Key Points of Rapid Fattening Technology for Quail Not Kept for Breeding

    Quail reach sexual maturity at 7 weeks of age. When male quail reach 5 weeks of age, if they are not kept for breeding, they can be used for fattening; female quail that have been laying for 12—18 months should be culled and used for fattening when the laying rate falls below 30%. Commercial quail must be intensively fattened 2—3 weeks before sale, and the following measures can be used: 

Quail

    1. Fattening facilities. Raise the quail in multi-tier stacked fattening boxes, with each tier 10-12cm high and each box with an area of 0.3 sq m. Install bars with a spacing of 3cm at the front and back of the box so the quail can stretch their heads out to eat and drink. Install fiberboard on the left, right and top sides, and the bottom of the box is wire mesh with 1cm×1cm openings. 

    2. Suitable temperature. The room temperature should preferably be 18-28°C, with 25°C being best; this temperature is favorable for the growth of male quail.

    3. Environmental requirements. Fattening quail are suitable for raising indoors in dim, quiet conditions. The light level should be just enough for the quail to see the feed in the trough and the water surface in the drinker. The room should be kept quiet, and disturbance must be strictly prevented. 

    4. Restrict movement. Use a high rearing density. A quail cage 10-12cm high can hold more than 100 quail per sq m. Such a density can both restrict movement and prevent feather pecking; male and female quail should be raised separately. 

    5. Feed formulation. For fattening feed, use high-energy feeds such as corn, wheat bran and paddy rice as the main ingredients, combined with protein feed. When mixing the feed, keep it moderately dry and wet, that is, neither sticky nor loose. The daily ration formula is as follows: corn 50%, flour 10%, soybean cake 10%, fish meal 5%, bone meal 8%, yeast 3%, wheat bran 5%, rice bran 5%, salt 1%, sand grains 3%, add an appropriate amount of vitamins and trace elements, and appropriately add green feed. Feed 4-6 times per day and night, just enough to eat full, and the drinking water should be clean and sufficient. 

    6. Maintain appetite. At each feeding, let 2/3 of the quail eat at the same time, creating a scramble for food and stimulating the quail's appetite. 

    7. Sell at the right time. After 2-3 weeks of fattening, when the body weight reaches 120-140 grams, when the quail feels plump in the hand, and when the feathers at the base of the wings are blown apart and the skin color is seen to be white or pale yellow, they can be sold.