed consumption will also increase. If the daylight hours of birds last less than the standard value, egg production will decrease, and the quail will have time to become very hungry during the “long night.”

At least once a month, the cages in which the quail live should be thoroughly cleaned. This method can be used. Remove the birds, thoroughly wash the cage using a brush, hot water and detergent. Then pour boiling water over the cage and dry it.

Raising young animals

Immediately after birth, hungry Quail chicks squeak loudly. After a short time, they become calmer, sleep for a long time, and in the interval between resting phases they peck food and drink water. Quails are covered with brown down, with two light stripes running down their back. Their weight reaches only 8 g. You need to carefully monitor the babies, because the chicks get stuck in various cracks, holes or openings and may die as a result.

After hatching, the quail chicks are placed in a box with high walls and a top covered with a metal mesh. During the first two weeks, a temperature of 35–38 °C should be ensured; during the third and fourth weeks, the temperature should be gradually increased reduce to 20–22 °C. To regulate the heat in the box, you can use a regular electric lamp by raising or lowering it. If the chicks are gathered together and squeak all the time, it means the temperature is not high enough and they are frozen. And if small quails stand alone, with their beaks slightly open, or just lie down, it means they are hot and the temperature needs to be lowered a little.

It is important to provide optimal lighting conditions for quail chicks. It shouldn't be too bright. Female quails raised under too much light will subsequently produce small eggs. For the first two weeks of life, quail chicks need to be illuminated around the clock. Afterwards, their daylight hours gradually increase to seventeen hours a day.

When the chicks are three weeks old, they are transferred to cages with adults. It is not easy to distinguish males from females, but by this age they are already distinguishable. In “boys” the plumage on the chest and neck is darker, brown with a reddish tint and with black dots. Females have light gray breast feathers with large black dots. If young quails are transplanted later than 21 days, this will delay their egg production process. Excess males are transplanted into cages for further fattening.

Males become adults and stop growing at eight weeks of age. Sexual maturity occurs at 35–40 days. WITH Females mature a little more slowly and by the age of nine weeks gain weight up to 135 g.

Safety of young animals in quails, subject to normal conditions is about 98 percent, which is much higher than that of other birds. The chicks are growing rapidly. Within two months they reach a mass 20 times greater than the original. This indicates a rapid growth rate, and, accordingly, an intensive metabolism in these birds.

Feeding regimen and diet of adults

Basic quail feed components:



Insufficient or excessive content of one or another component affects the health and productivity of quails.

The best food for these birds is special feed for quails. It is possible to add root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets) to the feed. You also need to feed the birds with finely chopped greens (cabbage, dandelions, alfalfa).

To meet the protein needs of quails, you need to feed them cottage cheese, minced meat, fish, fish or meat and bone meal, sunflower seeds, and flax. To ensure a sufficient amount of minerals in the feed, shells are used, which must be finely crushed. For improvement digestive process It is imperative to give gravel to quails.

Birds must be provided with water around the clock. Drinkers are installed outside the cage so that the quail can drink water by sticking their head between the bars. Needed twice a day change the water and wash the drinking bowl. Sometimes, to prevent intestinal diseases in drinking water, you need to dissolve several crystals of potassium permanganate until a barely noticeable Pink colour.

Feeding regimen and diet of young animals

Quail chicks can feed themselves almost immediately after birth. The necessary diet for them is food containing a lot of protein, vitamins and minerals. During the first two to three days they will quail can you feed boiled egg, which needs to be crushed and placed in a wide, low container.

On the third day, you need to add cottage cheese and finely crushed corn or chicken feed to the egg. On the sixth – seventh day, you can add finely chopped greens to the food. During the second week of life, quail chicks can peck feed intended for chickens. And upon reaching three to four weeks, the maintenance and diet of the chicks is similar to that of adults.

In the first week of life, quails need to be fed 5 times a day, in the second and third - 4 times, starting from the fourth week the number of feedings is reduced to three times per day. The amount of food for chicks does not need to be limited. Two hours after eating, excess food should be removed.

Water for chicks, like food, must be clean and fresh. Water in drinking bowls is necessary change twice a day, drinking bowls should be clean, it is better to give boiled water. You should only use vacuum drinkers, as quail can drown in others. It is also possible to use ordinary nylon lids for jars as drinking bowls. Several crystals of potassium permanganate must be dissolved in water until a barely noticeable pink color is achieved. Food and water should be close to room temperature.

From two weeks, quail chicks should be given gravel and crushed shells. And after reaching three weeks of age, you can give sand, but only when the quails are well-fed. Otherwise, they mistake sand for food and can become poisoned by eating a large amount of it.

Breeding and keeping quails at home is a very interesting, uncomplicated and profitable activity. The main conditions for ensuring good egg production are compliance with temperature and light conditions and the use of balanced feed.

Breeding quails for subsequent sale of eggs and meat is one of the most easily implemented ideas for creating own business. Quails are very productive in egg production. One quail will lay 240 eggs a year. Each egg is 6 times smaller than a chicken egg and the quail itself is 6 times smaller than a chicken. 6 quails replace one laying hen. But the advantage is that quails begin laying eggs at the age of 45 days! For comparison, a purebred laying hen, which has the most early egg production begins no earlier than 4 months. Ordinary chickens generally after 6 months.

You can start raising quails at home almost from scratch. Due to the compactness of the cages (their average size is 120 by 60 by 180 cm) and their spaciousness (each can accommodate about 100 birds). You can organize your own mini-farm on a plot of less than 0.7-1 square meter (at least on the balcony). To create a place for cages with laying hens, an extension to a house or garage or an apartment balcony is suitable.

