Japanese quail - description, habitat, interesting facts

Poultry farmers are interested in various families of birds, not only out of idle curiosity. Many of them breed quail in the household, subsequently wanting a decent profit. These birds are so popular in breeding because they give tasty eggs and meat. Today we will consider an explicit representative of the family, namely the quail of the Japanese. As befits all birds, this type has its own characteristics, subtleties of keeping and breeding. We will not run ahead, we will study everything one by one.

Origin

To date, quailing of this species is considered the most profitable in terms of breeding. They give a lot of eggs, do not require special conditions of detention and are quite unpretentious in care.

Initially, the family of birds was developed in Japan, as the name implies. Subsequently, they migrated to the expanses of our homeland and gained recognition by experienced farmers. In the mid-20th century, every poultry farmer wanted to have Japanese quail in his arsenal.

A species of individuals of the presented breed group was obtained on the basis of the quail of the ordinary by selection work. Ordinary birds have always served as the basis for all other types, because they possessed the necessary characteristics and gender characteristics.

Many farmers believe that this particular type of bird is universal. It is about getting meat and eggs in sufficient quantities. Because of these farms, the "Japanese" began to appear more and more often in mass and private farms in order to cater to the needs of the population.

Description

1. These birds were hatched in order to obtain a large number of eggs and meat. Since the species is based on ordinary quail, the color of Japanese individuals is similar to the ancestor. If we compare two domesticated individuals of different species among themselves, then the inexperienced eye can not detect the differences.
2. By plumage, individuals can be dark and light. Thanks to an interesting combination, breeders managed to breed birds with a peculiar shade of feathers, but they are less common.
3. Initially, at large factory breeding enterprises, poultry quails were kept together to receive eggs and meat. However, over time, in order to increase the efficiency, individuals began to be divided into different farms, that is, some give meat, others give eggs.
4. Now we will touch upon the features characteristic of this type. Compared with ordinary quail, Japanese individuals are more overall. Wild quails grow to 140 gr. by body weight, while the species under discussion reaches 0.2 kg. for one bird. But this is rare, the average indicator is kept at around 150 grams.
5. In the present breed group, the tail is long, the body is elongated, and the wings are small. In males, the plumage of the chest is brownish, and the area of ​​the cloacal gland has a bright pinkish color and looks denser. The females lack cloacal gland, but the skin next to the cloaca is blue or gray. Females are easier to identify, they are gray.
6. To get more meat, breeders from the United States of America introduced a subtype of ordinary quail, which they called the pharaoh. The main difference between these birds is in the mass of the body, individuals grow to 0.3 kg. and even more. But some confuse the pharaohs with the Japanese, believing that this is one species. But it is impossible to identify them, the difference is in the rate of weight gain. This is used by scammers, selling smaller Japanese as pharaohs.

Content

Despite the unpretentiousness of these birds in terms of care, it is necessary to follow the recommendations.To date, there are 3 types of premises suitable for keeping quails. Let's sort them in order of priority.

1. These birds can be kept in enclosures, but they have significant disadvantages. So, for example, quails begin to lay fewer eggs. Therefore, if you start them for this purpose, then the aviary content is not suitable. Numerous reviews by farmers have confirmed that such facilities are worse than cells.
2. You can consider the content of the floor type. But it will be appropriate only if there is a large room. To prevent birds from flying apart in a room without a roof, be sure to pull a net over the fenced area. Also, the floors should be lined with peat, hay, sawdust or any other type suitable for bedding (thickness from 8 cm).
3. Also consider the content in the cells. This version is the most common and ideal, quail in the cells feel great. In addition, such equipment does not take up much space, it is easy to take care of the cells.
4. We will separately touch upon other features of the content. It doesn't matter where you keep the birds. Choose an option for yourself, taking into account free space. Make sure that the bowls for food and water are removable, this will facilitate cleaning and washing in the future. The feeder is mounted back, and the drinker itself is forward.
5. Particular attention is paid to the duration of daylight hours, indicators should not go beyond 17 hours. The longer the birds are exposed to light, the more food they need. Females carry many eggs and do this often, but they quickly get tired and fail.
6. If you notice that the birds began to rush poorly, they do not have enough duration of exposure to the light, respectively, the quail is starving. In this case, it is desirable to increase the daylight by installing not too bright lamps at 60 watts.
7. In addition, take care of maintaining air humidity. The ideal option is 60%, plus or minus 10%. If you are in a too dry room, feathered friends will begin to thirst. To enhance the wet balance, water containers are placed. Birds are kept at a temperature of 18-22 degrees. Females can lay fewer eggs because they freeze.

Nutrition

1. They feed the birds of the breed group discussed 3 times, it is necessary to cut out a certain time for meals. 30 g relies on one individual. feed daily, respectively, the specified amount is divided into 3 meals. Birds should eat their food in half an hour.
2. To increase the number of eggs carried by the female, as well as to grow large quail for meat, saturate the diet with protein compounds, a vitamin and mineral complex. Feed is made independently using a cell, wheat, corn, etc.
3. These birds like boiled fish, as well as greens and boiled liver. Some provide feed designed for rushing chickens. They are also suitable if the protein content is increased.
4. Particular attention is paid to water, change it three times a day. Birds are very fastidious in terms of drinking, they will not touch dirty liquids and will die better from dehydration.
5. In addition, the individuals under consideration have their own nutritional limitations. It is worth familiarizing yourself with the list of products that are contraindicated for this bird.
6. When keeping quails, they are strictly forbidden to give rye, potato and tomato tops, buttercups, celery, buckwheat greens, parsley, grain, tansy, sorrel, euphorbia, lupins and berries, which belong to the nightshade family.
7. If you provide birds with proper and balanced nutrition, they will feel great. Also, a dense litter will help to make sure of this. It will be whitish and dark in color.
8. If you suddenly see a green litter with bloody impurities, this will mean that the quail is infected.
9. If you suddenly began to observe yellowish droppings, the bird receives too many carbohydrates. When observing diarrhea in birds, they should be watered with a decoction based on oats or rice.

Breeding

1. If you want the birds to give good offspring in the future, it is worth considering some important factors. Put each female for a quarter of an hour to the male. As a result, quailing will be better fertilized.
2. Keep in mind that you should take a break of several hours between laying females. It is strongly recommended that the procedure be performed in the early morning for 3-4 days. Five-day eggs are recommended to be sent to the incubator.
3. To keep the eggs without any problems, it is imperative to maintain a certain temperature. The evaporation of moisture from the shell should slow down. According to the rules, incubation is carried out at a humidity of up to 90%. In this case, the temperature should be about 37.5 degrees.
4. Japanese quails begin to lay eggs at about two months of age. Each year, birds can bring up to 250 eggs. The mass of each is about 11 grams. Often birds bring eggs at certain times. They do it on the floor.
5. Such birds are not endowed with maternal instinct. They do not hatch eggs, so making them simply impossible.

Growing chicks

1. Just one day after birth, the chicks are already able to feed. Such chicks must be fed up to 6 times a day. From the very beginning, you can already give them millet, boiled eggs, chopped greens.
2. Over time, you should gradually introduce boiled fish, grind it in a blender. At the age of 3 weeks, the chicks are already given grain feed. Keep in mind that it is forbidden to give sand to young animals for the first month. The problem is that small birds confuse it with food and start to eat. In this way, chicks can die.

Quails of this type are not much different from ordinary ones, except for the size and plumage color. In the United States of America, a new species of bird was bred, which is distinguished by its overall features. They called this type pharaohs, some give the Japanese away for him, be vigilant. It is impossible to distinguish individuals when it comes to on-site assessment.

Video: quail breeds