Quail in the apartment

Quails are excellent birds for home breeding. They are picky and have fairly good health. In addition, unlike turkeys or chickens, which can only be kept in a separate room, quails live well in apartments. Of course, such breeding will not allow keeping a large number of birds, but it will be quite enough for the needs of one family. Quail in the apartment will require certain conditions from the breeder. They will be discussed in this article.

Quail breeding

Quail breeding is not as uncommon as it might seem at first glance. While we are getting parrots and canaries, practical Japanese have been keeping quails in their apartments for many decades. For them, quails in an apartment are not only a symbol of well-being and prosperity, but also a source of the most valuable dietary eggs.

Their use helps to restore immunity and hormonal levels. In addition, a number of studies prove the ability of quail eggs to remove radionuclides from the body, reducing the negative effects of radiation exposure.

Quails began to appear in our apartments relatively recently. Due to their unpretentiousness, they are perfect for apartment maintenance. Not the last role in apartment breeding was played by the fact that quails are among the quietest birds. Quail females are almost always silent, and only males can scream, and even then rarely.

Many believe that quail in the apartment will be a source of dirt and unpleasant odors. But the same can be said about cats and dogs, which we invariably choose as our pets. Any animal or bird kept in an apartment requires certain care and cleaning. If the quails in the apartment are properly looked after, then there will be no dirt and smell, but only benefits in the form of healthy eggs and dietary meat.

Cage and its location

When planning apartment breeding of quails, the first thing to do is to take care of the place where they are kept. For different numbers of quails, the place of detention will be slightly different:

• if you plan to keep several quails, then you can limit yourself to an ordinary cage for parrots;
• when keeping 4-15 quails, it is worth using a special cage with a front mesh wall;
• for keeping 50 or more quails, it is recommended to use special cell batteries.

At the same time, if the quails in the apartment will be planted for the sake of eggs, then they can be planted 15 individuals in one cage, but its dimensions must be at least 55x50x25 cm. of 4 females and 1 male. Each such family will have enough cells with dimensions of 30x40x20 cm.

This is necessary for the safety of the chicks. After all, adult quails, especially males, can injure them.

A cage for breeding quails in an apartment can be found in any specialized store. Their price range will allow you to choose an option for any wallet. Particularly handy breeders make cages for quail breeding on their own. As materials used to create a cage for quails, they use:

• wooden bars;
• metal mesh and wire;
• plastic tray for collecting litter;

How to make a cage for quails using these materials will be told in the video:

Inside a cage for quails bought or made by oneself, it is necessary to install feeders and a drinking bowl. You can either buy them or make your own.

When keeping quails in an apartment, not only the cage itself is important, but also its location. The location of the cage with quails in the apartment directly affects the normal development and egg-laying of birds. Therefore, a cage with quails in an apartment should be located in a place that is:

1. Quiet – in a noisy place, quails will experience constant stress. From this, they can become aggressive, attack each other and rush badly.
2. ventilated – fresh air is very important for quails, but without drafts. From them, quails will start to hurt. It is best to install a small fan for them.
3. illuminated – this is one of the main requirements for a place for quail. They are incredibly sensitive to light. For optimal growth, quails need subdued, but long-term lighting. Light day for them should last at least 17 hours.
4. Warm – it is best to provide quails with a temperature of 18-20 degrees. This temperature regime will be the best for quails. The maximum allowable temperature for quails will be 25 degrees, and the lower temperature threshold is 18 degrees. At an air temperature of less than 18 degrees, the quail will start to hurt.
5. Wet – the optimal humidity for quails will be 60%.

Quail in the apartment can live both in the room and on the balcony. If a room is allocated for breeding quails in an apartment, then it should not have a TV or other sources of noise. In addition, it is desirable that people go there as little as possible.

In an apartment, the best place to place quail cages would be a glazed balcony. It will ideally meet all the conditions necessary for birds, namely, it will be quiet, bright and ventilated. But there will be one mandatory requirement for him – he must be insulated. In addition, it would be useful to insulate the frame of quail cages with plastic wrap or foam. To create better conditions, you can install lamps for additional lighting and a fan.

