Quail Pharaoh: breed description and characteristics, breeding and care

Pharaoh quails are considered an excellent option for beginners. These birds belong to the meat direction and are characterized by outstanding sizes. They are characterized by high productivity and strong immunity. In addition, birds are a source of tender dietary meat, which is often used in cooking. To be successful in raising birds, they need to be properly cared for.

History of Breeding

These birds were bred in the USA. Work on the hybrid began due to the growing popularity of this dietary meat. American breeders managed to breed birds whose body weight exceeded the standard parameters by 40%.As one of the parental lines, scientists used Japanese quails. It was from them that the pharaoh breed received a discreet shade of feathers.

Description and characteristics of quail pharaoh

The key characteristic of birds is their impressive weight. Females reach 300 grams, and males - 270. At the same time, the weight of ordinary quails usually does not exceed 130 grams. In appearance, quails resemble wild birds. They are characterized by brown plumage, on which there are white and black blotches.

Another distinctive feature of birds is a calm disposition. Birds behave imposingly. At the same time, males practically do not enter into conflicts. By the nature of their behavior, the birds resemble good broiler chickens.

Feathers begin to mate at the age of 1.5 months. At the same time, females bring the first eggs at 7 weeks. The breed is characterized by relatively low egg production. However, it is offset by the large size of the eggs. They weigh 15 grams.

Good and bad sides

Pros and consfleshy carcasses and large body weight;excellent taste of meat;big eggs;high fertility;excellent maturation rates of young birds.specific requirements for conditions of detention;relatively small egg production parameters;discreet color of feathers - therefore birds are less valued.

Maintenance and care requirements

The birds of this breed are large in size. Therefore, they require more free cages. They are recommended to be made to order. The best option would be a coating of galvanized mesh. At the same time, drinkers and feeders should be placed in the area of \u200b\u200bthe front wall.

Females lay their eggs directly on the floor. Therefore, it is worth placing an egg tray in the bottom of the cage. Inside, be sure to put containers with sand. In it, quails will be able to swim, which will help them get rid of pests. It is important to systematically change the sand.

Birds need sufficient daylight hours. To do this, it is worth placing fluorescent lamps above the cells. Their brightness should be a maximum of 35 lux. For small rooms, a lamp with a power of 40-60 watts is enough. It should burn for 17 hours.

It should be borne in mind that using too intense lighting can lead to shyness of birds and provoke pecking of eggs.

Quails need warmth. Therefore, the temperature parameters in the house should be at least +20 degrees. It is important that humidity levels are moderate. In conditions of high dampness, quails will often get sick.

Diet

These birds are rapidly gaining weight. To achieve the rapid growth of quails, they need to provide a high-calorie balanced diet. Feed should be used as the basis of the diet. You need to choose a mixture taking into account the age of the birds. For chicks up to 3 weeks old, it is recommended to give PC-5. Then they should be transferred to PC-6. Adult quails eat PC-1 composition. At the same time, minerals should definitely be introduced into their diet.

In order to increase body weight and diversify the diet, it is required to include cereal mixtures in it. They are recommended to be made from crushed corn and wheat. It is definitely worth introducing crushed chalk, meal, fishmeal, shells into the feed. In summer, chopped greens should be present in the diet of birds. Since quails are characterized by increased sensitivity of the digestive organs, it is worth using exclusively fresh and high-quality food for feeding.Remaining food is recommended to be removed from the feeders immediately.

Quails of this breed are characterized by increased requirements for water quality. It needs to be changed 2-3 times a day. When keeping a large number of birds, it is recommended to organize an automatic water supply system.

How to tell a female from a male

Male and female differ in feather color. Quails are characterized by a monochromatic chest of a red or yellow-ocher hue. On the head, as a rule, there is a pronounced mask. Females have a graceful head that is in proportion to the body, while males are large and powerful.

In addition, against the background of light brown feathers, females have darker blotches. Also, the area around the cloaca will help to distinguish the sex. Females in this zone do not have pronounced bumps or bulges, while males do.

Breeding rules

It is recommended to use an incubator for breeding birds of this breed. This helps to get meat and eggs and also increase the number of birds. Experts advise putting not many eggs in the incubator. This will help increase the hatchability of the birds.

For breeding, it is permissible to use only fresh eggs that were laid no more than 1 week ago. They should be bought from breeders or specialized farms. The chicks hatch after about 17 days. Eggs in the incubator are recommended to be turned over regularly. This should be done at least three times a day.

The temperature regime is of no small importance. During the first 10 days, the parameters should be +38.5 degrees, in the last week they are reduced to +38. On the very last day and during the withdrawal, it is worth maintaining the temperature at +37.5 degrees. The birds are hatching en masse.It takes literally 10 hours for the quail to appear in the light. Chicks that hatch after 12 hours should not be left. They almost always die.

To keep the chicks successful, it is important to monitor the temperature. In the first few days, it is worth maintaining the parameters + 30-35 degrees. Within a month, they are recommended to be gradually reduced. As a result, it is worth reaching the mark of +25 degrees. For 2 weeks, quails need round-the-clock lighting, after which the daylight hours are reduced to 17 hours.

Frequent diseases of the breed

All diseases that quails are susceptible to are divided into 3 large categories - non-contagious, infectious, parasitic. Common pathologies that birds of this breed are susceptible to include:

• syngamosis;
• aspergillosis;
• pseudoplague;
• ornithosis;
• quail blindness;
• pulloroz;
• quail pox;
• mallophagosis.

Pathologies often develop under the influence of such factors:

• disorders in the diet;
• non-compliance with the vaccination schedule;
• violation of sanitary and hygienic standards.

Most diseases have a latent course. They appear when most of the herd is affected or the nature of the disease is neglected. Therefore, experts advise to pay special attention to prevention. Infected individuals are recommended to be isolated from he althy ones in time.

Poultry slaughter and basic properties of meat

Quails of this breed are sent for slaughter at the 7th week of life.If you keep the birds longer, there is a risk of high feed consumption. At week 5, quail weight gain stops, but their body has not yet had time to fully form. The thin skin of a blue tint and a minimum of fat lead to the fact that such birds are assigned the 2nd category of quality.

Quails get the highest degree of fatness at 6-7 weeks. Such birds are characterized by an excellent presentation, well-developed muscle tissue, a layer of fat in the right places. Pharaoh quails are characterized by high-quality meat, which contains practically no cholesterol. At the same time, the product contains many proteins and valuable nutrients. The only drawback of the meat is the dark shade, which not everyone likes.

Pharaoh quails are very popular in the farm environment. This breed is characterized by high productivity parameters, and therefore it is quite profitable to breed it. At the same time, it is important to provide the birds with optimal conditions and a balanced diet.

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