How to Start Quail Farming | The Complete Guide

Do you want to start quail farming? Here’s the complete guide for raising quail at your home for meat and eggs. Learn everything to start a small scale profitable farm & creatine a business plan from scratch.

Quail farming business is economically very profitable. Plus, you can grow this birds in your home. Let’s know how to start your quail farm from the ground.

 How to Start Quail Farming:

Step by step guide for starting your quail poultry farm for meat and eggs.

The steps to start your farm will be like this. Note, this will be covered in this article. You can navigate between them by clicking any topics on the table of contents above.

Quails are well-known as a miniature bird in the world. The advantage of cultivating this birds at home is very easy for beginners because it is the smallest variety of domestic birds. In addition, This not only makes why starting this farm at any home is very easy but also profitable than the other poultry farm.

Steps to Start a Quail in Your Backyard:

Primary Steps- Information: This is the thing you have to learn before starting quail farming.

• First, gather  Information about this birds, 
• Learn about the environment in which they grow-  the appropriate Temperature, light, and humidity for rearing,
• Information about different rearing methods.
• Comparison of the best varieties and their advantages.
• And Then choose a variety and a rearing method depending on your varieties.

Second Steps- Setting up: In this step, you have to build a shade for rearing this mini poultry birds. There are thee completely different types of housing. So, build the adequate shade depending on rearing method. Here I explain about:-

• Different shade types,
• How to build the house (in the rearing cage), required materials for the farm,
• Next, choose your favored farming method, and select the best species and collecting them.
• And Buy essential farm equipment.

Third Step- Rearing and Caring: Here, I will share tips about:-

• The general caring methods.
• What and how to feed this birds, and daily required feed & nutrition chart.
• How to maintain a healthy growing environment in your Farm.
• Egg laying case information & building tips.
• You will also learn about the reproduction and the caring process of newly born.

Fourth Step:- Baby Quail Care 

• How to take care of newly borns.
• Tips for building an artificial brooder.  
• How to move newborn birds into the brooder. 

Fifth Step – Advance Care For Commercial Quail farm: This step is very important for a commercial farm. Here you will learn about the advance caring tips. This is so important, from my experience it can be said that “In case if you don’t perform this, you will be in a lot of troubles.”

This will cover:

• Egg laying nest, and Brodder case building information,
• Biosecurity,
• How to make organic germicide,
• And the advance care methods to increase productivity. 

Finally- Creating a  Business Plan: In this section, I will discuss the marketing plan, cost, and profit.

Quail Farming Information:

Its native residence was in Japan. For the first time, Japanese scientists have invented the way to adopt Quail as a domestic bird. Click To Tweet

Later, in other countries of the world including the USA, Canada, Kania, Zimbabwe, India, and Japan has been identified as a profitable poultry grazing.

You may already know that it is probably the smallest species among the different poultry birds. However, growing them in your house backyard are much like pigeons but do not require such a specific housing.

And there is no need for a large farmhouse like chicken. So you can grow them in a room, which has direct access to air and sunlight.

These birds are well-known as a miniature bird in the world. The advantage of cultivating this birds at home is very large because it is the smallest variety of domestic birds. And, that is one of the reasons why starting a farm at home is extremely easy.

Benefits of Quail farming:

There are many benefits of modern days quail farming, for example-

• It can be raised easily in small areas or room at home because they are a very tiny creature.
• Plus, The cost of food and shelter is very low, and they don’t require dedicated farmhouses.
• Very low initial start-up cost, anyone can start a business with a small amount of capital.
• But, they become mature in a very short time. Here, This growing process is so fast, actually in just 5 – 8 weeks.
• Furthermore, a single female birds 150 – 300 egg in a year.
• Also, the meat and eggs are very healthy and tasty.
• Plus, Compared to chicken, the body weight proportionately is higher.
• And the meat has less fat than the chicken meat.
• Hence, they are immune to the disease, also the survival rate is higher than chicken.

This is the main reasons why rising quails is becoming very popular worldwide.

Suitable Temperature, Light, and Humidity for Rising Quails: 

Temperature: The suitable temperature of the backyard quail farming is 21 to 32 Celsius (69.8 ° – 89.6 ° Fahrenheit).

But depending on varieties they may sufferer from heat stress at a different temperature. We found that our birds feel comfortable in between 22-25 Celsius.

