Contents
Quail breeds are divided into three types: egg, meat and decorative. In practice, some species have a universal use.
Description of English quail
The breed is egg, but is used both for obtaining eggs and for slaughtering for meat. The main advantages of English quail:
- High productivity;
- Universal use in the economy;
- Unpretentiousness in content;
- early maturity;
- Easily tolerate a short-term decrease in air temperature.
English quails have two varieties – with white and black plumage. They differ slightly in appearance. The differences can be seen in the photo.
The English white quail has white feathers, sometimes with small black spots. The eyes are light brown, the beak and paws are light. The carcass of a quail of a pinkish hue, excellent presentation.
The English black quail is distinguished by its decorative effect, its plumage has various shades of brown and black. Photos do not convey all the beauty of this bird. The eyes of the quail are golden, the beak and paws are black.
The meat of black quail has a dark hue, sometimes it is called “black”. After cooking, this feature is preserved.
Females of English quails begin to lay at the age of 6 weeks, in favorable conditions they can produce up to 280 eggs per year.
Characterization
Productivity – 280 eggs per year. The average weight of an egg is 14 grams. Feed consumption is small – about 35 g of feed is needed per individual per day. Chicks emerge from 85% of the eggs.
The average weight of a female is 200 g, males on average have a mass of no more than 170 g.
Broiler English quails are larger. The weight of the female can reach 300 grams, the weight of the male – 260 grams.
Sexual differences are determined quite late, it is difficult to distinguish a male from a female before they reach 7 weeks.
English quail care
English black quail is undemanding in care. For the successful cultivation of birds of this breed, you must follow simple rules:
- Monitor air temperature and humidity;
- Ensure regular cleaning of cages;
- Birds must have constant access to food and water;
- Regularly treat cells and quails from skin parasites;
- Provide a variety of feeds.
English black quails are bred in England and adapted to its climate. They easily tolerate high humidity, a short-term drop in temperature to 3 degrees Celsius. They do not like heat and dry air. They regularly rush at an air temperature of 18 to 26 degrees Celsius, with an increase or decrease in temperature, productivity decreases.
Cages are cleaned at least once a week, at an air temperature above 30 degrees – every other day. If cleaning is carried out less frequently, the litter and food residues will begin to decompose, and mold fungi will actively multiply. Birds, pecking at moldy food, get sick, as it is toxic to quails.
The stomach of quails has a small volume, food is digested rather quickly. If feed is given too infrequently, the bird overeats, which can cause various diseases of the digestive system.
Treatment of birds from skin parasites is carried out at least once a month. The need to free the cell from quails during treatment is determined depending on the toxicity of the drug. It is desirable to choose chemicals with low toxicity.
It must be ensured that it does not contain harmful substances, which can be formed, for example, when burning plastic bags.
It is very important to keep a variety of feeds in order to avoid nutritional deficiencies in birds. To prevent vitamin deficiencies, English black quails can be fed with fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits. The remains of food, fruits and vegetables are cleaned daily, preventing spoilage.
Content in cells
In most regions of Our Country, year-round maintenance of English black quail requires a heated, well-lit room. They do not tolerate low temperatures well. To obtain eggs, an air temperature of about 20 degrees and illumination of at least 17 hours a day are required.
Quail cages are placed indoors, often in several tiers. The height of the cage should not exceed 30 cm. Usually they make 4 tiers so as not to complicate the care of birds. The photo shows an approximate arrangement of a cage for English quails.
The volume of the cage is calculated based on the number of quails that will be placed in it. At least 20 cm of surface is required per bird. It is impossible to keep English quails in tighter conditions – cannibalism develops among birds, weak quails can be pecked. In addition, the productivity of English quails is significantly reduced.
Content in the aviary
Many summer residents do not keep English black quails all year round, but only during the warm season. At the end of the season, the quails are slaughtered.
English black quails are early maturing birds. They begin to rush at the beginning of the third month of life, at the same time you can start slaughtering for meat. For 4 months of the warm season, at least 40 eggs can be obtained from one quail grown from a day old chicken.
To save money, a special room is not equipped for the seasonal maintenance of English black quails; birds are bred in an aviary on the street. The volume of the enclosure is determined on the basis of the calculation – at least 15 cm of surface is required per bird. Approximate equipment for a quail enclosure is shown in the photo.
Fry food
For English black quails, two types of food are used – industrial production and self-made. When choosing ready-made feed for quails, it is advisable to take into account the characteristics of the manufacturer.
Food for English black quail should include the following components:
- Protein;
- Carbohydrates;
- Fats;
- Sand;
- Vitamin complex.
Industrial feed contains all the nutrients necessary for birds, often sand may be contained in the composition. Additional components to be added to the feed are not required. A description of the composition is usually found on the packaging.
With self-preparation of feed, it is necessary to strictly observe the proportions, an unbalanced diet can cause various diseases in black quails.
When breeding English black quails for meat, a special diet is used. Feed should be balanced, contain all the necessary nutrients, greens. To increase the fat content of the bird, sunflower cake is added to the quail feed for two weeks before slaughter.
Quail breeding is becoming more and more popular due to the simple care and excellent taste of the resulting products. Most summer residents, having tried to keep these birds, continue this exciting and profitable activity.
