In eastern countries, it is believed that keeping quail at home brings good luck. Representatives of this species of birds are distinguished by beautiful singing, and are often used instead of parrots. But in order to get the maximum benefit from the content of quail at home, a number of nuances should be taken into account.
Is it possible to keep quails in the apartment?
You can keep quails in the apartment, but you will have to face a number of difficulties. If the bird is not provided with the necessary conditions, it will weaken and rarely begin to lay eggs, and an unpleasant odor will appear in the cage.
In a cramped construction, the quail will not feel comfortable, and the bird will have health problems. Many diseases from which quail suffers are dangerous for humans. Therefore, placing representatives of this type in the apartment, it is necessary to ensure that they do not experience inconvenience.
Quails belong to unpretentious species of birds. But without knowledge in this area, it is difficult to provide suitable conditions for them. The standard temperature in the apartment is suitable for quail. The peculiarity lies in the diet and the need for a sufficient amount of light.
Inexperienced people are often mistaken in believing that quail is a source of dirt and noise. For example, the Japanese subspecies is known as the “silent quail,” since representatives of this species rarely make any sounds.
Dirt and odor are removed by daily cleaning and the use of moisture-absorbing sawdust.
How to choose quail?
Quail is divided into four categories depending on the purpose:
- egg
- meat;
- meat-and-egg;
- decorative.
The egg and meat-and-egg categories of quail practically do not differ, and give a similar amount of meat and eggs. Significant differences are observed in the case of commercial rearing of birds in a large volume.
The best breeds of bird
Most often, quails are bred to get eggs. The list of the most popular quail breeds intended for this purpose includes:
- Japanese - during the year, one individual gives about 300 eggs.
- English black - The annual norm of eggs for one individual does not exceed 280 pieces.
- English white - differs from English black quail only in plumage.
- Marble - A mutated variety of Japanese quail, capable of producing up to 300 eggs per year.
- Kitavers - Estonian quail, which can produce about 310 eggs per year.
Japanese quail
English black quail
English white quail
Marble Quail
Quail Kitavers
To get eggs, it is better to choose Japanese quail. But representatives of this species hatch eggs poorly, so they are not suitable for breeding. For this purpose, it is recommended to use English quail. Kitavers can also be bred for the purpose of obtaining eggs, but the disadvantage of this species is the large size of the birds. Their maintenance will require more space and feed. Among the meat breeds, only one species stands out under the name "Pharaoh."
Criterias of choice
Regardless of the purpose, the main criterion for choosing a bird is its health. Healthy bird has:
- straight straight legs;
- whole claws;
- clean eyes without inflammation and disease.
If birds are bought for breeding, the male must be larger than the female. Females of some types of quail reach 300 grams. Therefore, if a male weighs 150 grams, you can not take it. This is life threatening to the male, as larger females can peck it. If a male with large sizes has a small tail, it is also not recommended to choose it. This feature indicates that the bird has become fat, and in this state it will not engage in breeding offspring.
In order to save money, it is recommended to purchase chicks - this option is suitable for experienced poultry farmers. In the absence of experience in the maintenance of quail, you need to buy monthly birds.
Differences between females and males
Quail puberty occurs at the age of three weeks. Until this time, the primary signs will not help to distinguish the male from the female. At an early age, males are less active than females. But this method does not give a 100% guarantee of sex determination.
If necessary, distinguish between a male or a female, you should pay attention to the color of the head and chest:
- in males, the head is almost always darker than in females, and the spots on the breast are light and fuzzy;
- in females, on the contrary, the color on the head has less clarity, and the spots on the breast are highlighted in dark color;
- the beak of males is darker than that of females.
Differences can also be found in the physical data. Males have a powerful beak and head. Females weigh more, but have a less graceful figure. For this reason, if breeding is planned, the male must be older than the females. Otherwise, female individuals do not recognize it.
Cell requirements
Close quail cages should not be used to contain quail. The design should be spacious and have a lock. Birds can easily climb out of uncovered cages. Rectangular cells should be preferred. Quails should not be allowed to move freely around the house - this is dangerous for birds, especially if you have pets.
After buying or making a cage, it is prepared to accommodate quails:
- under the cage is the flooring;
- cell walls are covered with plywood;
- the front of the cage is left without plywood to allow air to enter.
Additionally, read how to make a quail cage yourself.
The size of the cell is determined depending on how many quails it contains. In a cage with a square meter of floor space, 50 quails can be accommodated. If less space is allocated for the birds, they will begin to lay eggs less often. The height of the cage should not exceed 25 centimeters. For the manufacture of the upper part of the cell, it is recommended to use a soft tissue mesh.
To protect birds from drafts, cages are placed at a height of 80 centimeters from the floor. The feeder and drinking bowl are arranged in different parts of the cage. A small box is placed in the cage to collect eggs.
Crates of ash and sand in the cage will help birds fight parasites.
Required Inventory
In addition to cages, quail in the apartment will require additional equipment, including:
- feeders (for automatic feeding it is recommended to use bunker models);
- drinking bowls (preference should be given to automatic devices);
- incubator (if necessary, breeding quail chicks);
- pallets for cages for collecting litter.
The listed equipment can be bought in specialized stores, or made independently. But to make automatic drinkers and feeders with your own hands is impossible. Any box filled with soft material is suitable for collecting eggs.
