2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Spring is a fertile time for the start of summer cottage poultry farming. Today, 40 quail breeds have been bred, which are difficult for beginners to understand. We offer an overview of popular types in a private household
Meat breeds
Quails are famous for the quality of meat, there is no cholesterol and a minimum of calories. Due to its small size, it will not work to get a lot of meat. But there are breeds that are prone to weight gain and feed well on a special diet. Two breeds are leading here.
Pharaoh
This breed is the best among broilers. Egg production is lower than others (200 pcs.), But the female carcass exceeds 300 g, the male - 270 g. Among the quail families, these are excellent indicators. The breed is ideal for private breeding, used by farmers throughout Russia and in other countries.
Texas White Broiler
This breed also has a second name "American albino". It is considered the best for meat production. Laying hens exceed 400 g, males - 350. They quickly gain weight, are unpretentious. It is important to understand that the cost of meat quail feed will be much higher. The American Albino has a peculiar oddity - it is impossible to distinguish the sex, since this fact will manifest itself only during the laying of eggs. Therefore, only an adult can buy a female.
Egg breeds
Quail eggs are a popular delicacy with medicinal properties. Unlike chickens, quail matures quickly and begins to rush at 6-8 weeks of age. That is why quail breeding has become especially popular today. Quails are relevant for seasonal breeding, which is acceptable for summer residents. So, let's consider the most egg-bearing breeds.
Japanese quail
When breeding this breed, the efforts of breeders were aimed at egg production. Therefore, the Japanese are the best for obtaining eggs: they produce more than 300 eggs a year. The bird matures faster than other quail breeds, and begins to rush at 1, 5 months of age. The advantage is unpretentiousness to the content and high immunity to diseases.
Unfortunately, during the breeding of this species, the instinct of incubation disappeared in birds, so if the breeder wants to increase the livestock on his own, then he has to use an incubator.
Estonian quails
This variety is in great demand among Russian poultry farmers. Clutches begin at 35-40 days of age and produce 280 eggs per year. Despite the low egg production rates, Estonians are taken for breeding. Females are ideal for breeding chicks. With comparative assessments of all quail species, this breed gives the highest percentage of offspring: 90% fertility, 80% hatchability and 100% survival.
English quail
Representatives of this breed are divided into two subfields: black and white, differing only in color, other characteristics are identical. The British are valued not only for egg production (290 pcs.), The breed is universal in terms of a good set of weight gain, so it can be attributed to the meat species. These representatives of quail are not subject to joint maintenance. To improve the quality of meat and eggs, the male is in a separate cage and is added to the hens only for mating.
Manchu gold
Among egg-bearing breeds, this species lags behind (220 pcs.), But is in great demand among sparrowhawks, since their eggs are the largest - 16 g. With balanced feeding and good conditions, they can give 260 per year. The bird has a beautiful golden feather color, is not picky about food, and is resistant to diseases. The combination of these qualities make golden quails popular with poultry lovers.
Meat and egg breeds
Sparrowhawks have always sought to obtain a versatile bird, with good egg production and high weight. There has been little success, but there are several noteworthy hybrid species.
Tuxedo quail
In adulthood, an individual weighs more than 200 g, therefore, with a stretch it can be attributed to meat breeds, the average egg production is 260. These indicators are enough for breeding in a private farm, especially since they are picky about feed and maintenance. This breed will provide your family not only with eggs, but also with meat.
"NPO" Complex
The result of crossing the Marble Quail and the Pharaoh gave a good result. All indicators correspond to the Tuxedo Quail. The NGO will not give good results, but will allow you to get both meat and eggs at the same time.
We have made a brief overview of quails, which will allow you to navigate and choose the right breed.
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