Quail is a small bird with tender and flavorful meat. They reproduce well in captivity, are easy to care for, and grow quickly, so they have become very popular in recent years for home breeding. Meat breeds of broiler quail are most suitable for these purposes, allowing for rapid weight gain and the appearance of offspring, because not only the birds themselves, but also their eggs are valued.
Features of the meat direction
Quails are small birds, especially compared to such giants as geese and turkeys. However, their meat is highly valued for its delicate taste and delicate dietary composition, so the meat direction in quail breeding is becoming popular. There are few breeds of meat quail; the most popular of them are broiler varieties. The best representatives weigh 400 grams, but record holders are able to gain up to half a kilogram.
Despite the fact that broilers are considered initially large, to successfully gain body weight they need a specially selected balanced diet. In this case, it is the flesh that will be built up, and no unnecessary fat will accumulate. The menu should contain a lot of greens, vitamins and minerals, otherwise the birds will get sick and gain little weight.
The most popular meat quail breeds
Birds are kept in two ways:
- Cellular.
- Floor.
In both cases, females and males must be kept separately. This requirement applies to all breeds of quail bred for both meat and eggs.
Pharaoh
This is one of the most common breeds of meat quail. These broilers are sourced in the USA to produce birds with maximum body weight.
Texas white quail
These American meat quails get their colors from their English white relatives. These are the largest birds of this genus, excellent for raising for meat.
Virginia quail
This breed was developed on the basis of American wild Virginia quails through selection and crossing with other varieties. All of them have bright and beautiful colors, which made Virginia quails suitable not only for breeding for meat, but also for use as ornamental birds.
These quails have the following characteristics.
Manchurian quail
These birds are popular not only because of their attractive golden color, but also because of their significant egg production and unpretentiousness.
California Quail
These birds are domesticated in the USA, in California. They are descended from local wild quails and are used as an ornamental breed due to their exceptional appearance.
Criterias of choice
Choosing the right breed depends on the following factors:
- The purpose of quail is for meat or eggs. Despite the fact that the differences between the breeds are not very pronounced, and there are meat-egg varieties, for a specific purpose it is better to choose specialized representatives.
- For breeding meat breeds, it is better to use rooms without windows and other sources of natural light. This is necessary so that the level of illumination can be adjusted, which is important for meat quail breeds.
The type of fattening for meat is also important. Birds are selected according to the following principles:
- Adult quails whose egg production has dropped by half. There is no point in keeping them for egg production.
- Male quails and cull quails.
- One-day old chicks for fattening until they reach 56-90 days of age. Such birds are fed according to a special scheme, separating females from males at the age of one month.
Raising quails for meat is a profitable activity that will bring financial well-being and provide the farmer’s family with dietary meat and eggs.
