How to raise egg-type quail? Detailed explanation of key breeding techniques

Quail is a special economic poultry species with the advantages of fast growth, early maturity, high egg production, low feed consumption, and a short production cycle. Quail meat is nutritious, rich in protein, iron, calcium, and phosphorus, and is praised as a delicacy of wild flavor; quail eggs are rich in lecithin, cephalin, and hormones, and the protein molecules of quail eggs are smaller than those of chicken eggs, making them easier to digest and absorb, with special therapeutic effects on allergies and gastrointestinal diseases, and a special nutritional effect on the human nervous system. The meat, eggs, and blood of quail can all be used as medicine. A female quail can begin laying at 45-50 days of age, producing 200-300 eggs per year, totaling 2.4-3 kg, with an average laying rate of over 80%. Each quail consumes only 0.75 kg of feed from hatching to laying, only 20-25 grams of feed per day per bird, 9 kg of feed per year, with a feed-to-egg ratio of 2.6-2.7:1. The incubation period of quail is only 17 days, and they can reproduce throughout the year. Raising quail has high comprehensive benefits and a stable market. Currently, the domestic breeding volume is second only to chickens and ducks.

I. Life habits of quail

1. Quail prefers a warm and dry environment. Below 15°C and above 30°C, the laying rate decreases. The optimum temperature for laying is 20-22°C.

2. Quail is timid and easily startled. For this reason, the breeding room must be kept quiet. Currently, they are all raised in cages, with cage height of 15-25 cm, to avoid head injuries from flying up when startled.

3. Quail grows fast and has a short lifespan. At hatching, it weighs only 78 grams, and by 45-50 days of age at sexual maturity, its body weight can reach 120 grams.

II. Breeding of breeder quail

1. Selection of breeder quail. Whether male or female, breeder quail should be selected from within three generations, well-developed, disease-free, weighing over 120 grams, and plump in body shape. The sperm packet, a red spherical mass above the cloaca of the male quail, should be large and bright red; the female quail should have a large abdominal capacity, with three fingers' width between the free end of the pubic bone and the posterior end of the sternum, and two fingers' width between the left and right pubic bones. Male and female breeder quail are kept together in cages at a ratio of 1:3 for natural mating.

2. Incubation. Select breeding eggs laid within one week, with obvious speckling, moderate size, and normal egg shape. After disinfection, place them with the blunt end up in a room at 25°C to pre-warm for 6-8 hours before starting incubation.

Incubation management is as follows:

a. Temperature: During the incubation of quail eggs, the principle of "high in the early stage, level in the middle stage, low in the late stage" should be followed. At the same time, flexibly master "adjusting temperature by observing the embryo" in combination with the incubation season, external temperature, and embryonic development status. Generally, it is maintained between 38-39°C.

b. Relative humidity: The relative humidity inside the incubator is maintained at 60-65%. On the day before hatching, the humidity can be increased to 80%.

c. Ventilation: The embryo's demand for oxygen is low in the early stage and high in the late stage; low in winter and high in summer. During the first 8 days of incubation, the ventilation openings should be opened regularly for air exchange, and during the last 8 days, ventilation should be frequent.

④ Turning eggs: From the start of incubation until 2-3 days before hatching when the eggs are transferred to the hatching tray, turn the eggs 4-12 times per day and night.

d. Cooling eggs: Open the incubator door to lower the egg temperature. Each cooling should be flexibly controlled according to specific conditions. It is sufficient when the egg feels slightly cool when tested against the eyelid.

e. Candling eggs: The first candling is performed 5-7 days after incubation to eliminate infertile eggs and dead embryo eggs; the second candling is performed 12-13 days after incubation to eliminate mid-term dead eggs.

f. Hatching: On the 15th day of incubation, transfer the eggs from the egg trays to the hatching trays, increase the incubator humidity to 80% until hatching. After the newborn quail's down is dry, they can be taken out.

III. Rearing of young quail

The brooding period of quail is 30 days. After the newborn quail's down is dry, they can be placed in the brooder for rearing. The rearing management is as follows:

1. Heat preservation. The brooding temperature should be maintained at 37-36°C for 1-6 days of age, 36-35°C for 7-14 days of age, 34°C for 15-20 days of age. After 20 days of age, reduce by 1°C per day. When it drops to 27°C, no more heating equipment is needed, and they are moved to a normal temperature of 22-27°C for rearing. Brooding heat preservation equipment can use brooder umbrellas, or ordinary light bulbs, electric blankets, hot water bags, etc. as heat sources.

2. Drinking water. Young quail should drink water within 24 hours of hatching. Generally, once the young quail are placed in the brooder and calm down, they can drink water. It is best to give 0.01% potassium permanganate water for the first drink, and afterward give cool boiled water. Once drinking begins, it must not be interrupted.

3. Feeding. Young quail can start eating 1 hour after drinking water. Feed starter feed at 1-3 days of age. The starter feed uses cornmeal with 1 gram of yeast powder added per 100 birds. From the 2nd day, feed 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 sprinkle 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 formulated as follows: cornmeal 52%, soybean cake 27%, wheat bran 5%, fish meal 10%, leaf meal 5%, bone meal 1%, plus 10 grams of multivitamins. Mix the feed evenly and feed it. At 1-7 days of age, feed 6-8 times daily, then gradually reduce to 4 times, ensuring feed and water are always available.