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Once upon a time quail hunting was very popular among noblemen. Catching this small active bird was difficult, but interesting. What do we know about this little bird living both in wild forests and in captivity?
Description
The species is an ordinary quail - a bird belonging to the order of chickens, a family of partridge. The size is small - in the chicken family it is considered the smallest.
- Weight - from 100 to 150 grams.
- The body has a length of 16 to 20 cm.
- Pretty long wingspan in the range from 32 to 35 cm.
- Very small, hardly distinguishable tail.
The plumage of quail is of a rather peculiar color with a predominance of tawny and grayish-black flowers on the top of the body. Occasionally, there may be black spots and blotches of ocher shades. The crown is black with a brownish tint, several longitudinal stripes of brownish color cross the head.
The areas on the throat, chin and cheeks of males are darker than females. Also, the goiter of male quail is much lighter - bright red in color to attract the attention of females during the mating season.
The abdomen is lighter than the back, with black, brown and whitish blotches. This color is needed for camouflage purposes and helps birds survive - they merge with the earth's surface and become almost invisible to predatory enemies and hunter people.
The iris is brown in color, the beak is small, brown (sometimes light) in color. Short, but widely spaced, paws allow you to move with great speed on the ground, running away from predators and escaping from hunters.
Habitat
It inhabits almost the entire surface of the earth, with the exception of the cold northern regions. He lives in many European countries, in North Africa, in the south of the African continent, there are a lot of places of residence in Asian countries. Refers to a nomadic species - fly away in the winter for winter, returning to their native lands with the onset of spring. Winters in Africa, Egypt, India. Some of the birds living in Russia choose the southern parts of the country and the foothills of the North Caucasus for winter living. Only birds, whose homeland are Africa and Madagascar, do not fly away overwinter.
Nesting and breeding
As a rule, nests are arranged in floodplain fields or meadows with high grass hiding from prying eyes, or birds are built in high shrubbery. Small twigs go to the construction, the bottom is covered with bunches of last year's dry grass and its own feathers. It is laid at a time from 8 to 15, sometimes 20 eggs. Hatching lasts 15-20 days. The male at this time is engaged in the search and delivery of food, guards the nest, not allowing outsiders, sometimes talking with the mother hen.
Hatched chicks are born with a thick fur and, barely having time to dry, immediately after their mother leave the nest. Youngsters seek food on their own. The pubescence of the young is quail similar in color to the color of the grass in which they successfully hide from enemies. On the twentieth day of life, chicks begin to fly.
After about 50-55 days, they grow to the size of adult birds, after 70 days puberty sets in, and they begin to live on their own, making pairs and building nests.
Food
In the first weeks of life, quail chicks eat animal food - small insects, worms, caterpillars and other invertebrates that their parents procure by digging in the ground and raking it. A little later, vegetable protein is added to protein food - flower buds, shoots of plants, berries and leaves are torn from shrubs or berries are picked from the ground. But the basis of nutrition is the seeds of different plants and cereal grains.
About quail eggs
Quail eggs are considered dietary, they are necessary for children to better and faster develop the body, are recommended for use by patients after surgery. And in general, they are just delicious. Their beneficial properties have been known since ancient times.
Quail eggs, like chicken eggs, are boiled, fried and baked. Unlike chicken, quail does not suffer from salmonellosis, therefore, the testes are suitable for use in raw form. They contain many useful substances
The product has a large amount of lysozyme, which prevents the emergence of hostile microflora, so a refrigerator for storage is not needed. Eggs are stored for a long time - up to 60 days.
Useful components found in quail eggs:
- Vitamins of groups A, B, PP.
- Trace elements and macronutrients (iron, copper, a lot of calcium, phosphorus).
- Essential amino acids that work well on the skin.
Quail eggs are good in that they have no contraindications for use, they do not cause allergies at all and are suitable for even small children. When a child eats them, his mental activity becomes better, his memory, nervous system strengthens, he becomes more concentrated. Japanese schoolchildren eat a couple of eggs each morning before class. Doctors prescribe this product for retarded children with developmental delays.
This product is also recommended for strengthening the tissues of bones and teeth of pregnant women. It is used as an immune system support. The substances contained in quail eggs bind and remove radionuclides. This is important for people working with radioactive substances and those who are trying to fight cancer by undergoing chemotherapy. Used with success to increase potency in men
Powdered eggshell is used as a prophylaxis of rickets, with age-related fragility of bones and cases of hypocalcemia. Quail eggs are also used for cosmetic purposes - masks for the body and face are made, masks for problem hair are made.
Breeding and keeping in captivity
The quail was first domesticated by the Japanese in the 15th century. And now in captivity contains many of these birds. Due to the fact that pesticides are actively used in agriculture, quail is poisoned and killed, therefore, special nurseries have been created where they are grown and released into nature. Many summer residents and villagers also contain these birds in a private compound. The main products from quail breeding are eggs and meat. Some of them are eaten, others are engaged in subsequent implementation. It is more profitable and more beneficial to contain egg-bearing birds (up to one year old), because they can lay up to 300 eggs weighing from 9 to 13 grams per year.
Keeping quails is easy, you just need to consider some little things.
- The temperature should be maintained in the room from 10 degrees, so as not to freeze the birds.
- The light in the aviary should not be very bright and burn for at least 15-16 hours.
- A consistent feeding schedule should be maintained. Fattened, as well as hungry, individuals will carry poorly, or not at all.
- It is advisable to maintain high humidity - at least 50 percent. To do this, put barrels and bathtubs with water.
Dividing into hens and meat at home quails is not. The first year of life, they actively rush, then fatten for the sake of meat. For laying hens, males are not required, females can rush without it. And if the goal is to breed the bird for meat, then a male is needed for the appearance of the quail.
Interesting Facts
The quail was domesticated in the warm Asian regions, from there they got to the American continent, and only then began to spread throughout Europe. Modern quail (it is also called Japanese) leads a pedigree from those same Asian birds. Massively, the Japanese began to breed it only in the 20th century.
Quail, although a flying bird, is rarely found in the air. Mostly moves on the ground using muscular paws. This distinguishes birds from other species.
They are not able to gain decent altitude even when flying long distances, so they fly at a very low altitude, almost above the ground. For this reason, during migration, flying over the seas and oceans, a fairly large number of birds die - a storm or strong wind flows knock down the intended path. The birds lose their strength and fall dead into the water. Those who manage to get to the shore lie down and lie on land, restoring strength.
People who have taken wild birds for breeding in the household should remember that the daily bird diet should not differ significantly from the usual one. It should contain insects, plant seeds and so on. To feed and other products used at home, it is better to transfer the bird slowly.
Chickens are born tiny - about five grams, but due to a quick metabolism they reach a fifteen-fold increase in weight in a month, and by two months they catch up with an adult bird.
At the end of the 20th century, birds made a space journey. First, several quail eggs were sent to space, where they were placed in a specially created incubator. Hatched chicks were delivered to Earth. Later, the astronauts took with them four adult birds dressed in the uniform invented for them. Quail travelers also returned to the planet, where they lived for a long time and gave offspring.
Video: Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix)
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