Introduction
Quail farming is a form of animal husbandry where a farmer keeps quails for different purposes such as meat production, egg-laying, flying and games, and more. Quails are small animals that require a minimal area for survival and are very effective in cost savings. They survive in normal temperatures and are not prone to attacks by diseases. Quail farming is an adventurous activity that many people do as a hobby, not for commercial reasons. Many investors do not see this type of farming as an opportunity for exploitation because there is less information regarding the process of quail farming, including feeding programs, the type of meals to use, and the environmental requirements to join this farming field. However, this essay exploits all the information regarding the quail farming process and the entire requirement to the entry of the industry of quail farming for eggs by outlining important segments that aid in prosperity in the venture.
Quail Farming Plan
Benefits of Quail Farming
Quail farming has benefited the entire human population because they are cheap to rare compared to chicken. Quails are small-bodied and require a small space compared to other animals. It is possible to keep about six quails in a one by one feet area due to their sizes. The quails also consume fewer feeds, with a fully grown quail consuming about twenty to twenty-five grams of feeds in a single day (Sathiya et al., 2017). The less consumption of food by the animals leads to comparatively low feeding costs compared with other animals. It is also crucial to note that rearing the animals requires fewer management practices since they do not contract diseases easily. Quails do not require much attention from the farmer as long as they are regularly checked for feeding and collecting eggs.
Additionally, quails’ eggs have been attributed to prevention of human diseases such as high blood pressure, asthma and diabetes. The eggs contain less amount of cholesterol than chicken eggs hence the attachment to controlling of the common diseases in human. The eggs contain high amounts of vitamins such as vitamin B12, proteins and minerals like phosphorous. These nutrients make the egg more preferred for consumption by a wide range of humans (Sathiya et al., 2017). Quail’ rearing is essential for upgrading human beings to consume more healthy and diverse forms of nutrients, giving foods that are cheap and easy to acquire.
Integration of Quail and Fish Farming
Like waste products from fish farms, quails’ waste is used to boost the amount of fertilizers readily available for use in farms. Both fish farm’ wastes and quail’ farm wastes are rich in nutrients easily absorbed by the plants from the soil. Common nutrients from the two farms are nitrogen in ammonia form, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Farmers can use the waste products on the farm through specific methods like being added to the compost pile. Additionally, they can mix them with liquids to form a solution then be soil drenched. The nutrients are brought closer to the plant for direct consumption by soil drenching. Fish and quail farm wastes are essential for an agricultural boost because they are both organic fertilizers (Sathiya et al., 2017). They do not contaminate plants with unhealthy boosters but are natural sources of nutrients. Integration of the two forms of farming would play a vital role naturally and in a healthy way that does not risk human lives in the long run. The adaptation of the two systems by farms would work hand in hand in promoting chemical-free foods in the market.
Stages in Quail farming
There are different stages that farmers involve for prosperity in rearing quails on the farm. One, the farmer must identify the initial stage is the breeding. The breeding process for quails begins with the preparation of the breeding spot. The farmer should build the spot two to three weeks before the spring season begins. Once the breeding spot is created, the animals are introduced to create comfort. Introduction to a region where the animals are used during the breeding period could delay laying eggs (Sathiya et al., 2017). Therefore, farmers should prepare the animals for the process two weeks before spring begins. Quails breed in the spring season and should inhabit the breeding spot two to three weeks earlier. The spot should be well-positioned free from predators that could stress the quails preventing efficient laying of eggs. The animals should lay a single egg per day under normal circumstances, including fourteen to sixteen hours of access to ultraviolet light, eight hours of sleep, and more. The breeding stage is essential because it lays the foundation for the next generation of quails.
Owners should place quails in a specific ratio to encourage them to mate. The ratio of male to female quails should be at least one male is to three females. In a single territory, only one male should be present. If several males were placed in the same territory, they would erupt to mark territory. A single male in the area fertilizes all the females’ eggs (Sathiya et al., 2017). The male also helps in the incubation of the eggs by alternating with the female to facilitate hatching. Both male and female quails may work together in incubating the eggs. Since quails do not brood during the incubating period, it is necessary for the male to be placed in the same cube with the female ones. Quails should be provided with straws that help them get enough rest. Nest making is part of the quails’ lives, and thus providing them with straws eases their lives and keeps them comfortable. Quails also use the straws to protect the eggs from breaking during laying and hatching. Farmers who keep quails for eggs should be keen to remove the eggs from the breeding booth to prevent the quails from incubating the eggs untimely.