Conditions of detention
The room in which the cage or aviary with quail is located should be equipped with:
- artificial lighting;
- heating system or heater;
- backup power source;
- exhaust ventilation.
Quail is afraid of loud sounds. Therefore, if there is an airfield, road, or establishment with loud music nearby, a room with birds must be soundproofed.
Lighting
Depending on the species, quail should provide lighting with the necessary daily duration. So, the Japanese quail feels comfortable with a 16-18 hour day. For the arrangement of artificial lighting, fluorescent lamps are used. The light turns on at 6 in the morning, and turns off at 11 in the evening. From the beginning of May to the end of August this system can not be used.
Temperature
The minimum temperature at which a quail can survive for a short time is 0 degrees Celsius.
To maintain egg production, birds should be kept in a room with a temperature of +16 to +24 degrees Celsius.
Crowned quail can feel comfortable at a temperature of +10 degrees Celsius. The maximum allowable temperature at which birds are carried normally is +38 degrees Celsius, and is most often recorded in the summer. But in this case, an influx of fresh air must be organized.
In Germany and the UK, many poultry farmers often contain quail without heating throughout the year. Birds survive in such conditions, but depending on the season they cease to lay eggs.
A moisture indicator suitable for growing quail ranges from 50% to 70%. Humidity is measured using a psychrometer. With increasing temperature, humidity must also be increased. If it is not possible to provide suitable conditions in the summer, the birds need to be given a sufficient amount of water.
Feeding
The simplest and most effective way of feeding quail is a special purchased compound feed that includes the necessary elements. In this case, it is not necessary to add additional additives to the diet of birds. If quail food is not available, similar products for chickens can be used. The difference lies in the lower protein content, which provides a high rate of egg laying in birds.
Chicks
If chicken feed is used, raw protein supplements are needed. This component is available in:
- cottage cheese;
- fish
- minced meat.
Specialized feed for quail costs 90% cheaper than for parrots. In case of lowering the temperature in the room where the birds are kept, or increasing the length of the day, the volume of servings increases.
The daily norm includes 2-4 feedings. If there is a hopper feeder, the amount of feed in it will last for several days. To prevent the food from becoming spoiled, it must be stored in a cool, dry place where the minimum amount of light falls.
Chicks can also be fed with mixtures. Self-production of feed is carried out in the presence of: grain, protein substances, meal, meal, vitamins and trace elements. Components are loaded into a grain mill. When the birds mature, it is recommended to produce such food in granules.
Adult bird
When self-feeding quails, you need to consider that the basic diet includes:
- proteins;
- corn;
- vitamins
- mineral components;
- water.
Shredded shells are also allowed.
In order for an adult female to rush well, her quarter diet should consist of crude proteins. In Japan, it is popular to feed quails with mixtures including rice and fish waste. These components are mixed in equal proportions, and then exposed to the birds. To avoid infection with parasites, fish should first be boiled. To increase the content of vitamins in the feed, greens are added. It can be used unlimitedly.
The quail cage must have clean water. It varies from 1 to 2 times a day. At the same time, water containers are washed.
Quail feeding should be built according to the following principle:
- in the morning: from millet, boiled fish and chopped greens;
- at lunch: from wheat bran, grain mixture and grated carrots;
- in the evening: from millet, wheat, corn, boiled fish and chopped greens.
The largest portion is evening. Feeders can be made of any material except wood. Salt is a life-threatening quail, therefore its use in feeding birds is prohibited.
Features of breeding in the apartment
Quail has a poorly developed instinct for hatching chicks. To breed chicks at home, you need to purchase an incubator. This equipment is sold in hardware stores, and has a different capacity.
Incubation
Buying incubators designed for quail eggs is quite difficult. Therefore, chicken incubators can be used for this purpose. A device in which you can place up to two dozen chicken eggs is able to place eight dozen quail eggs.
When using an incubator, a number of features should be considered:
- for incubation, you can use eggs that are not yet one week old;
- Egg heating is not evenly distributed, and the difference can be half a degree Celsius, so you need to periodically change their position;
- the average incubation period is about 2.5 weeks.
During the incubation period, the temperature is regulated depending on the week the eggs were in the incubator:
- the first one and a half weeks - +38.5 degrees Celsius;
- until the last week - +38 degrees Celsius;
- before the end of the incubation period - +37.5 degrees.
When the incubation period ends, the chickens gradually begin to be born. If the selected eggs were approximately the same age, the process will occur simultaneously with a maximum difference of five hours.
Read more about incubation of quails here.
Chickens
After birth, the chicks quickly become fluffy. They should be kept in brooders - special boxes for growing chicks. In the room where the newborn birds are located, the temperature is maintained at about +35 degrees Celsius with round-the-clock lighting. When the young growth reaches a month of age, the temperature drops to +26 degrees Celsius, and the daily norm of lighting is up to 18 or less hours.
To ensure the maximum survival rate of the chicks, immediately after birth they need to be given high-quality nutrition, including vitamins, minerals and protein. You can provide the desired amount of nutrients by buying ready-made compound feed for chicks.
The maintenance and breeding of quail is a laborious process. But with knowledge of technology and features, you can gain practical experience, thanks to which this task will not be a hassle. The presence of quail will always provide fresh eggs, and, if necessary, meat.
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Russia. City: Syktyvkar
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