What is common between a Japanese quail and a rabbit

For a small farm, quail is a good choice, especially if there are nervous neighbors in the neighborhood who cannot stand the crow of a rooster. There is much less noise from quails, and for keeping it is not necessary to build a chicken coop - an old rabbit cage will do!

The most popular type of quail in the world is considered Japanese. It is much larger compared to the European one, not inferior in egg production or in quality, quantity of MEAT. For example, even the smallest Japanese quail weighs 150 g, while the European quail weighs 90 to 100 grams. The weight of the largest Japanese quail reaches 260 g.

As the name suggests, this poultry is originally from Japan and is now found everywhere in farms.

In addition to laying up to 330 eggs a year, Japanese quail laying quails (compared to 180 for Europeans), these animals look very elegant and come in many colors from dark color variations to variegated, light and white.

Quails typically lay up to two eggs a day, although free-range egg production drops. Therefore, it is better to keep them in cages. You can buy a regular rabbit cage or treat an old one with a disinfectant.

Rabbit cages are large enough to hold half a dozen quails and have adequate ventilation and a place for the birds to hide to lay their eggs.

Unlike chickens, quails do not need nest boxes; they lay their eggs in secluded places on the litter. Just lightly shade one corner of the cage with burlap, you shouldn't hang the cage too much, because quail droppings produce much more ammonia than other birds. But adding a few centimeters of bedding and removing it in time will definitely not hurt. And, of course, a dust bath will give your pets great pleasure.

Quails start laying eggs after only 8-12 weeks (provided that there is enough daylight and adequate frost protection is provided in winter). With good maintenance, you will receive eggs for two years guaranteed.

Domestic quails do not overeat, so they can be fed ad libitum. If special feeds for this type of bird are difficult to find or they are expensive, focus on turkey food, as it has more protein than chicken. With a protein deficiency, the risk of pecking is high.

An adult quail eats about 15 g of food per day. Greens also let the birds freely available.

It goes without saying that birds should always have access to clean fresh water.

In addition to the same suitable place for keeping - cages, Japanese quails are shy, like rabbits, and in the same way from a place they can make a sharp take-off and jump vertically upwards, breaking their heads against the bars. Try to be careful and respectful until the birds get used to you. The best way to tame is known: to treat often tasty seeds.

Remember that for breeding, the optimum temperature in the sparrowhawk should be around 21°C. Males tend to lose interest in females when temperatures drop below 16°C and during periods of heat. Usually, with mixed keeping, up to 5 females per male are chosen to avoid fights between harem owners.

Males secrete a product produced by the cloacal glands in the form of foam balls. If you know if it's male or female, separate the bird to a separate area with a clean floor and see if "foam" comes out during the breeding season. After positive identification, males can be ringed.

In older birds, both fecundity and hatchability decrease, so it is worth updating the stock for two years.