Quail breeds: how they look, description of species and characteristics, their breeding at home

Quails are popular birds for quality egg and meat products. On the basis of a wild bird, distinguished by its small build and variegated protective coloration, many decorative and productive breeds of quail, larger, adapted to existence in captivity, have been bred. The most popular are pharaohs, Manchurian, English, tuxedo quails, dozens of hybrids have been bred on their basis.

What quails look like

When considering quails, one should describe the appearance of a wild migratory bird, which gave its features to all existing breeds. The common quail is the smallest species of the hen order, belonging to the pheasant family.

The external characteristics of the bird:

• body weight - 80-130 g;
• body length - 18cm;
• sharp wings;
• tail small;
• four-toed paws without spurs;
• beak is small, without feather covering at the base;
• color brown-brown with light and dark specks and strokes.

Quaillings are born strong and independent, covered with motley fluff, light brown with dark spots and stripes. You can understand whether a boy or a girl is a chick by the age of one month, when feathers grow to replace fluff.

Females are brighter than males, they have more dark specks on their chest. In males, the color of the chest is closer to monophonic, but the plumage on the head is more contrasting, the goiter is light, and the beak is dark. In terms of body weight, the male surpasses the female.

The poultry value of quails is precocity and excellent egg productivity. The female makes the first laying at 5-6 weeks of age, in a year, with good care, she is able to lay up to 300 eggs. By the ratio of body weight and the annual number of eggs, quails are 3 times more productive than chickens.

Quail breeds

Quails are grown for dietary meat, he althy eggs, and also for decorative purposes. In egg breeds, meat is no less tasty than in meat breeds, but the body size is smaller and the appearance is less attractive than that of decorative ones.

Characteristics of quail breeds of different directions are shown in the table. Meat

Egg Meat-eggbody weight250-500g120-150g 180-220g 12- 16 g 220-280 pieces

	egg weight	12-18g	10-13g
	number of eggs per year	180-220 pieces	280-320 pieces

Eggs

Female quails are highly productive and start laying eggs early. Egg-laying quails are small, non-capricious in terms of maintenance and nutrition. They are bred to obtain young animals and sell eggs. Quail eggs are saturated with vitamins and nutrients, differ from chicken eggs in hypoallergenicity. Females are kept separately from males, lodged together for a short time to produce offspring.

Domestic quails have no maternal instinct, so they have to use an incubator for breeding.

Common Breeds of Egg-Laying Quail:

1. Japanese - quails bred by breeders in Japan that have retained the variegated colors of wild relatives. They weigh 130-150 g. The most productive breed in terms of egg production: females begin to lay eggs at 6 weeks of age, give more than 300 eggs per year.The eggs are small, weighing about 10 g, but the fertilization rate reaches 95%. The only drawback of the breed is the low weight of the carcass, not exceeding 110 g, but the meat is tasty, like that of wild relatives.
2. English whites are quails with a gene mutation that led to the appearance of white plumage. The head of males is often decorated with dark spots. The weight of an individual is 160-180 g. Birds rush from 7 weeks of age, give about 280 eggs weighing 10 g. The carcass looks attractive due to its light skin.
3. English blacks are relatives of Japanese quails with rich brown plumage. The quail is productive, large, weighs 180-200 g, adapts to any conditions of detention. The annual number of diet eggs with excellent taste is 260-280.

Meat

Because the quail is a small bird, it is bred mainly for eggs. There are only two meat breeds - Pharaoh and Texas. Both breeds of quail are the result of selection work. The main feature of meat quail is a relatively heavy carcass, reaching a weight of 300-400 g.

Breeding meat quails is beneficial with high-quality and balanced feeding, aimed at an accelerated increase in live weight. At the same time, the birds are completely unpretentious in terms of keeping, the conditions do not particularly affect the increase in body weight.

