A Detailed Guide to Quail Farming Techniques and Management Methods
Raising quail requires mastering such steps as building cages and housing, preparing good feed, daily management, breeding and reproduction, and disease prevention and control. Quails are relatively fragile, so the cages must be cleaned regularly, their physical condition checked, and nutrients supplemented in good time.
Quail Farming Techniques
I. Building Cages and Housing
Raising quail in cages works well; a bamboo and wood structure can be used, with cages 80 cm long, 50 cm wide and 30 cm high, set up on racks in tiers for rearing.
II. Preparing Good Feed
A general feed formula is: corn 50%, soybean cake 8%, rapeseed cake 3.7%, wheat bran 29%, fish meal 6%, coarse bran 1.5%, bone meal 1.5%, salt 0.3%; some multivitamins, antibiotics and trace elements may also be added.
III. Daily Care and Management
The cages must be swept frequently and droppings removed (remove droppings once a day, or at least once every two days) to prevent dampness and contamination; the troughs and utensils should be scrubbed often to keep them dry and hygienic. From 0 to 4 days of age they often show a wild tendency to run away, so care is needed when adding feed and water, to prevent the feed from being scratched out and spilled and to prevent the drinking water from wetting the down.
IV. Breeding and Reproduction
Spring mating is in March to May, and autumn mating in September to November; the male-to-female quail ratio is 1:4. Generally each male quail mates with one female quail a day; mating too often will affect the fertilization rate of the breeding eggs. When mating, place the male quail in the female quail's cage to mate on their own, and remove the male quail after mating.
V. Disease Prevention and Control
The most common condition in quail is gastroenteritis, caused by moldy feed or improper rearing, leading to diarrhea, weakness, coma and so on. Furazolidone or charcoal powder can be mixed into the feed and fed for 3 consecutive days, then stopped for 2 days, then fed 1 to 2 more times; or oxytetracycline can be mixed into the feed and fed for 5 consecutive days. Sulfaguanazole or sulfadimidine can also be mixed into the feed and fed twice a day for 5 to 6 consecutive days.