How To Raise Quail Birds: The Most Important Tips And Advice

Quail: The quail belongs to the family of short-tailed game birds . It is similar in its characteristics to the partridge, but is smaller and less powerful. It also has a stronger beak and has no protrusions in the leg.

The length of the quail bird: the length of the quail varies according to the type, and the length of the common quail is approximately 17.5 cm, and the wing of the male ranges between 110 to 115 mm, while the length of the female wing ranges from 107 to 116 mm, and the tail measurement in males ranges between 31 To 38 mm, and 36 to 44 in females.

Quail weight : The weight of a quail ranges between 70 to 155 grams.

Characteristics of the quail bird: The quail is characterized by its beautiful shape, as it has many colors such as blue, brown, or black, and the colors are consistent with each other in a certain pattern, and its legs are distinguished by its strength and brown color, and the yellowish orange color covers the lower part of its body.

Average lifespan of a quail : The average lifespan of a quail ranges from 1 to 8 years.

The most important aspects of raising quail birds

Quail food

The most important foods: The quail depends on the vegetarian system for food. The following are the most important bird foods that the quail needs:

The main source of food for the quail is grain, which constitutes approximately 80% of their diet.

The quail feeds on insects, worms and larvae in the absence of sufficient grain.

Quails less than 8 weeks old live on protein-rich insects to aid their rapid growth process.

Foods that are not suitable for quails: The quail can distinguish foods that are poisonous to it, and avoids it instinctively, unless it is hungry, and it is advised to avoid feeding it avocados, foods that contain caffeine, chocolate, grape seeds, uncooked potatoes, and citrus fruits.

Quail dwelling

The following are the most important points that must be taken into account in the home of quail birds:

Protection: Quails are easy birds to prey on and are desired by other animals, so care must be taken to protect them, whether they are in outdoor cages or indoors, and all nooks and crannies must be closed, even the smallest ones, to ensure that snakes or rats do not enter.

Space: The quail needs a large living space, and it should not be less than one square foot for each quail, and it is worth noting that it comes in different sizes and shapes, and the larger it is, the more space it needs to live.

Cleaning: It must be taken into account that the greater the number of birds, the higher the percentage of droppings in cages that contain a high degree of acidity, and this causes a problem in the respiratory system of the quail.

Food and drink places: Enough space should be left to place water fountains and feeders. The same types of feeders can be used for chickens.

Quail cleaning

The quail is infected with many diseases due to its presence in places where there is a lot of waste, and the following are the most important points for maintaining the cleanliness of the quail:

Quail rely on themselves to clean their feathers to stay free of harmful insects.

Bomb cleaning answers with a powerful jet of water to get rid of waste and dust.

All equipment must be exposed to the sun to be sterilized through the heat of the sun, which is the most important sterilizer.

Use sterilizers after the cleaning process to get the most desired benefit.

Quail breeding

Quail reproduce through eggs, and the following are the most important points related to this:

It is preferable to put one male with one to three females, which gives high fertility to quails. It is also preferable not to put males together to avoid fighting.

Birds become mature and able to lay eggs within 6 weeks, and become capable of producing eggs within 50 days.

The incubation period ranges from 17 to 18 days depending on the breed and hatching procedures.

Quail eggs need a temperature of 37.5 °C and a humidity of 45%, which decreases slightly to 37 °C and 80% in the last days before hatching.

It is preferable to avoid marrying closely related birds, due to the possibility of deformities in new birds.

Quail health problems

The following are the most common diseases in quail:

Ulcerative enteritis: It is one of the most common diseases in quails. It is infected with this disease due to bacteria that are transmitted to birds through the droppings of other birds. It is also transmitted by flies that have contact with birds carrying the disease. It is also transmitted through contact with other birds, so it is preferable to place them In isolated places and quarantine infected birds.

Cold in quail: The bacterial infection is transmitted from one bird to another, and its source is often from chickens. It is considered more dangerous to quails than to other birds. It affects the respiratory system and can be treated if detected early. It can be prevented by separating quails from other birds, especially chickens. Which is the main carrier of it, and do not enter bird pens if you come into contact with infected birds.

Respiratory infections in quail : Quails suffer from respiratory infections more than others, because they are placed in small cages with many other birds. The main cause of this disease is waste if the cages are not cleaned regularly, so it is recommended to clean them periodically.

Tips for dealing with quail birds

The following are the most important characteristics of the quail that you should know in order to deal with it:

Daytime or nocturnal activity varies depending on the type of bird

The quail is a solitary bird, but it can live in pairs.

Quails communicate with each other by making high-pitched sounds and grunts.

Quails rely on heel spurs for defense, and will usually flee quickly if threatened.

Common mistakes when raising quails

The following are the most common mistakes when raising quails:

Putting quail birds in cages is one of the most problematic behaviors, and this puts the bird in a high level of stress, and it may cause several diseases such as coccidiosis, black-headed worms, and hairworms.

placing an adult bird with a group of birds; It is preferable to separate adult birds from young birds, due to the possibility of problems between them.

Not paying attention to the cleanliness of the water and changing it periodically once a week.

Feed the quail moldy feed and spoiled food.

Sharing equipment with other farmers, which may contribute to the transmission of infection from sick birds, and it is preferable not to allow visitors from other poultry farms to enter the quail pens.