Content
Among the many breeds of quail, there is one breed that is not distinguished by high egg production, but in size is one of the smallest even among quails, which in themselves are not the largest birds. Why are these birds so popular that they are happily kept even in small apartments? The answer will be quite obvious, you just have to look at the photograph of a representative of this quail breeds. Indeed, the Chinese painted quail is a very beautiful representative of the bird family, the partridge subfamily.
Besides keeping Chinese quails does not present any particular difficulties for a true birding enthusiast, and observing their behavior and habits will bring many pleasant moments.
Origin, distribution of the breed
The Chinese painted quail is one of ten species of painted quail, distributed throughout Southeast Asia down to Australia and New Guinea and even into parts of Africa. The Chinese painted quail, as the name suggests, is distributed over a vast area of China, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka.
The bird has been known in China for a long time; it was often kept there as an ornamental bird. Europe learned about the existence of Chinese painted quails only in the 17th century. But the Chinese quail quickly gained its fans and is now widely kept as an ornamental breed.
In its homeland, the Chinese quail lives in dense grass in wet meadows, and builds nests on the ground from dry leaves and grass. The birds live in permanent pairs, while the male quail also participates in raising the offspring: he feeds the female sitting on the nest, protects the nesting territory from rivals, and after the chicks are born, he leads them with the female and raises them. But only the female is involved in arranging the nest itself.
Description of appearance, gender differences
The Chinese painted quail is a very small bird, its weight ranges from 45 to 70 grams, its body length is about 12-14 cm, not counting the 3.5 cm tail. This breed of quail has clearly defined differences between males and females. Males usually have a bright color: the feathers on top are colored in various shades of brown with bright white and black longitudinal specks, the belly is a reddish tint, the cheeks, craw, frontal part and sides are gray-blue with a purple tint.
An interesting feature, thanks to which the breed received the name painted, is the presence of black and white stripes of different shapes and thicknesses located in the area of the mandible and on the throat of birds. Sometimes these stripes even extend to the side of the head.
Female Chinese quails are much more modestly colored - they have a light red breast with a brownish tint, a white neck, the feathers on top are light sand color with brown feather tips, and their belly is light red-brown with black stripes.
Moreover, Chinese quails of both sexes have a black beak and orange-yellow legs.
Breeders have been working on this breed for a long time, therefore, in addition to this main, so-called wild form, several colored varieties of Chinese painted quails have been bred: silver, pinkish, blue, Isabella, white, chocolate.
The voices of quails of this breed are quiet and pleasant; when kept even in a small room, there is no discomfort from their presence.
Keeping in captivity
If, fascinated by the beauty of Chinese painted quails, you decide to have this breed in your house or even in your apartment, then you should remember that these birds are not capable of producing eggs or meat in sufficient quantities. The Chinese quail is an exclusively decorative breed, which is capable of delivering purely aesthetic pleasure to its owners and serving as another representative of your collection of birds, if you have one.
Arrangement of the place of detention
Often at home, Chinese painted quails are kept in cages or enclosures that do not meet their requirements.After all, it seems that these birds are so small that they require very little space. But in reality, Chinese quails require a surface of 2x2 meters for a full life and reproduction. These requirements, of course, are unrealistic for small apartments, but it is worth keeping in mind that such an area is necessary for Chinese quails, first of all, for full reproduction. If you agree to use an incubator for hatching chicks, then nothing will prevent you from using cages of a smaller area to keep Chinese quails. If it is possible to build an aviary of a similar area, then with a height of one meter, the birds will be provided with an excellent living room in which they will feel as comfortable as possible and will not be subject to constant stressful situations, as when living in cramped conditions.
Since the ability to fly in Chinese painted quails is practically not realized in real life, there is no need to install high branches, perches and other similar devices. But it is better to make the floor in such an enclosure grassy; it is advisable to plant several bushes. It is possible to use artificial vegetation. It is also important to place several small branches, picturesque driftwood and large pieces of tree bark on the floor of the enclosure to imitate natural shelters and nesting sites for female Chinese quail.
If there is not enough free space to house quails, then you can use keeping birds in low (up to 50 cm) cages, but it must be taken into account that females most likely will not incubate eggs in such conditions, and then the best option would be to keep Chinese quails in groups.It is better to cover the floor in small cages with sawdust or wood shavings.
