How to Raise Quails for High Yield? A Detailed Guide to Breeding Methods

Key Breeding Points

Newly Hatched Quails

The brooding room must be strictly disinfected, and 2 to 3 days before the chicks arrive, check whether the temperature in the brooding room is normal; temperature control: 39°C to 40°C from day 1 to day 5, 36°C to 37°C from day 5 to day 10, and 33°C to 35°C after day 10. Under suitable conditions, 1 to 2 hours after the chicks arrive, give them drinking water with potassium permanganate (light yellow is ideal), and start adding feed at the same time; after 15 days, put them in cages for rearing. To prevent the quails from growing too large or too small, which can cause undesirable effects, the following drugs can be used as reference: amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, enrofloxacin, etc.

Sub-adult Quails

After the quails are caged, the room temperature should be kept at around 27°C, and attention should be paid to whether temperature, ventilation, lighting, and humidity are normal; this can prevent disease and help increase the egg-laying rate. The room should be disinfected regularly, indoor cleanliness and hygiene should be maintained, water and feed should be kept in the troughs, and the rearing density should be well controlled.

Laying Quails

Quails can begin laying at around 40 days of age, and the feed must not be changed arbitrarily. The indoor temperature should be kept at around 25°C, and the temperature must not fluctuate between hot and cold. Manure must be cleaned regularly, and attention should be paid to the color, shape, and smell of the manure, as well as whether warmth, ventilation, and lighting are normal. Observe the flock, strengthen inspection of quails with reduced laying and of sick or dead quails, and administer medication promptly if there are problems. Keep water and feed in the troughs without interruption, and especially prevent attacks by cats, rats, and dogs.

Key Feeding Points

Quail feed can be divided into two major categories: plant-based and animal-based. Plant-based feed includes corn, wheat, broken rice, rice bran, wheat bran, peanut cake, soybean cake, green vegetables, etc. Animal-based feed includes fish meal, inorganic salts, etc.

The following points should be noted when mixing feed:

Mix feed according to the different growth stages of quails

The feed formula for 1 to 35 days of age is: soybean cake 25%, fish meal 15%, bran 4.5%, bone meal 1.5%; the feed formula for mature quails is: corn 55.5%, soybean cake 22%, fish meal 14%, bone meal 2%, locust tree powder 6.5%.

Feed Diversity

Animal and plant feeds should be properly combined, and the feed should be kept relatively stable without too much variation, because quails are highly sensitive to feed changes. The feeding method should combine dry and wet feed, and each mixed batch of feed should not be used for too long; it is best to mix and use it fresh to avoid spoilage, which can affect the growth and development of quails or cause poisoning and death.

Whether raising quails at home or professionally, a certain quail house is needed. Its form and structure vary, and it must be economical and practical, using local materials suited to local conditions, while also meeting the needs of quail growth, development, and reproduction. Quail houses can be divided by rearing quantity into three types: small, medium, and large. A small one can raise 500 to 800 quails and is suitable for household rearing; the front is 3.6 m wide and 1.8 m long, with a front height of 2.4 m and a rear height of 2.1 m. The interior is divided into two rooms, one large and one small. The large room is 2.7 m wide and 1.8 m long and is used as the rearing room, while the small room is used to store tools and feed. The roof can be made of zinc-coated iron sheets.