Japanese quail: breed description, photo, breeding and maintenance

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Quails can be kept for eggs or meat. Both of these products have excellent taste and are also very he althy. But most often, farmers breed this bird all the same to get eggs. There are many good breeds of this direction of productivity. However, the most popular among Russian farmers is Japanese quail.

Description of the breed

These quails were bred a very long time ago, as you can already judge by their name, in Japan. Once they were bred in this country only as an ornamental bird. However, later they began to be kept for 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 land of the rising sun still did to increase their egg production.

In appearance, the Japanese quail (the photo of the breed presented on the page confirms this) is very reminiscent of its wild relatives. Their feather color is spotted gray-black. In males, the chest is brown. In females, it is light gray. The breed characteristics of Japanese quail also include:

• elongatedtorso;
• short wings and tail.

The beak of the males of this breed is darker than that of the females.

The sex of these quails can be distinguished already from the age of 20 days. The bird starts egg-laying at 1.5-2 months. In sexually mature males, a pink cloacal gland is clearly visible. Laying hens don't have it.

Productivity Metrics

The body weight of the Japanese quail is gaining very little. It is believed that keeping this bird for meat is absolutely unprofitable. On average, the mass of adult males is 110-120 g. The females of this breed weigh only about 135-150 g. A feature of Japanese quails is that they gain weight very quickly in the first weeks of life. Then the development of birds in this regard slows down significantly.

Japanese quail egg production 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, the productivity indicators of Japanese quail in this regard begin to decline. A bird of this breed rushes right 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 in time, the bird may simply trample them.

Bird Character

Japanese quails, described above, differ in that they have a pronounced hierarchical structure in the flock. The house is usually dominated by the largest andfertile female. In some cases, she can show aggression towards her relatives - drive her away from the feeder or drinkers. This must be taken into account when keeping the aviary method.

Japanese quails are very shy by nature. Therefore, representatives of this breed are usually kept only in cages. At the same time, they try not to let outsiders or any domestic animals (including cats and dogs) into the house.

Japanese quail keeping: poultry house

You can't keep Japanese quails in the dark. The room in which the cages will be installed must be sufficiently bright. That is, several windows must be provided in the poultry house. However, the Japanese quail, as originally a forest bird, does not tolerate too bright light. Do not install cages next to windows. In addition, as already mentioned, Japanese quails are very shy. And therefore, birds flying outside the window can cause them severe stress. As a result, the quails will simply stop laying.

Daylight hours for birds should be provided at 17-19 hours. Under this regime, some laying hens will lay even two eggs per day. With longer daylight hours, birds can develop aggression. Of course, the quail room should be warm. Be sure to equip the poultry house and ventilation.

What cells should be like

The outdoor method of these quails, therefore, do not contain. Cages for this bird are usually multi-tiered. Not bad for Japanese quails, both iron andand wooden dwellings. The height of each cage should be approximately 20-25 cm. This will allow the bird to feel relatively free and prevent injury. If the cages for quails are purchased higher, their ceiling should definitely be upholstered with something soft. The fact is that this bird, when frightened, likes to fly up sharply with a “candle” (it can severely damage its head).

The floor of each cage should be covered with straw. Subsequently, it must be changed at least once a day. Instead of straw, you can use hay or large sawdust. Feeders and drinkers are usually fixed to the cage door from the outside so that the birds can easily reach them by sticking their heads between the bars. These accessories are never installed inside. The fact is that Japanese quail just loves to climb into feeders and drinkers, scattering food and spilling water.

Feeding routine

Quail food should be given correctly. Typically, farmers use one of two feeding regimens:

1. "Full feeder". In this case, quails have food all the time. Farmers simply put all the daily feed into the feeders at once.
2. Twice a day. In this case, quails are fed 2 times a day - at 9 am and 4 pm in the evening.

The first method is usually used only when the farmer does not have much time to feed the birds. The advantage of the "full feeder" technique is only a small labor input. However, this method has a huge disadvantage. AtWith this method of feeding, the bird can easily become fat. Perhaps the meat will become more tasty in this case. However, Japanese quails are bred, as already mentioned, mostly for eggs. In this regard, a fat bird usually greatly reduces productivity.

What to feed

The breeding of Japanese quails involves, among other things, the development of 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 rates of bird egg production. For quails, it is still worth developing a special diet.

It is best to use special industrial feed for them. At the same time, only those of them that are intended specifically for feeding birds should be purchased. Pig feed, for example, is absolutely not suitable for quails. The fact is that it contains a lot of s alts. The accumulation of the latter in the body of a quail can easily lead to its death.

PK-4 and PK-5 compound feeds with corn are best suited for quails. Before feeding the bird, the pellets are soaked in skim water, and then grated vegetables and chopped greens are added to the swollen mixture.

Chicken breeding and care

The maternal instinct in the process of selection of the Japanese quail breed was completely lost. They never sit on eggs. Therefore, chickens are bred only in incubators. At the same time, the temperature regime of 37-38 ° C is observed. HatchingJapanese quails on the 18th day of incubation.

At first, the chicks are fed with chopped quail eggs and cottage cheese (from the second day). You can also use the mixture "Start" for laying hens. When feeding with homemade products, the amount of cottage cheese in their diet is gradually increased within a week after hatching, and chopped eggs are reduced. From the second week, the chicks are given boiled fish, millet, grated carrots. After 3-4 weeks. the bird is transferred to an adult diet.

Instead of a conclusion

Thus, a good egg productivity and a fairly beautiful appearance - this is what distinguishes these birds. The Japanese quail breed (a description of its species was presented in the article) looks like wild brethren. And yes, they have the same personality. Therefore, when keeping Japanese quails, first of all, maximum attention should be paid to eliminating the possibility of injuring the bird. And, of course, it is imperative to develop the most suitable complete diet for pets.