In order for birds to quickly gain weight and remain he althy, it is necessary to include fresh plant foods, vitamin preparations, sources of minerals in the diet. Quail meat breeds:

1. Pharaoh is the result of a long selection. The weight of adult birds is 300-400 g. The plumage color is “wild”, like that of Japanese relatives. Pharaoh quails are valued for their rapid growth, large carcasses. Females begin to rush from 2 months of age. The disadvantage of the breed is 70% egg production.
2. Texas quails are bred on the basis of the pharaohs, they are distinguished by a wide body. The plumage is dense, white, a small amount of dark spots is acceptable. Chicks grow rapidly, reach a mass of 400 g, some individuals with good care can weigh up to 600 g.The meat of Texas quails is tasty, dietary. Birds are picky in terms of food and conditions.

Meat-egg breeds

Meat-eating - universal varieties of quail, bred for both meat and eggs. The body weight of quails is average, egg products are supplied to the market, used for breeding livestock.

Representatives of universal breeds adapt to any conditions of detention, are picky in nutrition, their feeding is economical.

When raising meat and egg birds for slaughter, it is important to guess the optimal time. 4-5-month-old individuals weighing about 150 g are slaughtered, their meat is juicy, lean. Common General Breeds:

1. Estonian - popular in the CIS quails, bred on the basis of pharaohs and English quails. They are distinguished by a rounded, well-fed body, a shortened neck, and weigh, on average, 250 g.The plumage color is "wild", males are brighter than females. The main advantages of the breed are endurance, rapid adaptation to conditions, the start of laying from 2 months of age, long-term egg production, a high percentage of fertilization and survival of offspring.
2. Tuxedos - hybrid birds obtained from crossing white and black Englishmen. Males and females have the same plumage: the neck, chest and belly are white, the rest of the body is rich brown. An adult bird weighs 150 g, starts laying at the age of 7 weeks, gives 260-280 medium-sized eggs.
3. Manchurian - beautiful golden quails. Females have more specks on their breasts, while males have a rufous neck and dark head. An adult bird weighs 120-150 g. Annual egg production reaches 280 pieces. The safety of the brood is high. Carcasses look attractive due to light skin.
4. Phoenixes are a broiler variety of Manchurian quails. Bred in France, distinguished by light golden plumage. An adult bird weighs 400 g, it reaches this weight in 2 months of life, but rapid development adversely affects he alth.Females start laying already at 1.5 months of age, egg weight reaches 15-18 g. Carcasses look attractive.

Decorative

Quails with beautiful plumage are bred mainly to decorate home gardens and parks. But many varieties have good meat and egg productivity, which makes it possible to grow quail for production purposes.

Decorative quail breeds:

1. Virginskie - medium-sized birds of a golden brown color with dark and light speckles. The head is decorated with white stripes. The beak is narrow, as if flattened from the sides. Birds are not capricious in keeping, they can live both in cages and in the wild, they are distinguished by a calm, meek character. The number of eggs in a clutch reaches 15 pieces.
2. Chinese painted - quails with the most interesting color: the belly is red, the upper body and neck shimmer with many shades.The constitution of quails is small, so meat breeding is unproductive. The behavior of quails is territorial, pairs are formed for life. Birds quickly adapt to their environment.
3. California - quails domesticated in the USA. The bird is large, with a rounded body and developed muscle mass. The tail is slightly longer than other breeds. The color of the plumage is original: the back is greenish-yellow, the chest is speckled, the rest of the body is bluish-gray, the wings are decorated with white and black strokes, a black spot with a white border between the forehead and neck. A remarkable feature of appearance is a long tuft directed forward.
4. Marble - a variety of Japanese quail, obtained as a result of mutation of color genes. The plumage is light ash with blurry smoky spots. The breed belongs to the egg, but is rarely used for production purposes, since the survival rate of chicks is low, and adults are susceptible to disease.

For breeding at home

Each of the above quail breed names is suitable for home breeding. Due to its small size, an adult bird lives without problems in a limited space, does not require a lot of food, which makes it beneficial to keep several individuals for their own needs. Quails feel comfortable in a cage with an area of 1 m^{2, where up to 50 individuals can fit. Cells can be made multi-story, saving space.}

Quail breeding business quickly pays off. The main thing is to decide on the direction, to study the differences in content between meat and egg breeds.

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