Quail can be kept for eggs or meat. Both of these products are distinguished by excellent taste and are also very healthy. But more often than not, farmers breed this bird to get eggs. There are many good breeds in this area of productivity. However, the most popular among Russian farmers is Japanese quail.
Breed description
These quails were bred for a very long time, as can already be judged by their name, in Japan. Once they were bred in this country only as a decorative bird. However, later they began to contain and to obtain eggs and meat. Both of these products were considered delicacies in ancient Japan. But the main emphasis in the selection of this bird, the inhabitants of the country of the rising sun still did to increase their egg production.
In appearance, the Japanese quail (photo of the breed presented on the page confirms this) is very reminiscent of its wild relatives. The color of the pen is spotty gray-black. In males, the chest is brown. In females, it is light gray. The pedigree characteristics of Japanese quail also include:
- elongated torso;
- short wings and tail.
The beak of males of this breed is darker than that of females.
The sex of these quail can be distinguished already from 20 days of age. Oviposition begins at 1.5-2 months. In sexually mature males, pink cloacal gland is clearly visible. Layers do not have it.
Productivity indicators
The body weight of a Japanese quail is very small. It is believed that keeping this bird for meat is absolutely unprofitable. On average, the mass of adult males is 110-120 g. Females of this breed weigh only about 135-150 g. A feature of Japanese quail is that they gain weight very quickly in the first weeks of life. Then the development of birds in this regard is significantly slowed down.
The egg production in Japanese quails is very high. For a year, one female can bring from 230 to 300 pieces. The size of the quail eggs of this breed are not too large. Their weight is usually 6-9 grams. Some disadvantage of this breed is that females rush well only in the first year of life. Later, Japanese quail productivity indicators in this regard begin to decline. A bird of this breed is carried directly on the floor and usually at the same time of day. Therefore, quail owners should carefully monitor the cells. If the eggs are not removed on time, the bird can simply trample them.
Bird character
The Japanese quail, the description of which was given above, is distinguished by the fact that their hierarchical structure is pronounced in the flock . The largest and most prolific female usually dominates the house. In some cases, it can show aggression towards relatives - drive them away from the feeder or drinkers. This must be taken into account when keeping in the aviary method.
By nature, Japanese quail, however, is very shy. Therefore, representatives of this breed are usually held only in cells. At the same time, they try not to let strangers or any domestic animals (including cats and dogs) into the house.
Japanese Quail Content: Birdhouse
Japanese quails cannot be kept in the dark. The room in which the cells will be installed should be fairly bright. That is, in the house necessarily provide several windows. However, the light is too bright, and the Japanese quail , as originally forest birds , is not a transfer , etc. It is impossible to install cages near the windows. In addition, as already mentioned, Japanese quail is very shy. Therefore, birds flying outside the window can cause them severe stress. As a result, quail simply ceases to rush.
Daylight hours for birds should be provided at 17-19 hours. In this mode, some laying hens will even lay two eggs a day. With longer daylight hours, birds can develop aggression. Of course, the quail room should be warm. Be sure to equip the house with ventilation.
What should be the cells
The floor method of these quail, therefore, do not contain. The cells for this bird are usually multi-tiered. Both iron and wooden "dwellings" are not bad for Japanese quailing. The height of each cage should be approximately 20-25 cm. This will allow the bird to feel relatively free and exclude its injury. If quail cages are purchased higher, their ceiling must be beaten with something soft. The fact is that in a fright, this bird loves to soar upward with a “candle” (it can severely damage its head).
The floor of each cell should be covered with straw. In the future, it must be changed at least once a day. Instead of straw, you can use hay or large sawdust. Feeding troughs and drinking bowls are usually fixed to the cage door from the outside so that the birds can easily reach them, with their head in between the rods. These accessories are never installed inside. The fact is that Japanese quail simply loves to climb into feeders and drinking bowls, scattering food and spilling water.
Feeding schedule
Quail food should be given correctly. Typically, farmers use one of two feeding patterns:
"Full feeding trough." In this case, quail food is available all the time. Farmers simply put all the daily feed rate in the feeders at once.
Twice a day. In this case, quail is fed 2 times a day - at 9 a.m. and at 4 o'clock in the evening.
The first method is usually used only when the farmer does not have much time to feed the bird. The advantage of the “full feeder” technique is only low labor costs. But this method has a huge minus. With this method of feeding, the bird can easily fry. Perhaps her meat will also become more delicious. However, Japanese quail is bred, as already mentioned, mostly still on eggs. In this regard, a poultry that has become fattened usually decreases productivity indicators very much.
What to feed
Breeding Japanese quail involves, among other things, developing a suitable diet for them. Very often this bird is fed in the same way as chickens. However, with this method of keeping, it will be impossible to achieve high egg laying rates. For quails, it is worth developing a special diet.
It is best to use special industrial feeds for them. In this case, you should only purchase those that are designed specifically for feeding birds. Pig feed, for example, is absolutely not suitable for quailing. The fact is that it contains a lot of salts. The accumulation of the latter in the body of quail can easily lead to its death.
Compound feeds PK-4 and PK-5 with corn are best suited for quail. Before feeding the bird, the granules are soaked in a skim, and then grated vegetables and chopped greens are added to the swollen mixture.
Breeding and caring for chickens
The maternal instinct in the process of selection and quail of the Japanese breed was completely lost. They never sit on eggs. Therefore, chickens are hatched only in incubators. In this case, the temperature regime of 37-38 ° C is observed. Japanese quail hatch on the 18th day of incubation.
At first, the chicks are fed a chopped quail egg and cottage cheese (from the second day). You can also use the "Start" mixture for layers. When fed up with homemade products, the amount of cottage cheese within a week after hatching of chickens in their diet is gradually increased, and chopped eggs are reduced. From the second week, the chicks begin to give boiled fish, millet, grated carrots. After 3-4 weeks. the bird is transferred to an adult diet.
Instead of a conclusion
Thus, good egg productivity and a pretty enough appearance is what distinguishes these birds. The Japanese quail breed (a description of its species was presented in the article) looks like wild brothers. And their character is almost the same. Therefore, when keeping Japanese quails, first of all, maximum attention should be paid to eliminating the possibility of injury to birds. Well, of course, you must definitely develop the most suitable complete diet for pets.