Another feature of Chinese painted quails must be taken into account if the birds live in low cages. The fact is that if something scares them, the Chinese quail is capable of flying vertically upward and can break its head on the iron surface of the cage. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to stretch a fine fabric mesh of a light shade near the upper surface of the cage on the inside so that it does not block the light too much. In this simple way you can protect quails from head injuries and the inevitable unpleasant consequences associated with them.
It is better to provide natural lighting for Chinese quails, and if you additionally illuminate the cages, you must take into account that too bright lighting can provoke excessive aggressiveness of the birds, so you should not get carried away with this. Quails' natural habitat is shaded thickets, so they need dim light.
Another interesting option for keeping Chinese quails is terrariums. Below you can watch a video about the arrangement of such places:
It is necessary to take into account the love of Chinese quails for swimming in the sand, so the birds definitely need to arrange a container with a layer of dry sand 5-6 cm deep. It is advisable not to simply pour sand into the tray of the cage, since even with the height of the sides of the cage being 10-12 cm, when the quails bathe, the sand scatters wildly, and half of it will involuntarily end up outside the cage. Therefore, the bathing container should be closed on all sides except the bird entrance.
Various Content Options
Based on the biological characteristics of the existence of Chinese painted quails, it is interesting to keep this breed at home in pairs. First of all, this is the most natural way of life of the birds themselves and, therefore, their behavior during the mating season is very interesting to observe. Female quails may well begin to lay eggs as early as 14-18 weeks, and when kept in pairs, their brooding instinct is well demonstrated. It is only important that the cage or enclosure in which they are kept has plenty of hiding places that they can use as a nest.
One oviposition can contain from 6 to 12 eggs. The most curious thing is that eggs can be of different shades: olive with dark spots, brown or yellowish. The female Chinese quail incubates eggs for an average of 14-17 days. With good nutrition, the female has the ability to breed offspring up to several times a year.
But when pairs of Chinese quail are kept in a limited space, the male may experience inappropriate behavior towards the female at the beginning of the mating season. He can constantly pursue her, and the female’s plumage will become completely unusable. Therefore, if it is not possible to freely place quails, the best option would be to keep the birds in groups of several quails. In a group there will be 3-4 females per male. In this case, female Chinese quails will not incubate eggs, and to obtain offspring, it is necessary to use an incubator.But in cages with such content there should still be enough shelter so that the birds can, if necessary, hide from the involuntary manifestation of aggression on the part of their fellows.
Nutrition and reproduction
Chinese quails are usually fed about 3 times a day. The usual diet includes, first of all, a mixture of small grain crops (except oats) with the addition of some sprouted grain (usually wheat). In summer, quails must be given fresh greens every day, in winter - whenever possible. From protein feeds, it is necessary to feed quails various insects, bloodworms and worms; cottage cheese and egg mixtures are also given in small quantities. For a complete diet, Chinese quails definitely need various mineral and vitamin supplements. The food bowl should be separate from the gravel and shell rock bowl. The presence of drinking water in the cage is mandatory; it must be changed daily.
Compound feed is fed to female Chinese quails only during the incubation period, when they vitally need the optimal combination of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
When the laying is completed, the female Chinese quail is usually given a rest - she is transplanted into a separate cage, the lighting is reduced and she is fed with a regular grain mixture. Sometimes lowering the temperature is used as a form of rest. If the female is severely exhausted, you can give her a solution of immunofan and add calcium gluconate to the food.
Quails of this breed are born very tiny, no more than 2-3 cm, but despite such sizes, they are independent and develop and grow very quickly. From the very first day, being in the nest, they can begin to eat the same as adult Chinese quail. But usually they need to be fed separately and supplemented with protein-rich foods: egg mixtures, sprouted millet and poppy seeds. Watch the video of female Chinese quails interacting with their newly hatched quails.
When bringing out the young quails in the incubator, you should lightly tap the location of the food with a pencil or match from the very first feeding in order to trigger their pecking instinct. Quails are distinguished by great mobility and rapid growth. Already on the third day they fledge, and after a few more days they become capable of flight. At the age of three weeks, the chicks reach half the weight of adult Chinese quails, at 35-40 days they can no longer be distinguished from adult birds by color, and at two months they become sexually mature.
Chinese quail can live for about 10 years in captivity.
Conclusion
So, if you decide to get yourself these cute representatives of the feathered family, they will delight you for a long time.
Great information. Thanks.