Light: Quails egg production is very dependent on light. Hence, to get enough number of eggs.

There should be 16 hours daily lighting (including daylight) from the ninth week to the quail bird farm. Click To Tweet

Light is the very important thing for any farm. Why?

• The newly born baby birds do not survive in cold temperature.
• So, every time you collect them to reproduce them, you need to ensure temperature using light in a separate case called Brooder. 
• Now, Light can achieve by using electric bulbs and sunlight.
• Ensure 13 hours light till they become seventh weeks older.
• And increase the lighting time gradually from the seven weeks.
• Eventually, increase the lighting by one hour for every week.
• Which means you have to provide one extra hour lighting.
• And, this process will continue until the total lighting time/a day is 15-16 hours.
• More importantly, to produce maximum numbers of egg, they will need 16 hours of light when they are about 9 weeks of old.

Note that:

With a 40-watt bulb, 10.0 square centimeter of space can be illuminated. And we found that the egg production increases in red color light compared to blue color.

Moisture: This bird can easily adapt to 40-70% relative humidity. However, the relative humidity of the house is 55-60% good.

If the relative humidity is higher then their feather will be moist, respiratory problems and increase the chance of fungus. If the relative humidity is less then their feathers will become rough.

Choose The Best Rearing Method:

There are three different rearing methods. Choose the best one depending on local demand.

According to the purpose, commercial poultry farming can be divided into three groups. Now learn more about each rearing system. And next, build the adequate habitat or cages depending on the raring procedure.

• Layer Quails Farm:

In a layer quail poultry farm, This birds are usually raised for 54-weeks.

Layer Coil Farm is dedicated to egg production. Usually, Japanese Quail from the age of 6-7 weeks and the bobwhite quail at the age of 8-10 weeks start laying eggs.

If the management is accurate, then every Japanese quail lay yearly 250-300 and bobwhite birds lay 150-200 eggs.

• Broiler Quails Farm:

Broiler farm is dedicated to meat production.

If you want to produce the soft and delicious meat, the broiler is raised in this procedure. These species are little bigger then layer birds and gain maximum weight quickly.

Although they are dedicated to meat production the average egg production of broiler bird raising is about 150-250 in a year. 

But, Farmers do not rise them for that long period of time. average Northern Bobwhite is weighed in at about 170 grams. But Jumbo Coturnix species gains 450 to 460 grams at their adulthood.

• Breeding Quails Farm:

This breeder quail lays egg and give birth to new babies. Farms for up to 30 weeks of its age.

The breeding birds used to produce eggs for the production of new babies. The general purpose of this method of grazing is to sell. Some varieties are extremely beautiful. People always like to buy to rear commonly. 

Typically it takes 7-8 weeks for Japanese quail and 10-weeks bobwhite quail. And the small varieties like Button Quail are a perfect choice. The ratio of male and female should be kept in pairs (1: 1) on your farm.

Best Quails Varieties:

Though, this farming is not spread all over the world yet. They have some awesome varieties.

The best varieties for start ranching form beginning are given below.  There are more than 140 kinds of them. Here are the most popular and profitable breeds.

Beside them, there are numbers of other species. depending on your need you can farm one or more.

Species Name	Identification	Time to Mature	Weight  (At Adulthood)	Eggs Per Year
Japanese quail	Length Range: 17-19 cm  Size: Small (5 – 9 in) Color Primary: Brown	5-6 weeks	90 g	250-300
Northern Bobwhite	Medium, morphologically variable birds.	8-10 Weeks	179 g	150-200
Jumbo Coturnix	The bigger selectively bred Coturnix plus are commonly adopt for meat.	6-7 weeks	450 g	150-220
The Texas A&M	Heavily Muscled Coturnix	6-7 weeks	370 g	150-200(App.)
Button Quail	Button Quail are small breeder birds.	5 weeks	130 g	100-120

How to Create Habitat [Quails Cage]:

The size of cages is somewhat different for different from each other. Learn how to build the best habitat for your birds. 

Here we will describe the starter cage size and measurement. There are another two types of cages used in commercial quail housekeeping. We will describe them in the relevant sections. 

In order to build a house, the following points should be kept in mind.

