How To Breed Quails
While some people could mistake quails for other kinds of poultry birds, we’ll be defining key characteristics of quails in this post, including how to breed quails, the benefits of breeding them, and more.
Quail breeding is typically simple, yet occasionally it can be challenging. because some quails can be difficult to get broody.
Wonderful birds like quails are becoming more and more popular. They are typically raised as pets and cherished for their delectable eggs and meat.
According to some breeders, quails are simple to breed and frequently produce a lot more offspring than you might have anticipated.
When kept by human breeders, quail frequently act in a distinct way.
Quail breeding will be simple, though, if you have an incubator. Here, we go into greater detail regarding quail rearing techniques and the facilities needed.
You must have adequate time and resources to successfully breed quail. Determine whether or not you are prepared for this.
The costs of housing, food, and water are very high. Additionally, you’ll need a lot of area to house your birds.
Make Certain You Have Enough Room To Breed Quails
For quail breeding, a huge area is required. Despite their diminutive size and little space requirements, quails are nonetheless birds.
However, quail breeding takes up a lot of area. It will take at least 1 square foot of floor space for each breeding quail.
Because of the stress of being confined, your birds won’t produce as many eggs if they are not allowed enough space.
Calm Environment For The Quails
A tranquil setting is ideal for placing the cage or house for your birds. Because quails typically prefer to be in a quiet, uninhabited region.
They require a peaceful atmosphere to lay eggs and to begin reproducing. The environment will benefit from being free of predators, loud noises, heavy traffic, and other birds or animals.
Lighting For Breeding Quails
Generally speaking, quails need between 13 and 16 hours of lighting per day. You might suspend a lamp over their cage. The quail’s ability to lay eggs will rise with a daily lighting time of 13–16 hours.
Never leave the lights on throughout the day or night. Because breeding quails need a period of darkness to sleep.
Instead of in their nests, quails occasionally lay their eggs in odd places or all around their cage. Typically, they lay five to seven eggs, clutch them together in their nest, and sit on them.
Quails of all sexes typically perch on the eggs. Along with offering straw and hay, you can also provide nesting boxes for your quail.
As long as they have an entrance, plastic pots, containers, or tiny cardboard boxes work well as nesting boxes for quails.
The nesting box should be a little larger than the quail and have a hole or entrance big enough for the quail to fit through.
Temperature
A breeding pen should be kept at a temperature of about 21 °C. Once it gets below 16 °C and during periods of extreme heat, male quails often lose interest in reproducing.
A better outcome is guaranteed if quail are bred in the spring or summer. In the spring and summer, quails often begin mating and building their nests. However, some quail breeds can produce eggs all year long.
Incubator
Quail eggs can be easily hatched using an incubator. Nevertheless, you are free to let your birds hatch the eggs. Additionally, it can be simpler to let the birds hatch the chicks because they will do the labor for you and you won’t need an incubator.
However, some quail are difficult to get broody, and some don’t make good parents. Quail eggs hatch between 16 and 23 days, depending on the species.
All species will require a temperature of 37.5 °C at the center of the eggs when hatching eggs in an incubator; after they begin to hatch in the final days, the temperature will drop to 37 °C.
The ideal humidity level is 45 percent during incubation and rises to 80 percent during hatch.
Quail eggs’ variegated shells make them challenging to candle. Therefore, the majority of people will simply run the incubator till hatch time without candling.
Pick Wholesome Quails.
Always strive to select quails for breeding that are strong and energetic. Healthy quails are available for selection from your current flock or from a retailer. The healthiest bird you can find must be your choice.
Quails in good health will be playful, active, and highly curious while also appearing wary. They will consume food as directed, occasionally sip water, and pick at adjacent bugs or food scraps.
Select Birds That Are At Least 6 Weeks Old
Make sure the breeding quail are at least six weeks old when selecting them. Less than six weeks old quails generally won’t be laying eggs.
Men To Women Ratio
One male for every two to five female quails will produce good results. However, never go over 5 females to 1 male. If you can keep each guy and his females apart from other groups, that would be beneficial.
Because if a flock contains too many males, they would fight over the females.
Feeding
Feed premium feed to your breeding quail. Using high-quality food can keep your birds healthy and encourage them to hatch healthy babies.
Any nearby pet store or retailer of animal feed supplies will sell ready-made quail feed.
Make sure your birds are kept in a quiet and peaceful setting. If left alone, your birds will soon begin mating, building nests, and sitting on eggs. Regular check-ups are OK as long as you remain composed and silent.
Hatching
You have two options: let your birds hatch naturally or use an incubator.
Allow the birds to spawn.
Your birds’ eggs can be used to hatch them. In this instance, unless there is an emergency, avoid handling the eggs (the birds might discard them).
Leave your birds alone if you find that they are laying eggs separately. Before sitting on them, they are constructing a clutch.
Once the hen has begun sitting on the eggs, it will take between 16 and 23 days for the eggs to hatch depending on the breed.
Take the hen and her young away from the flock.
Separate the hen and her chicks from the rest of the flock. The chicks are especially vulnerable to attacks from other quails. And this results in severe injuries.
The hen and her chicks will do better if you can maintain them in a warm location with bedding, water, and food. And setting up a heat lamp there will be beneficial. Although the hen will automatically keep her chicks warm.
Giving the chicks food
Feed starter feed to the chicks. The quail chicks will benefit from a chicken starter with a protein content of about 28%. These kinds of starter foods will guarantee that your chicks develop into robust, healthy birds.
Water Ensure that there is access to clean, fresh water. Use a smaller water bowl to reduce the chance of drowning for the chicks.
Male and female chicks are kept apart.
As soon as the birds are 6 weeks old, separate the sexes. By using the vent system, inspecting the feathers, seeing their behavior, and hearing their voice, you can distinguish between male and female birds. Fighting must be avoided by separating males from females.
Go to the cage
After six weeks of age, place the birds in a cage. You have two options for housing them: either a sizable pen or a straightforward rodent cage. For information on breeding a new flock of quail, go to the processes listed above.
How Long Do Quails Eggs Take To Become Fertile?
Typically within 6-7 days, but maybe as soon as 3–4 days.
How Many Eggs Are Laid By Quails Per Day?
The majority of quail typically lay one egg per day.
Can Male And Female Quails Be Kept Together?
Certainly, Quail males and females can be housed or caged together without a problem. If you want to create fertile eggs, you must retain males on your farm.
In Conclusion – How To Breed Quails
Chicken flesh has more fat than quail meat, which is less tasty. It supports kids’ physical and mental growth.
The nutritional value of quail eggs is equivalent to that of chicken eggs. Additionally, they have lower cholesterol levels.
For pregnant women and nursing mothers, quail meat and eggs are a nourishing diet.
Quail raising is so simple that even novices can do it.
For older unemployed youth, commercial quail farming can be a viable and lucrative business option.
