Contents
Breeding quails is a very popular activity for summer residents. Some breeds are grown for nutritious meat, others for eggs. Among the well-known breeds, the Estonian quail stands out.
Its uniqueness is explained by the possibility of obtaining both products. Estonians gain weight well and have high egg production. The Estonian quail was bred by crossing three high-quality breeds:
- English whites;
- Japanese;
- Pharaoh.
The first two breeds are egg, Pharaoh is grown as a meat breed. The main characteristics that served to cross these breeds were the laying period, the life span of quails and the level of survival in various conditions of detention. The official approval of the breed bred by breeders took place in 1989 in Estonia. The main advantages of Estonian quails should be highlighted:
- Ease of care. Even novice farmers can grow Estonians. They do not require a lot of experience and knowledge.
- High viability. The bred breed combines the best qualities of its predecessors.
- Fast growth. A month later, the chicks reach the “adult” weight.
- Short incubation period. It lasts only 17 days, which is beneficial for the mass cultivation of Estonians.
- High percentage of survival. Estonian quail chicks give a 95% survival rate.
- Excellent egg production. After 40 days, females lay eggs. In the first year of life, one female is able to produce 3 kg of eggs, and the average annual egg production ranges from 170 to 285 eggs.
How to raise a bird without problems
The bird has signs of its ancestors, especially in color.
The coloration of Estonian quails is expressed in yellow-brown tones with bright brown stripes. The cheeks and mandible are also brown, but the goiter is slightly lighter. On the head are three stripes in light yellow tones. The same light stripes are located on the flight feathers. Females are a little lighter in color, so many people rate their color as dusty. Juveniles are much lighter than adult quails.
To get the maximum effect from the bird, it is necessary to provide it with proper maintenance and competent care. Although breeding “Estonians” does not require much effort, you need to know what you need to pay attention to?
Placement
The bird is placed in cages, the height of which is not more than 20 cm. To correctly calculate the area of the cage, they proceed from the recommended 2 square meters. m per quail. If you don’t have much room to place the cells, you can put one on top of the other. Quails are unusually active. In case of danger, they jump high enough. Therefore, in order to prevent possible injury to the birds, a fabric mesh is taken for the upper part of the cages.
Terms
Cells are placed in a dry room with good ventilation.
The temperature regime is maintained in the range from 20°C to 22°C. The optimum humidity for poultry is 65%.
Fry food
The composition depends on the purpose for which Estonian quails are grown. Meat purpose requires special feed with a high protein content and timely replacement of water in drinking bowls.
What are the rules for caring for Estonian quails
- Bird feeding. For adults, two or three meals a day are enough. Time is kept constant. Place the drinkers behind the feeders, and the feeders in front. Feeders are attached outside the cages. With a large number of birds, automatic ones are used, in which food is supplied from a common bunker. The diet of Estonian quails consists of compound feed with protein, crushed grain, finely chopped greens and egg feed. Estonian quails eat vegetables (beets, carrots), apples and cockchafers well. It is recommended to include meat, boiled liver and cottage cheese in the menu weekly.
- Cell cleaning. Pallets are cleaned regularly. In order to thoroughly clean, Estonian quails are moved to another place for this time. Washing of pallets is carried out with soapy water with full drying.
- Lighting. Light day is provided for 16 hours. Exceeding this indicator leads to an increase in the aggressiveness of the bird.
Winter Care
At this time, the bird is provided with a comfortable temperature and average humidity. Ventilation openings are recommended to close and illuminate the room. It is good to use infrared lamps, which will additionally heat the house.
How to distinguish a female from a male
Gender can be determined by secondary signs – color and body structure. Already at the age of one month, the plumage on the chest of quails is different. Males have a uniform plumage of ocher-yellow or red color without inclusions. The beak and the entire head of the male look more massive in relation to the body than in females. Females are graceful and proportional in their structure. The color of the plumage on the chest of females is more blurry, with dark patches.
They try to recognize the sex of the birds by the presence of a secretory gland in males near the cloaca. To do this, the bird is taken in hand and turned upside down. At the base of the tail is the cloaca. In females, it is without bulges and tubercles. The male has a secretory gland above the cloaca, pressing on which leads to the release of a white secret. This method is suitable for adult birds, young quails do not yet have a developed secretory gland, which makes it impossible to determine the sex in this way.
Experienced farmers recommend growing males and females separately from each other. And, at the same time, in the cells to equip sections for several individuals.
It is not problematic to buy Estonian quails.
Conclusion
The breed is popular and common, so it will be easy to raise birds. After all, summer residents and farmers willingly share their experience in growing Estonian quails.
