Quail are small fowl that live in the wild, but they can also be raised in the backyard. Unlike chickens, most city ordinances do not regulate or prohibit the farming of quails. They are silent birds, small in size and with a quiet temperament, which can produce about 5-6 eggs per week. Be sure to provide them with light, water, plenty of food, and hygienic care.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing to Raise Quail
Step 1. Find a suitable place in the yard or on the balcony to set up the quail cage
Clean up the space below. You will need to put straw in it to collect and remove the dirt.
Step 2. Purchase a long, narrow cage and hang it in your home, garage or balcony
Choose a well-lit place where the wind does not come. Most quail cages are made of open wire mesh because these birds need shelter, but also a lot of air.
Quail must be kept away from predators
Step 3. Hang lights around the cage
This will increase egg production in the fall and winter months. Quails need 15 hours of light a day to produce their eggs.
Step 4. Consider purchasing a pair of animals or eggs to hatch
An adult specimen can cost around € 5, while you can buy around fifty eggs for around € 25.
Step 5. Decide how many quail you need based on your egg consumption
Calculate your weekly intake of chicken eggs. One chicken egg corresponds to 5 quail eggs.
- You need to get a female (through hatching eggs or buying adult quail) for each chicken egg you count.
- Quail eggs can be eaten like chicken eggs; however, more birds are needed to produce the same amount.
Part 2 of 3: Buying and Hatching Eggs
Step 1. Search Craigslist or local breeders
The best idea is to find breeders in your community so that you can buy quail accustomed to the climate where you live.
Step 2. Look on eBay for hatching eggs
These can be sent by post; however, the mortality rate of chicks can be much higher than locally bought eggs.
Step 3. Try going to the shops that supply local farms
If, every spring, they don't have quail besides chickens and guinea fowl, you might want to try placing a special order.
Step 4. Purchase at least two females for each male, but keep males separate
A majority of females will guarantee you good egg production. At the same time, you will probably be able to keep only one male in each cage: if two or more males are kept in the same cage, the dominant one can try to kill the others to be the only one to reproduce.
Step 5. Try common breeds, such as the Japanese quail, Callipepla squamata, Callipepla gambelii, or the Virginia colander
Japanese quail is recommended for newbies.
Step 6. Purchase an incubator if you have decided to hatch the eggs
You can also order it in advance on the internet. The incubator must include a device that turns the eggs.
Step 7. Maintain humidity at 45-50% during the incubation period and at 65-70% during the 23rd day of hatching
Keep a humidifier and dehumidifier nearby to regulate humidity. Moisture prevents excessive loss of liquid from eggs.
Step 8. Set the incubator temperature to 37.5 ° C
It is essential that you always maintain this temperature. A Japanese quail egg will take 16-18 days to hatch at this temperature, while other breeds take 22-25 days.
Step 9. Do not turn the eggs for the first three days
Then the tray has to turn 30 ° in both directions every day to prevent the embryos from sticking to the shell.
Part 3 of 3: Raising the Quail
Step 1. Keep the quail in a small container after the eggs hatch
Lower the temperature from 37.5 ° C to room temperature by dropping one and a half degrees per day. If the chicks are cold, they tend to pile on top of each other.
Step 2. You can keep up to 100 chicks in a 60 X 90cm space for the first 10 days
Then give them more space.
Step 3. Make sure each quail has 1 to 1.2 square meters of cage space available
Step 4. Always provide the quail with clean water
Wash and refill the water container every day.
Step 5. Change the straw under the cages daily
You can use it as a fertilizer. Quail droppings contain high levels of ammonia, so they need to be cleaned frequently.
Step 6. Clean the cage whenever dirt starts to build up
Wash it once a week to avoid illness.
Step 7. Begin to regulate living conditions and switch food to a mixed brood fowl feed at 5-6 weeks of age
Most specialty stores sell this type of food. Before buying it, find out if it is suitable for your pets.
Step 8. Keep pets in a quiet place after 6 weeks of age
Females will begin to lay eggs and production will be very poor if they are bothered by other animals, noises or other disturbing elements.
