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One of the best egg-laying quail breeds: Japanese quail, came to the USSR from Japan in the middle of the last century. It was from the country from which this breed was imported into the Union that the quail received its name.
The Japanese breed of quail, descended from the “common quail” species, is the ancestor of all other cultivated breeds that arose either as a result of the consolidation of random mutations, or due to selection for the desired trait.
Description of Japanese quail
Japanese quails are quite large birds compared to their wild ancestors. If the “savage” weighs up to 145 g, then the “Japanese” already reaches 200 g. True, in exceptional cases. Usually the weight of quails is 120 g, quails are 140 g.
The selection of Japanese quails was aimed at increasing egg production and body weight to obtain dietary meat, so it is impossible to distinguish the wild form of the quail from the domesticated “Japanese” quail by color.
The color of the Japanese quail varies somewhat from darker to lighter, which made it possible to breed quail breeds with colored plumage.
Previously, Japanese quail were bred on an industrial scale not only for eggs, but also for meat.Today, with the advent of larger breeds of quail, meat The importance of Japanese quails has decreased.
After the need arose to obtain a larger carcass from quail, as a result of breeding work in the United States, a breed of quail called the Pharaoh was bred. The weight of a Pharaoh quail carcass exceeds 300 g. Many experts consider the plumage, which is no different from the wild form of the quail, to be a disadvantage of the Pharaoh breed. But scammers, on the contrary, are a blessing.
Reviews from many buyers of Pharaoh quails complain that the birds will be small. Those who are more experienced, judging by the growth rate of quails and their weight gain, quickly guess that instead of pharaohs, they were sold quails of the Japanese breed. As a rule, situations “on the contrary” do not happen. Quail Pharaoh – the bird is more whimsical and lays fewer eggs than the “Japanese”; it is more difficult and more expensive to breed than the original breed of quail.
Productivity characteristics
Japanese the quail begins to lay eggs already in the second month of life and is capable of laying up to 250 eggs per year. The weight of Japanese quail eggs is up to 10 g. With their low weight, today Japanese quail meat carcasses are no longer relevant, although this largely depends on taste. The weight of wild pigeon carcasses is less than the weight of quail carcasses. And in a plucked and gutted thrush there is even nothing to eat. However, both the blackbird and the wild pigeon are hunted.
The domesticated Japanese quail actively lays eggs directly on the floor, and always at the same time. But getting her to sit on her balls is an impossible task. After domestication, Japanese quails completely lost their brooding instinct.
Poultry keeping
It is better to keep quails in cages, so that later you do not have to chase a cat around the yard, who has decided that the quails were bought specifically for the improvement of her body. And birds of prey logically consider wild quail their prey, not understanding the nuances of the breeds at all.
A cage for quails should be at least 20 cm high. Quails have a habit of taking off like a candle in case of danger. To prevent them from hitting the ceiling, the iron mesh can be replaced with an elastic nylon net. The size of the cage may vary depending on the number of quails. For 15 birds, a cage measuring 50x45 cm will be enough. On farms, quail cages can be made in several rows.
Thus, an edible unfertilized egg is usually obtained.
Breeding Japanese quails
To obtain fertilized eggs, you can place quails in families of one male and three females in different cages. But there is an interesting nuance: females will be better fertilized if they are placed next to a male for 15 minutes, alternately every 2 hours every three days. It is better to perform this manipulation in the morning. However, one male is still limited to three females.
Egg incubation
Eggs with a 5-day shelf life are laid for incubation. The longer the egg is stored, the lower the hatchability of the quail.
This is explained by the fact that the water contained in the egg evaporates through the shell. The less moisture in the egg, the less chance of hatching a chick. Since eggs are usually stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 8-12 ° C before the incubator, this aggravates the problem. The refrigerator compartment very strongly dries out any food that is stored there without packaging.It is the refrigerator that explains the short shelf life of eggs.
In nature, a clutch can wait a couple of weeks for its time, and at the same time, the chicks will hatch from almost all the eggs. But in nature, wet soil, rain and morning dew slow down the evaporation of moisture from eggs.
The little secret to keeping eggs better in the refrigerator
- We collect the eggs in a container with holes. If at the same time its bottom does not fit closely to the table, then that’s absolutely wonderful.
- Pour clean water into a plastic bag without holes at the bottom. It can be distilled, or it can be a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Place the container in the bag and tie it.
- For air exchange, we make holes in the top of the bag.
Increased air humidity around the container will prevent the contents of the eggs from drying out too quickly.
You can easily identify eggs that are suitable for incubation by placing them in water. Fresh eggs will drown. In addition, eggs differ in appearance: fresh ones have a matte shell due to the antibacterial film covering them.
A couple of hours after laying and before incubation, it is advisable to disinfect the eggs, but not with a liquid solution, but with formaldehyde vapor or ultraviolet irradiation.
Incubation is carried out at a temperature of 37.6° and air humidity of 80-90%. Turn the bookmark at least 4 times a day. It’s better to get an automatic incubator.
There is an interesting pattern in the rate of quail hatching depending on temperature and humidity:
- t – 37.5; air humidity 50-60% - hatching after 12 days;
- t – 37.2; humidity 54-55% - hatching in 13-15 days;
- t – 37.0; humidity 65-90% - hatching in 16-18 days.
It would seem beneficial to raise the temperature, lower the humidity and get broods faster. In reality, it's not that simple.
During early development, quails do not have time to take all the nutrients contained in the egg and hatch underdeveloped and weak. Their umbilical cord does not heal well, and the yolk remains on the inside of the shell, all of which must be used during normal development.
Raising chicks
Newly hatched quails are given mashed boiled eggs, very finely chopped greens: onions, nettles, carrots, cottage cheese and fish oil. From the 3rd day, multivitamins and boiled lean fish are added. You can give a little yogurt or milk.
During the first week, quails need to be fed 5 times a day, then the frequency of feeding is reduced to 3-4 times. From ten days they give:
- yellow corn – 30% of the total diet;
- wheat – 29.8%;
- powdered milk – 6%;
- meat and bone meal – 12%;
- fish meal – 12%;
- sunflower cake – 3.8%;
- herbal flour – 3%;
- ground shells – 2%;
- vitamins – 0.7%;
- calcium – 0.5%;
- salt – 0.2%.
The first days the quail will not differ from each other in appearance.
But by the month, when they grow up and fledge, the difference will become noticeable. At this time, it will be necessary to separate the quails from the quails to prevent uncontrolled crossbreeding.
Reviews of the Japanese quail breed
Conclusion
Although Japanese quail have lost their relevance as a source of meat, due to their undemanding conditions, they remain an ideal breed for beginners. After gaining experience, you can try to get other breeds of quail or settle on this one.
