Quail farming is good for meat production

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Quail farming can offer numerous benefits in terms of meat production, nutrition, and eggs. Salient features of quail farming with nutritive composition of its meat and eggs can be summed as:

• Lesser market age 4-5 weeks

• Less initial investment

• May be started as cottage industry

• Easily manageable by household ladies

• A better tool to alleviate poverty

Meat qualities:

• Tastier than chicken

• Promotes body and brain development in children

• Best balanced food for pregnant and nursing mothers

• Less fat and cholesterol content

Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) was first described as a research model by and was used as a pilot animal for more expensive experiments in 1960. During 1970, research with Japanese quail expanded from avian-science related topics to biology and medicine, as bird could be kept easily relatively in large number in a small facility and be used as model animal for wide variety of works, from embryology to space related sciences. At the event of World Poultry Congress, 2004, the quail has been declared as the model avian species for future research. Quails are now commonly used as an experimental animal for biological research and vaccine production, especially Newcastle disease vaccine to which disease quails are resistant.

In Pakistan quail farming was started in early 1970, with the introduction of exotic breeding stock of Japanese quails. However, quail production has remained as one of the neglected components of poultry sector in the country. Very little research work has been conducted on its breeding, incubation, housing, nutritional requirements, feeding, management and disease control aspects in Pakistan.

About four decades back a breeding stock of hybrid Japanese quails was imported in Pakistan with good genetic potential having better egg production performance, egg quality parameters and hatching traits compared to local quail called “Betair”.

But unfortunately, due to continuous inbreeding, genetic potential of the imported quail might have deteriorated. Simultaneously no serious attempt has been made to improve genetic potential of our native quail.

Although public and private sectors made efforts for the development of quail farming, but the measures were not adequate and fall short of expectations for producing high yield of quail meat at a reasonable low cost.

The private sector was not given adequate monetary and technical incentives. Even public sector organizations dealing in quail and allied industries faced enormous hurdles due to bureaucracy and lack of application of modern quail production technology.

These together with many other problems including poor quail management, low live body weight and meat yield, late ready to market age and lack of quail processing are some of the important reasons for slow development of quail farming in the country.

The low live body weight and meat yield appears to be a great hurdle for development of commercial quail farming. The situation therefore calls to take immediate concrete steps to improve genetic potential of our local quail.

Avian Research and Training (ART) Centre, of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore has been working on this thing for sometime now. The main aims and objectives of this centre are as under:

• Human resource development in the field of quail/avian production.

• Technical guidance and advice to the stake holders, small farmers and house-hold women in avian production.

• Research for enhancing genetic potential to improve performance and meat yield in local quail strains.

AHMED SULTAN

UVAS, Lahore

23 COMMENTS

  1. i want to start quil farming on smaller scale due to lack of investement , can you please guide me how to start it and from where to get help . thanks

    • quail formaing is very best for u bt it is so expensive bacause in swat quail availibility is less then other areas ok so dont start it farming byee

  2. i want to start quil farming on smaller scale due to lack of investement , can you please guide me how to start it and from where to get help . thanks

  3. I want to start quail farming on very very small scale may be at second floor of my house , please guide me how to start and from where to get help in order to purchase quail chicks and vaccines and wtever

  4. Hi Doc,
    I want to start Quail farming in Multan. Would it be possible for you to provide me how this can be statred, how much capital would be required, from where I can get the chicks. My plan is to start with 20,000 birds, how much space and manpower would be required. Appriciate if you could give some detailed informations at [email protected].
    Thanks.
    Ahmad Malik

  5. sir i have started so little quail farming a 100 of birds i wan some bes step plz help me
    1 here is not quail feed in market may i give them layer hens feed
    2 if u have any home made farmula plz send me
    3 in our areas are in winter is very cool
    and summer is very hot 48 or 51 cgrad
    plz tell tell me best tem for both season
    4 i have order an incubator capicity 200 eggs for producinge chicks plz guaid me how i can operate it temp and best hamidity
    5 one quail hen give 280 or 300 eggs per year how much she give eggs in her whole life.
    sir willbe thankful to u
    nadeem Ahmded Shaikh
    Dadu sindh

    • if you still intrusted in quail farming here is my contact 0333 570 2789 or e-mail [email protected] .my farm is in Rawalpindi near car chok gulraiz . we provide quail eggs .chicks. quails from one week to four week and also breeders .

  6. for your quail fresh egg call 08055320992 or 07030793266 at 5, popoola street afobaje estate otta ogun state nigeria

  7. Dear Mr Ahmed Sultan i am in Rawalpindi AND WANT TO START QUAIL FARMING from1000 birds please advice me how to start, where from i can get chicks, how can i do further breeding, ect i will highly appreciate if you can guide me and advise me thanks please reply me on my e mail given above maj (r)raja sultan

  8. FOR YOUR FRESH QUAIL EGG AND QUAIL BIRDS CALL 08055320992 OR 07030793266 AT KAYE FARM 5, POPOOLA STREET AFOBAJE ESTATE OTTA

    • Hello ,
      I have 100 quails eggs daily , or chicks , but i cant understand ur address . I am from pakistan karachi . email : [email protected] . kindly contect me if you are intersted .
      Regards
      Hilal

  9. Dear Sir,
    I intend to establish a quail farm at my agriculture land in village Khuddian, district Kasur, Punjab. I can earmark 4 to acres of land for this purpose. Can somebody guide me how much finances will be required to start it with 100 to 500 birds? How much amount I have to invest in this farming which should include all the establishment cost etc. as well as guide me from A to Z. Please send me all the details with hoestimated expenditure to enable me to decide it finally. I shall be grateful to receive all the details on my email address as early as possible.
    My email address is: "[email protected].
    Regards. June 24, 2014

  10. Dear sir,

    This is sabarinathan from Sultanate of Oman.we are looking to import Quail Hatchery Eggs especially from Pakistan.kindly please send me mail to [email protected] or whatsapp me +968 91978928

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