How to breed quails at home?



The more quails there are, the faster the egg production increases. Therefore, many new owners of mini-farms want to learn how to properly breed such birds. There are two ways:

1. The first is to initially populate the cages with both males and females. This method the simplest and most popular. It is important to remember that the ratio of males to females should be 1 to 2.5. For every 10 hens there should be 4 roosters and quails. But it must be borne in mind that this method of breeding birds sometimes leads to fights, misunderstandings inside the cage and even low productivity of chickens due to such an atmosphere.
2. The second method of increasing productivity is to place hens and roosters in different cages. Males are launched towards females only at certain times for fertilization. This method is more complicated, but it allows you to better control egg production and avoid a nervous atmosphere in the cages.

Advantages of the first method:

1. Regular “supplies” of eggs from hens.
2. Strict production control.
3. Optimal atmosphere inside the cages and absence of fights and other misunderstandings between birds.
4. Stable income from the production of products that are always in demand.

Only experience and practice will show which option suits you best.

Breeding quails in an incubator at home



Often domesticated birds lose their brooding instinct. Owners who want to increase production volumes need to purchase an incubator.

Every mini-farmer should take into account the basic rules for storing eggs that are intended for incubation:

1. Eggs need to be collected 4-5 times a day. This reduces the risk of infection.
2. Each egg must be carefully checked for cracks and damage to the shell. You can check the eggs by scanning them with an ovoscope. This method will not only help you see all the cracks, but also analyze the size of the yolk, the size of the air space, etc.
3. Quail eggs should not be washed, otherwise you will remove the protective coating on the shell that protects against infection.
4. Egg trays should be in a dry place at a temperature of about +12...+15 degrees. For eggs, a sufficient level of air humidity is important - at least 70-80%.
5. Temperatures should not be allowed to rise to +20 or higher. It is forbidden to store quail eggs for incubation in the refrigerator; the temperature there is too low.
6. To hatch chicks, only those eggs that were laid 7-9 days ago are used.

If you follow these simple rules After 17-18 days the quails will hatch.

Choosing an incubator for breeding quails



If you want your business to become successful and stable, you need to take care of the appropriate equipment. Today there are many models of incubators, but the most popular and suitable are those with automatic egg turning and ventilation under program control of a microclimate control system.

Eggs need to be turned at least 3-4 times a day. It is important not to forget about the required temperature - 37.8 degrees, and the optimal humidity level: 50% -55%. Among modern incubators there are models with alarms and automatic notification via SMS.

The eggs are checked on the seventh day, thanks to candling it is clear which of them are fertilized. An embryo is visible inside them. You can stop turning eggs only on day 14. After this, the embryos also need proper care. Monitor the humidity level - at this stage it should be at 80-85%. Then the shell will become softer, and small chicks will be able to be born. As a rule, chicks hatch on the 17th (less often – 16th) day.

Caring for quails after hatching



The chicks are kept in the incubator for some time until they become fluffy and dry (24 hours). Already in the incubator they begin to actively run, unlike chicken chicks. After this, they need to be moved to a nursery, which needs to be heated. 100 W lamps are used as a heat source (the first 7 days), after which 60 W lamps are used.

Immediately after hatching, for the first 7-10 days, the chicks should be given food in the finest grind, in the form of crumbs. The water should be kept away from the nursery to remain cool, but the chicks should be able to reach it easily. After 4 weeks, the chicks can be moved to mini-farms.

DIY quail feed recipe



Quails should be fed properly so that they lay eggs well! The composition of the feed is similar in content to the components given to laying hens. But the quail diet should include enough greens, in addition to the main food.

Do-it-yourself compound feed for laying quails:

Over time, it is important to acquire a feed granulator. The smallest poultry will qualitatively assimilate all components in more precise proportions. Each granule will contain the correct ratio of components in its composition.

What to feed quails on the first day of life? You can also prepare food for chicks yourself. It is just important that all components must be crushed as much as possible.

You can feed chicks on the first day of life in the same way as regular chickens.

Food for day-old quails:

On the fourth day you can give standard feed for quail chicks:

There must be water, but the smallest drinking bowls should be used so that curious chicks do not drown.

Calculating the cost of keeping quails is easy. One adult bird should be given 35-40 g of feed per day. Accordingly, for a mini-farm of 100 quails, you need to buy about 120 kilograms of feed per month. But these expenses will pay off many times over, because you can sell 1000-1500 eggs. The profitability of such a business is obvious - consumer interest in quail eggs is constantly growing, and there will be no problems with the sale of this product. Spending on feed pays off from the very first months of doing business; this is easily calculated in the ratio of the price of feed to the cost of ten quail eggs in your area.

Quail egg production as a business



Quail is capable of laying approximately 15-20 eggs per month. This allows you not only to provide your family with healthy and nutritious quail eggs, but also to sell the product and receive a stable income.

When you can breed up to 200 quails, then your business can be called a full-fledged farm. Production will reach 100 or more eggs per day, which will make it possible to receive a stable profit from the business. You can successfully sell such a batch to your friends, earning $200 a month. To expand your business, you can increase the number of birds and expand the range of products by selling tender quail meat.

To start producing quail eggs and meat, you do not need large investments or specialized premises. In order to reach the production level of up to 100 pieces or more per day, it will only take about 3 months! The most budget incubator can accommodate more than 200 pcs. This way you can expand your business to a comfortable size.