Even with a garage or shed, it is possible to keep a handful of this bird and enjoy a production of 200 to 300 eggs per year per hen.Farm-reared quails are released to the wild in Europe in vast numbers every year to increase hunting bag quotas. They are popular with novice keepers because they are easy to care for and hardy little birds. Today, they are popular with backyard farmers because they are small and do not need a lot of space. By the mid 20th century, they had become popular for their egg production and, on making the journey to Europe, they also became popular as a source of meat. The Coturnix Quail is an ancient bird, originally kept as a songbird that competed in song competitions in Japan. This means that, even with a small number of quail, it is possible to turn a reasonable profit. Its eggs and meat, although small, carry a high price, and they do not have expensive food tastes. It is small, requires very little space, and is easy to care for. The Coturnix Quail is considered an excellent poultry species for first-time keepers and is ideal for small-scale farmers and backyard coop owners. The domesticated Coturnix Quail is kept throughout the world and is considered a hardy breed that can be kept in cold climates, although it should be kept out of snow and rain.Īre Coturnix Quail Good for Small-Scale Farming? Uses For QuailĪlthough the breed was originally raised as a songbird, modern breeders tend to rear the pretty quail for two reasons:Īs an old-world quail species, the Coturnix Quail is still found in East Asia, specifically Japan, but there are populations of the bird found wild in Russia. They will thrive and flourish with more space, but they still need much less room than chickens and especially ducks. It is recommended that you give a Coturnix at least one square foot of space per bird. One of the benefits of raising quail is the small amount of space they require. This ensures that if they do attempt to take flight, they are not able to injure themselves too severely if they fly into the top of the cage. As such, their coop should be enclosed, and it will require netting or some other means of stopping them from flying away. Although they prefer to stay on the ground, they will take flight if spooked, and this little bird can be easily disturbed. The Coturnix is a ground-dwelling bird but can fly. Once kept as songbirds, they are much quieter than other poultry such as chickens, and any noise they do make is generally considered unobtrusive and inoffensive. It is relatively easy to tame so is suitable for backyard coops. The Coturnix Quail is considered a good breed for beginners. Image Credit: HarikalarDiyari, Pixabay Coturnix Quail Characteristics Quail eggs were very popular by the 1940s and when the bird was exported to Europe in the 1950s, it was also bred for its meat, which was considered a delicacy. Although traditionally kept as songbirds, and even used for song competitions, the Japanese had started to breed the bird for egg-laying by the early 20th Century. They come from Japan where they were first domesticated in the 11th Century. The Coturnix, or Japanese, Quail is the most commonly farmed of more than 100 breeds of quail.
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