Quail feeding

Food for quails bred in an apartment is no less important than their conditions of detention. Their further growth and health will depend on it.

Quail feed ingredients

Quail food in an apartment can be conditionally divided into two types:

• industrial feed, which is bought in specialized stores;
• self-made food.

The difference between the two feeds is only that the production feed is used for already adult birds, but for young birds it is better to make feed yourself.

Some breeders, choosing food for quails in an apartment, stop at the usual compound feed for laying hens. But such food contains a small amount of crude protein, which is so necessary for quails.

Self-composed quail food should contain a crushed base and protein. The following components are used as the basis of quail feed:

1. Corn is a valuable source of energy for quails. But due to the high starch content, quails can not digest it well. Therefore, it must be diluted with meat and bone or fish meal.
2. Oats – saturates quail food with useful trace elements and vitamins. Before adding to the feed, it must be well sifted and peeled.
3. Millet – similar in composition to oats. It is recommended to alternate them.
4. Wheat – has a positive effect on the productivity of quails. Only well-chopped wheat or Artek wheat groats should be added to the feed.

Protein for quails can be egg, milk or meat. Boiled eggs are used as a source of egg protein for quails. Quail milk protein can be obtained from cottage cheese and fermented milk. Fish waste, meat and bone meal and minced meat can be used as a source of meat protein.

In addition to these feed components, quails in the apartment should receive carbohydrates. Their main sources are foods such as soybeans, peas and lentils. Before adding to quail feed, they should be boiled and chopped a little. Do not forget about fresh grass with vegetables. In the daily diet of quails, they should be at least 15%. Quails can be given not only the usual finely chopped grass, but also the leaves of beets, carrots, dandelions, clover and nettles. In winter, lettuce, dill and cabbage are used instead of grass. From vegetables, quails can boiled potatoes and beets or grated raw carrots.

Since quails in the apartment will lay eggs, their diet should include mineral supplements necessary to replenish calcium reserves. Such feeding of quails should consist of crushed chalk, gravel, egg shells or shells.

Feeding ration

Young and adult quails living in an apartment have different needs for nutrients. Therefore, each return group will have its own feeding regimen. In quails, 3 periods of life can be distinguished:

1. The first period lasts the first 7 days after the birth of the chick. During this period, quail chicks especially need calcium and protein. The first 2 days after birth, quail chicks should receive boiled and crushed eggs with shells. On the 3rd day, grated cottage cheese can be added to the egg. After that, you can gradually introduce chopped greens.
2. The second period lasts from the 2nd to the 4th week of the chick’s life. During this period, young quails need to be fed 4 times a day with purchased or self-made compound feed with the addition of protein.
3. In the third period of its life, the quail chick becomes an adult. His diet should contain ground grain mixtures, protein products, greens and mineral supplements.

The largest portion should be given at night. This will allow the birds not to feel hungry until the morning.

Bird selection

Now that we have dealt with the conditions of keeping and feeding quails in the apartment, we can talk about the most important thing – the right choice of birds for breeding. For apartment breeding, you need to buy young quail chicks aged from 1 to 1,5 months. Younger chicks may not tolerate the move well and will take a long time to get used to the new conditions of detention.

When choosing quail chicks, you should pay special attention to their appearance:

• the feathers of young quails should be clean, especially in the area around the cloaca;
• the beak of the chicks must be clean and free of growths;
• on the paws of quails there should be no traces of droppings, they should also be clean;
• Outwardly, the chick should look healthy.

In addition to external signs, it is worth paying attention to the motor activity of quail chicks and their appetite. They should not sit huddled in a corner, but should be active and cheerful. If time permits and the breeder, then you need to wait for the feeding time of the quails and make sure that they have a good appetite.

As for the breed, it is worth choosing a Japanese quail breed for breeding in an apartment. They were specially bred for keeping in the apartment and are particularly unpretentious.

The success of breeding quails in an apartment will depend entirely on whether the breeder succeeds in creating the conditions necessary for them. Therefore, before starting quails in an apartment, it is worthwhile to sensibly assess your capabilities. They, like any other living being, will require some care, even if insignificant.