Raising Coturnix or Japanese quail can
be a delight, their space requirements are small, they don’t eat a
lot, convert feed into protein efficiently, and are much more
friendly creatures than even the sociable chicken. The Coturnix
Quail:incubation period is 17 days, forced air incubators temperature
99º to 100ºF with a humidity level of 60%. The Coturnix Quail mature in six
weeks with a average weight of 5-6 oz. The Coturnix Quail will began
laying eggs at seven weeks old and reach a slaughter weight of 7-8
oz.
When scared, quail tend to fly straight
up and can gain enough speed to break their necks when they hit the
top of the cage. Remember that raccoons are very good at invading
pens to kill and eat your birds and eggs. So when raising quail you
must design and make you cages or coops predator safe. Special care
must be taken to protect the quail from cold drafts, food and water
shortage, and dampness. These type of conditions can cause your birds
to become stresses and piling could occur. You will find your chicks
in a large piles dying. It is a natural reaction and can cost a quail
breeder a lot of birds.
During the brooding process of raising these quail change the paper and clean the wire daily for best
success. Keep the quail in the brooder until fully feathered and
reduce heat by 5 degrees weekly. . Continue to protect quail chicks
from draft and food/water shortages, and feed starter until week six.
After the quail are fully feathered they can be sexed and moved to
their final cage. Reducing height will eliminate broken necks in the
quail.
Like most birds, Coturnix like to take
dust baths in hot weather. The Coturnix Quail eggs should be
gathered daily, in hot weather as much as 2 to 3 times per day, to
assure freshness. The coturnix appears to be susceptible to most of
the diseases that affect domestic poultry and, therefore, raise your
Coturnix quail separate from chickens and turkeys.
Eggs when gathered are kept at
controlled temperature turned twice daily. When you encounter quail
eggs in a restaurant, this is the bird usually responsible. If you
are going to keep your own eggs to hatch for replacement birds, it is
a good idea to get a few males from another source so that inbreeding
does not occur. Raising you quail on wire above the ground will make
it less likely that the quail will be standing in manure and this
will also help the eggs remain clean.
The Adult Male Coturnix weighs about 100 to 140 grams (3 1/2 to 5 ounces). The male birds can be identified readily by the rusty brown colored feathers on the upper throat and lower breast region. Males also have a cloacal gland, a bulbous structure located at the upper edge of the vent which secretes a white, foamy material. This unique gland can be used to assess the reproductive fitness
of the males (Cheng, Hickman and McIntyre (1985). The young birds begin to crow at 5 to 6 weeks old. Sanford (19 57) described the voice of the male as a loud, castanet-like crow, producing sound as "pick-per awick" or "ko-turro-neex". During the height of the normal breeding season, coturnix males will crow throughout the night.
The Adult Female: Coturnix are slightly heavier than the male, weighing from 120 to 160 grams (4 to 5 1/2 ounces). The body coloration of the female bird is similar to the male except that the feathers on the throat and upper breast are long, pointed, an d much lighter cinnamon. Also, the light tan breast feathers are characteristically black-stippled.
My Thoughts on Raising Coturnix Quail.
When raising Quail for meat or eggs. The Coturnix Quail would get my highest recommendation. The Coturnix Quail adapts very well to the captive environment. These quail are as close to being a domestic breed as you will find in Quail.
If you are looking to start a Quail raising business for meat or eggs and want a quick turn around. The the Coturnix Quail would be the right choice. The Coturnix Quail matures in about 6 weeks and should be laying eggs at 8 weeks of age.
When raising the Coturnix Quail in the proper environment and by using artificial lighting and regulated temperatures as discussed in "The Beginner's Guide". It is possible for the female of this specie to lay between 200 and 300 eggs per year.
Learn more about Raising Coturnix (Japanese) Quail in my Raising Quail book.
