Quail meat breeds: TOP 5 largest, characteristics and care of broilers

Quail is a small bird with tender and fragrant meat. They breed well in captivity, are easy to care for, grow quickly, which is why they have become very popular in recent years for home breeding. The meat breeds of broiler quails are most suitable for these purposes, allowing you to quickly gain weight and the appearance of offspring, because not only the birds themselves are valued, but also their eggs.

Features of the meat direction

Quails are medium-sized birds, especially compared to such giants as geese and turkeys. However, their meat is highly valued for its delicate taste and delicate dietary composition, so the meat direction in quail breeding is becoming popular.There are few breeds of meat quails, the most popular of them are broiler varieties. The best representatives weigh 400 grams, but the champions are able to gain up to half a kilogram.

Despite the fact that broilers are considered initially large, in order to successfully increase body weight, they need a specially selected balanced diet. In this case, it will be the flesh that will grow, and not the fat that no one needs to accumulate. The menu should have a lot of greens, vitamins and minerals, otherwise the birds will get sick and weakly gain weight.

The most popular meat breeds of quails

Birds are kept in two ways:

1. Cellular.
2. Outdoor.

In both cases, females and males must be kept separately. This requirement applies to all quail breeds bred for both meat and eggs.

Different breeds of quail are used for farms and households, each with its own positive and negative traits.

Pharaoh

This is one of the most common breeds of meat quail. These broilers are sourced in the USA for maximum body weight.

Pros and consSignificant weight: females - up to 300 grams, males - 200-270 grams.Early maturation: birds enter puberty by 45 days of life, and laying eggs begins after 7 days.Large eggs weighing up to 12-16 grams."Wild" coloring, which is considered a disadvantage for domestic meat quails.Low egg production - up to 200 eggs per year.Demanding to the diet and conditions of detention.I like it I don't like it

Texas White Quail

These American meat quails got their colors from their English white relatives. These are the largest birds of this genus and are excellent for rearing for meat.

Pros and consBody weight of males - up to 360 grams, females - up to 470 grams.Calm, docile birds.Egg production starts at the age of 60 days.Eggs weighing 12-18 grams.Chicks have low endurance.Males are reluctant to mate, so two females have to keep one quail.Quails lay up to 220 eggs per year.I like it I don't like it

Virgin Quail

This breed was developed from American wild Virginian quails by selection and crossbreeding with other varieties. All of them have a bright and beautiful color, which made the virgin quail suitable not only for breeding for meat, but also for use as decorative birds.

These quails have the following characteristics.

Pros and consExtremely attractive bright color of males.Average body weight.Disease resistance.Early independence of chicks.Sexual maturity occurs at 3 months.On average, a female lays 40 to 80 eggs per season.I like 1 I don't like 1

Manchurian Quail

These birds are popular not only because of their attractive golden color, but also because of their significant egg production and unpretentiousness.

Pros and consEgg weight - on average, 16 grams.Unpretentiousness in food and maintenance.Disease resistance.Egg production from 220 to 260 eggs.Average body weight.I like it I don't like it

California quail

These birds are domesticated in the USA, in California. They are descended from local wild quails and are used as an ornamental breed due to their exceptional appearance.

Pros and consOrnate plumage.Early maturity.Lack of exactingness in nutrition and maintenance (can be kept in enclosures).Disease resistance, immunity.Minimum survival of chicks.Spacious cages are required.The cost of a bird for breeding.The breed is not suitable for meat breeding.I like it I don't like itFinal ranking tablePharaohTexas white quailvirginian quailManchurian quailCalifornia quail

Selection criteria

The choice of a suitable breed depends on the following factors:

1. The purpose of quail - meat or eggs. Despite the fact that the differences between the breeds are not too pronounced, and there are meat and egg varieties, it is better to choose specialized representatives for a specific purpose.
2. For breeding meat breeds, it is better to use rooms devoid of windows and other sources of natural light. This is necessary in order to be able to adjust the level of illumination, which is important for quail meat breeds.

The type of fattening for meat is also important. Birds are selected according to the following principles:

1. Adult quails whose egg production has dropped by half. Holding on for egg production is pointless.
2. Male quails and culled quails.
3. Day-old chicks for fattening up to 56-90 days of age. These birds are fattened according to a special scheme, separating females from males at the age of one month.

Cultivation of quails for meat is a profitable occupation that will bring financial well-being and provide the farmer's family with dietary meat and eggs.

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