The second stage of quail rearing is the feeding stage to attain healthy breeds for the successful production of eggs. Farms should accommodate a nutrition plan to ensure that the quails feed healthy based on their age and future expectation. Farmers must feed newly hatched quails with starter feeds that are crucial for developing the animals’ bodies. The starter feed contain protein that is a crucial element for the growth of the chicks’ bodies and immune system. Only one day to eight weeks old chicks should be fed with the starter feeds. After the eighth week, another meal is introduced to help the quails to develop further and gain better immunity against diseases. The new feeds are known as developers because they facilitate the growth of the animal, and the animals are fed with these up to the twelfth week (Sathiya et al., 2017). Later, once they start laying eggs, the quails are fed with layers of pallets. Layers pallets are rich in calcium that aids in the formation of strong eggshells. Farmers should provide the quails with clean and fresh water and foods such as grains, seeds, insects, plants, small nuts and berries.
The third stage is harvesting, and the farmers should be ready to pick the eggs from the breeding booth before the quails incubate them. When transferring the eggs from the booths, the farmer must clean their hands thoroughly and wear gloves to protect the eggs from bacteria (Sathiya et al., 2017). The mover should care about Eggs to protect them from cracking. Mishandling the eggs would also lead to rejection by the animals when returned to them for hatching. The farmer should employ eggs protection mechanisms to ensure they do not lead to a loss. They should also place the eggs in cartons protecting each from contact with foreign materials that would lead to their breakage. Moreover, they should remove the spoiled eggs from contact with other perfect ones because continued contact with each other would destroy the entire pack of eggs. Packaging them is also a form of marketing strategy that would improve the market base due to brand positioning.
Quail activity Breeding and Production plans
Quails are special animals that farmers should provide a favorable environment that protects them from bacterial diseases. The farmer should have a government permit in the form of licensing to assure that they adhere to all protocols of animal protection policies. Quails are animals like any other and need protection from torture and other hazardous activities. The farmer should have a quails’ pen that is large enough to accommodate all the animals they have kept. Quails deserve mental protection and should be removed from stress-causing factors such as overheating, poor lighting, dirty water, molds, and insufficient sleep (Sathiya et al., 2017). Farmers should ensure that the pens are made of plastic instead of wood or metal. Plastics are neither cold and do not get wet or rusty from the effects of the quails waste material. The farmer should have nesting boxes that protect the quails from life-threatening predators and should be well placed close to the walls to guarantee security. Farmers must adhere to animal laws. The government should have proper strategies to mitigate the mishandling of quails. Quails’ nests should have proper airflow to create a healthy environment for their survival.
Conclusion
Quails are sensitive to the farmers’ treatment and produce eggs depending on their feeding programmes, security from predators, and more other factors. Farmers must ensure that the animals’ security is tight and fed appropriately. Quails’ food should be kept dry free from water. The food should be kept in feeders that do not oversize the quails and should be well spaced to ensure that food does not get wasted because quails eat haphazardly. The food must also be stored away from water because a contact with water causes moulds on the food that negatively impact the animals’ health. Farmers should protect the food from adverse conditions and use it before its expiry to avoid wastage and protect the animals from poisoning. Farmers should give clean water to the quails and ensure that the water is not contaminated to protect the animals from the side effects of drinking dirty water. The water should also be easily accessible and place marbles inside to help the quails get to trace and exit if they dip inside the water.
Quail farming is a form of animal husbandry that aims at producing eggs and meat. They are also kept for recreation purposes such as flying them, and most people view quail farming as a hobby and not a business idea. Quail farming is essential since animals have many advantages to human beings because they provide nutrients for the body and protect it from contracting diseases. Rearing the animals is cheap since it requires a small piece of land and less investment capital. In recent years, the market for quails and their products has expanded. Eggs and meat from quails are healthy for consumption because it comprises fewer levels of cholesterol when compared to other forms of birds’ products. Quails require a cool and dry environment for survival and do not do well in stressful environments. Stressing environments include closeness to predators, moldy food, dirty water, and others. All these conditions affect the effectiveness of the breeds in producing eggs.
Quails also require frequent care and maintenance to ensure healthy lives. The farmers should provide the animals with appropriate foodstuff with the correct measurements of supplements. The supplements improve the state of the animals’ bodies and help them lay strong shelled eggs and hatch strong chicks that can easily adapt to the new environment and survive for longer times. Quails have a lifetime of one and a half years within which they have undergone all the stages of life. Once the farmer adheres to all the requirements, they are guaranteed high incomes from the sales of the animal’s products. The market for quails’ eggs is firm since most people know the merits of feeding on the eggs. Therefore, the reception of the product in the market will be positive and promising for the farmer.
Reference
Sathiya, R., Pazhanisamy, C., & Banumathy, V. (2017). Economics of quail farming. Research Journal of Animal Husbandry & Dairy Science, 8(1), 74-78. Web.