1. Ensure a comfortable environment for birds.
2. Ensure natural light-air and keep it under control as needed.
3. Ability to protect the birds from excessive winter, hot or rain and damp conditions.
4. Construction of houses in a specific distance and required size.
5. Construct different rooms for different ages of quails.
6. In order to avoid any bad smell due to the bird’s stomach and urine, it is necessary to take proper action beforehand.

The exclusive Laying nest and Brooder cage are very important for layer & breeder quail raising.

Appropriate Cages for Layer Quail raising:

• Each cage is about 6 ft. long and 1 ft. wide and divided into 6 parts.

  

• For utilizing the space, you can build up to  6-story cages. Also, keep at least 8- 10 cm distance between two stories.
• And use moveable wooden parts at the lower part to separate them, so that the birds can be cleaned.
• Place a long narrow water pot is in front of the cage.
• Typically, 10-12 birds are fed in each cage in a cage by commercially producing eggs.
• For the breeding, 1 male and 3 female quails are kept in this cage.

Appropriate Cages for Broiler Quail Raising:

About 6 birds can be raised in every square foot.

For broiler quails farming method your goal of rearing birds is to sell them as the poultry meat. That is why to gain weight the bird needs to be kept in a smaller space.

• After 2 weeks, Quails can be kept in the cage for rearing.
• It helps to increase physical weight, because of this it is possible to avoid unnecessary roaming of birds.

Age	Cage Size	Number of Birds
2 Weeks	3 x 2.5 x 1.5 ft.	100
3-6 weeks	4 x 2.5 x 1.5 ft.	50

How To Build A Laying Nest:

The primary function of a  laying nest is providing isolutation for egg laying quails.

Egg Laying house (egg-laying shade) built separately for each or shared for multiple birds.

Note: Each bird will need approximate 15 cm personal space in an egg-laying nest.

• Now, to build a private laying nest, and you can use a 15cm Wide, 20cm deep boxes.
• And in case of the shared nest for 25-30 birds, use 1m wide, 20cm deep boxes.

This is important,

Separate egg laying nest is important in a commercial poultry farming setup. It will prevent them to destroy eggs. Also, egg-laying birds require extra care.

Guideline for Collecting Quails:

The ultimate checklist before and after for buying quality quails.

• Clean the shade, properly. Check every component especially the electronics parts.
• And, buy the best quality quails, from an established farmer.
• If you collect 2/3 days babies, You need to store them in the brooder for one or two additional days.
• After that, Place them into rearing shade.
• Now, keep an eye on weak chicks. If it is needed, place them again into the brooder. Learn how to make brooder here, and Brooding principles.

Essential Equipment and Materials for The farm:

There are a number of tools and materials required to handle this organic  farms, as follows:
1. Brooder Hover,
2. Heater / Stove,
3. Plastic Tick Feed Tray,
4. Food pots,
5. Water pots,
6. Egg laying boxes,
7. Electric bulbs,
8. Defaults or balances for taking weight measurements,
9. Buckets, a shovel, spade, bowls, a knife, baskets, peal, tulle etc.
10. Egg laying house. Here, this is the boxes for constructing egg laying cage.
11. Bamboo, wood, corrugated, polythene or triple.
12. Thermometer, hypermeter and,
13. Battery or Brooder.

The following are some of the important tools and materials described below
Feeder:
There will be a high-quality food serving dish;
(A) It can easily be filled with foods.
(B) And, easily cleanable.

Water or drunker:
Whether the cage or liters are performed in the same manner, the characteristics of a potter’s water pot are as follows:
(A) Birds will get clean water supply from it.
(B) It will be easy for drinking water.
(C) Cleaning will be easy.
(D) Durable and cheaper in price.

Farm management: General Caring methods of Qualis

To get adequate production from the quail farming, each farmer must study the details of farm management.

Even a minor negligence or defects is enough for the failure of farms. So, farmers please become extra careful when the following points.

Pain or Stress Removal: Remember this as a result of stress, the production decreases severely and sometimes it can result in even death.

To get a good production from your farm, ensure the certainly comfortable environment that they will cherish. I have discussed this later in this article.

Food and water management: The food and water management need be correct. If they have adequate food and water for each bird, they will relish the food and water.

Egg collection: Collect eggs at least two times a day. In the typical evening at  6: 00-6: 30 and the second night at 9.00 – 9.30.

Egg Storing: It must be stored immediately after the collection of eggs. Reserve temperature and relative humidity are 12.8 ° -15.5 ° C, respectively. (55.0 ° – 59.9 ° F) and 75-80%.

