Japanese (Coturnix) Quail

[GaryD]

Japanese Quail (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica) are the quintessential micro-farmer’s livestock.

They earn the title on the basis of their unrivalled ability to produce meat and eggs faster, and in greater quantity, than anything on two or more legs.

With a feed conversion ratio of 2:1 (against a chicken at 3:1), quail will also make good use of a quality diet.

The ability of a female to reproduce its body weight in any given year is another measure where the quail is without parallel. A cow is able to produce 40% of its own bodyweight per year and a sheep or goat can produce over 100%. A sow can generate in excess of 400% and a rabbit doe tips the scales at in excess of 1000%.

However, none of them come close to Japanese Quail.

These amazing little birds can put a new generation of breeding birds on the ground every six weeks. That’s right! The birds that hatch today will be laying eggs in about six weeks.

Quail are suited to anyone who wishes to learn more about how to work with livestock.....regardless of their age or gender.......and who would like to experience an entire 'cradle to the grave' livestock operation.....from setting up the breeding operation to the preparation and service...and marketing...of the gourmet meat and eggs.

These tiny game birds work like a poultry farm in miniature......producing gourmet meat and eggs.....in a breeding cycle of just weeks...... while occupying just a few square metres of floor space.

They:

• are relatively hardy
• thrive in small spaces
• can bred up cost effectively and quickly
• will produce meat (and even eggs) in just 6 weeks.
• cost little to feed with a feed conversion ratio of 2:1 (2kg of food for each 1kg of meat)
• are prolific layers - up to 250 eggs per year
• can be sexed at an early age
• rarely go broody

Their size ensures that a breeding and growing operation designed to yield 10 quail per week (enough for a meal for a family of four) could be accommodated in a floor space of about 2 square metres.

While quail are marketed as gourmet food, they have also attracted the attention of aid agencies. Their productivity, and the ease with which they can be bred and reared, encourages their use in improving the diet of poverty-stricken, Third World communities.

[damien little]

must admit, always thought they looked a bit sad on the plate, but I can see merits in having them if they really do perform that well. Are they reliant on warmth or do they thrive in any climate?

[GaryD]

Hi Damien,

I suppose that, under the circumstances, they're entitled to look a little sad. From a carnivore's perspective, however, they are very good.

We've grown and processed many thousands of quail.....they are remarkable creatures......and they are ideally suited to backyard food production.

They're a bit like chickens in that they need supplementary heat for the first three or four weeks after they hatch. After that, they cope in the same environment as any other poultry or game birds.

Gary

[Jimmie]

Gary,
I am very interested to see a photo of the Quail. Do you have a photo you could post ?
And where can they be obtained, the chicks ?
By the sound of it, one would only need to buy a half dozen to get started. I suppose you would have to bring in some new blood line every once in a while.
After reading your post I am very interested to find out more. Might be a fun project.
You say that they can be raised in a few square metres area. Would one of those "Chicken Tractors" be the way to go , or would it be better to have some sort of cage inside a shed, or a standard sort of chicken run. Which is best?
Jim

[GaryD]

Hi Jimmie,

Interestingly, I don't have a digital image of my own quail and we are waiting on our next batch of breeders. I suggest that you Google "Japanese Quail" and then click on Images.

Here's a link with some pictures...... http://media.eurekalert.org/release_...ue080205_1.jpg

You are generally unable to buy day old quail. The only way to get them is usually to buy adult birds and then breed them. Since quail don't generally sit on their own eggs, you'll need to use a bantam hen or (more reliably) an electric incubator.

We house the breeders in small deep litter pens in small social groups.

We usually run the breeders for a season and then change them over.

We hatch the eggs in a modern electric incubator and then raise the chicks in a brooder pen.....under an aluminium hover brooder.....for the first three weeks. Thereafter, they go into a larger rearing pen to be grown out.

You can certainly house breeders or growers in a chicken tractor arrangement.

Gary

[Miki]

Wow Gary, you really are a pool of information (excuse the pun) - how are quails on free ranging - are they just like chooks? can I keep them with my chooks? what is the average life span of these birds?

[GaryD]

Hi Miki,

The downside of experience is age.

Quail are only small......and, while they tend only to short distances, they can still fly.....so free range is not an options. You can, however, house them in a smaller version of a chicken tractor.

Quail are often used to keep the bottoms of aviaries clean (they pick up the seeds dropped by the other birds), chickens would probably bully them and possibly even eat them.

Quail usually live for about three years with odd examples going a bit longer.

Gary

[GaryD]

To give you an idea of the size of quail chicks (relative to chicken chicks) here's a photo of some quail eggs alongside of a chicken egg.

[GaryD]

Hi,

I finally managed to get a handful of Japanese Quail breeders today.

This lot don't stack up all that well against some of the stock that I've used in the past, however, Quail seem to be a bit thin on the ground at the moment, so I'll work them for a while.

Over the coming weeks, I'll take you through the whole quail breeding and rearing process so you can see what's involved.

Gary

[GaryD]

Hi,

Jan went searching for some more female quail breeders this week.....and she found them.

With the increasing daylength, they will start to lay very soon so it's nearly time to dust off the incubator again.

We culled the surplus males today. I can feel a BBQ coming on soon......mmmmm!

The second image shows some of the breeders we've kept. We use shredded office waste for the deep litter in all of our quail pens and chicken brooders. It's more absorbent than wood shavings and it can be used as worm bedding/food when the quail and chickens are finished with it. The paper also composts much better than wood shavings.

Gary