Sharing Carefully Managed Experience in Raising Young Quail

1. Feeding. Young quail can start eating 1 hour after drinking water, and are fed starter feed from 1—3 days of age. For the starter feed, add 1 gram of yeast powder per 100 birds to cornmeal, and from the 2nd day begin feeding a compound feed containing 27—28% protein. After 4 days of age, gradually switch to young quail feed. Young quail that do not know how to eat should be trained; the method is to scatter the feed on paper or non-toxic plastic film, place the young quail that do not know how to eat on it, and gently tap the paper or plastic film with your hand to induce them to eat. The young quail feed can be made according to the following formula: cornmeal 52%, soybean cake 27%, bran 5%, fish meal 10%, leaf powder 5%, bone meal 1%, plus 10 grams of multivitamins, mix the feed evenly and feed it to them. From 1—7 days of age, feed 6—8 times daily, then gradually reduce to 4 times, ensuring there is always feed and water available.

2. Keeping warm. For brooding temperature, keep it at 37—36 degrees Celsius from 1—6 days of age, 36—35 degrees Celsius from 7—14 days of age, 34 degrees Celsius from 15—20 days of age, and after 20 days of age lower it by 1 degree Celsius each day; when it drops to 27 degrees Celsius, stop using heating equipment and move them to be raised at normal temperature of 22—27 degrees Celsius. Brooding and heating equipment can use a brooder umbrella, or ordinary light bulbs, electric blankets, hot water bags, etc. as heat sources. 3. Careful management. Observe the condition of the young quail and check whether temperature, humidity and ventilation are suitable. Regularly wash the water troughs and feed troughs, and disinfect regularly. Maintain environmental hygiene. Separate males and females at 3—4 weeks of age, and carry out vaccination or deworming at 4 weeks of age to avoid affecting egg production. 4. Drinking water. Young quail should drink water within 24 hours of hatching; generally, once the young quail are placed in the brooder and settle down, they can drink. It is best to give 0.01% potassium permanganate water first, and afterward give cooled boiled water. Once they start drinking, it must not be interrupted. 5. Density and lighting. Generally, younger ages can be denser and older ages can be sparser. For floor brooding, the density is 120—150 birds per sq m in the 1st week of age, 80—100 birds per sq m in the 2nd week of age, and 60—80 birds per sq m in the 3rd—4th weeks of age. Ensuring the lighting time for quail is beneficial for feeding, drinking and production performance. At one week of age, provide 24 hours of light; after one week of age, provide 14—16 hours of light.