Sexing: After the deletion of a hatchery from the eggs produced by a family or commercially managed farm, it is necessary to have sex or sexual intercourse as soon as possible.

Lip cutting or debeaking: Debeaking is an important factor in quail farm management. Debugging is to remove a certain part of the lip and nails.

Common Diseases: 

One of the benefits of quail celebration is that they are less affected by disease than poultry. But, We are not saying that there are no diseases at all.

They do not have to vaccinate for any disease. The reason behind is, they do not have fatal infections.

Most common diseases of chicken can affect this minatuar birds. They can be affected by viruses, bacteria, fungus, microplasma, parasites, malnutrition, management defects, and conceptive problems can lead to various diseases.

General Feeding Process for Rising:

Feed them three times a daily, such as 6am, 12-1pm and 7pm

Like other poultry, daily food must contain six nutrients, such as water, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

All the nutrients require to be supplied for the maximum amount of production from the quail farming. Now, learn what to feed and what not feed.

• They are very small, so you have to provide powdered foods.
• Moreover, clean all food and water pots using organic germicide.
• Ensure sufficient Water and food for each bird.
• Remember, at the age of 5 weeks, quails eat about 500 grams of food,
• 6 months old quails eat 30-35 grams of food every day and,
• For laying 12 eggs, they need around 400 grams of food.
• Make a balanced diet rich with required nutrients.
• For any reason, don’t supply fungus affected feeds
• Don’t supply dried fish, mussels, wheat.
• And don’t provide, until they completely finished the last meal.

How and What to Feed Depending on Age: 

Use this chart to make 5 kg of starter mash using oil to feed 75 time.

On average, every adult bird needs only 8 kg of food per year. You have to provide the exact amount of feeds for them.

To determine, daily required foods for quail farming multiply the feeds weight with the number of birds.

This chart demonstrates daily needs for a single bird. 

Organic Feed Ingredients	Child Mash (0-3 weeks)	Adult mash
Corn	27 g	31 g
Sorghum	15 g	14 g
Chill without oil	8 g	8 g
Wood nutcakes	17 g	17 g
Sunflower cake	12.5 g	12.5
Soya meals	8 g	–
Fish meal	10 g	20 g
Mineral mix	2.5 g	2.5g
Bite particle	–	5 g

How to Ensure Maximum Productivity:

To get the desired product from the farm, you should take care of the following factors.

1. Collecting healthy birds.
2. Always buy the baby birds from a well-established hatchery.
3. From the 1st day of birth, ensure the right temperature, light, food, and water for them in the brooder.
4. The regular productivity-raising formula for layers is: “Provide of pure water and daily 13-16 hours of light.”
5. Plus, provide adequate air circulation in the bird’s house.
6. Always keep the houses and cages clean and clean.
7. And please do not disturb them by any means.

Bedding Materials: Litter and It’s Management Procedure

In one word, the bed that is used in the quail bards room to make the accommodation comfortable is called litter.

Though, building a comfortable bedding is not costly. However, it is very sensitive, which normally affect the production directly.

First, I will provide a guideline to make a bed then it’s proper management process.

How to Create Litter for Quails:

• In the beginning, spread 5 cm thick litter material on a clean floor.
• Then gradually add more litter material, and increase the thickness to 10 cm in 4-5 weeks.
• In the case of brooder foster child, before placing quails put 10 cm thick litter.

Materials for Creating Litter Bed: 

Generally, as a litter Rice husk, Wood powder, Paddy or wheat dry, Straw, Wood Stove, Nuts powder Etc. are used.

Bactericide and its use:

The role of disinfectant is very important in protecting the health of the harmful and sterile environment in the growth of the quail residence.

Various experiments have shown that no bactericide is functioning alone. So, anyone who uses antibiotics such as heat (sunlight), coal-tas-derivatives, chlorine, formaldehyde, copper sulfate etc. should be used.

Reproducing Baby Quails:

500 female can gives birth to 1500-2000 quails.

At the age of 7-9th week, they started laying eggs. In that time, normally 60-70% female quail lay eggs.

For the laying eggs, keep the male and female quails together at 8-10 weeks of age male. And maintain a ratio of male birds: female birds at the of 1: 5. That means, for every male, there will be five female.

They generally occupy 18 days on eggs in hatching and give birth to baby quails.

Newborn babies are extremely weak and vulnerable to diseases. So, you have to ensure a healthier hatching case.

To ensure the healthier environment in a hatching, spray good and effective bacterial spray immediately after scattering fresh litter material. However, perform this 2-3 day before moving the child into the brooder.

Re-production Time Caring Tips:

1. If there is a lack of vitamins and mineral, then the newborn quail’s leg can be lean and weak. so ensure vitamins and minerals.
2. Male birds some time quarrel with them. So, do not take it lightly because female birds are much weaker at that stage.
3. And, feed them separately. Moreover, always keep on eye on them when they are hatching.

Raising Baby Quail:

• Generally, the weight of baby quails is about 8-10g. As a result, they require more warmth. but,
• The lack of adequate warmth and intense cold gathering kids gather in one place, leading toward increased mortality.
• And, always protect them from the rats and other harmful animals.

How to Made The Brooder For Baby Quails:

One-day-old children are usually raised in to of a brooder. That ensure the right temperature, light for them.

The brooder has a heat source, such as an electric heater, electric bulb, kerosene lamp, chaff-wood or coal lamp, light lamps or infrared bulb. But infrared bulbs are the most scientific.

• Generally, the broader has a shade that is known as Hover.
• However, It can be square, rectangular, hexagonal or round.
• And the broader hover can build with GI pips, bamboo or wood.

Now

Inside, the brooder builds a 15cm round fence, so that the kids can properly take food and water inside the brooder and stay in one place.

This circular ring called Chik Guard. It can be made with tin, tea, hardboard or thick paper.

Brooding principles:

All kinds of brooding make for layers or broiler are similar. During breeding, be aware of the following. For example,

1. Maintain the right temperature,
2. Ensuring enough light,
3. Ventilation system.
4. Baby quail density (number)/ area.
5. Food and water management.
6. Healthy environment etc.

Artificial Brooding Equipment:

In order to make an artificial brooding. If you and want to make brooder the following machines will be required.

1. Browder or baby tempering device,
2. Chick guard/brooder or baby diversion,
3. Broom furnace or heater,
4. Hover,
5. Liter or bed,
6. Thermometer,
7. Hygrometer and,
8. Food and water pot.

Considerations for Child Transfers:

If it demands more than three hours for the transferal, then mix glucose with some melon or boiling green pepper pieces. And spread it in the box. That will protect the child from the water disorders.

1. Transport must be cleaned properly and inside of the bacteria.
2. Boxes cannot be higher than three levels.
3. In the two layers of the box, 10 cm The distance should be maintained.
4. And, assure enough clean air for the child.

Quail Farming Business Plan:

Now, after starting a quail farm for commercial purposes the next thing you have to carate is the business plan.

However, if you follow all the steps we mentioned here, we will start an organic farm. Because it is too easy to maintain this farm organically and there is no other alternative.

There are several benefits of producing an organic product. In this cultivation, it opens a broad area of consumer affection. So there will be noticeable demand in your locality.

So, create an appropriate business plan and keep this points when creating a policy.

• How and Where to sell, Which varieties have more demand?
• Then, How much to grow?
• Do you want eggs or meats? or both?
• Competitors Analysis.

But you know every local or small-scale business involves some common difficulties. The challenge for you will be Marketing. Let’s determine that in the marketing plan for quail farming.

Marketing Plan for Quail Farming Business:

Retailing is a very critical part of a wealthy quail bird farming business. So, the first step you need to make is finding out the demand in the marketplace. Generally, the eggs have more demand then meats.

• Does organic food has special interest among the people?
• Do there is any demand?

First, Try to determine the demands of quail products in your local market.

Now, without concerning immeasurable marketing abilities, you will not be capable to make the most profit from your business.

Raising quail is easy,

Firstly, This poultry birds are very cute and the eggs look different also beautiful too. By the way when you are a newest farmer.  You can asking your relatives and friends for help. Social media is one other place to hang on. Meet the people in your area. And, tell them the benefits of eggs and meat by placing posters around your area.

Note: Inform the people about your products and ask them to tell others.

Now, you can also distribute leaflets. And, you don’t have to bother much about marketing again when your farm will be popular. Here, This may take time but do not skip this.

Final Words: Thanks! If you like this article please share. And, do you have any other questions about quail farming ask us in the comment below.