Quail pharaoh: features of keeping and breeding this meat breed

Many people are breeding quails, not chickens. This choice is explained by the lack of the need to build a chicken coop. So, for 30-50 quails, 1 small cage is enough. At the same time, a similar number of pharaoh birds can lay 40-50 eggs per day. Naturally, before buying young animals, care should be taken to create the necessary conditions for keeping and study the features of breeding.

Breed description

The Pharaoh quail breed belongs to meat. Some experts claim that the weight of the female can reach 500 g with proper feeding. However, in practice, this parameter is 300-350 g. Males weigh less – 200-280 g. It must be remembered that only 30-40% of chicks grow really large.

It is important to take into account the fact that not every novice quail breeder is able to find a pure breed for sale. Some unscrupulous breeders offer Japanese or Estonian quails as pharaohs, the color of which is almost identical. The main difference between these breeds is egg production, as well as weight gain.

The benefits of quail pharaoh are:

• chick endurance;
• about 90% of fertilized eggs;
• egg production at the level of 200-270 pieces annually;
• the possibility of using for the production of broilers.

The disadvantages include exactingness to the conditions of detention, especially to the temperature regime. Also, some experts consider the wild coloring to be a minus of the breed, which can worsen the presentation.

Buying quails

It is necessary to buy adult quails of the pharaoh breed at the age of maximum 1,5 months, because such females have already reached puberty, which means they are able to lay eggs.

For young animals, you should contact the quail farm or directly to the breeders. It is necessary to take into account the fact that you can buy quails at any time of the year, since weather conditions do not affect their productivity.

Conditions of detention

For the proper development of quails of the Pharaoh breed, it is necessary provide suitable conditions. So, you need to prepare in advance a place where the constant air temperature is about 20º C. If it falls below 12º C or rises above 25º C, bird productivity will decrease. In the heat, quails will begin to lose feathers, and at temperatures below 5º C, they may even die.

An equally important condition is the presence of the correct cell. People who first decide to start breeding pharaoh quails need to purchase a special cage designed specifically for quails, and not parrots or other birds.

Cage requirements:

• The main parts must be created from galvanized mesh, as well as metal.
• Drinkers together with feeders should be located behind the front wall. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that it is enough for the quails to stick their heads in order to eat food.
• The height of the cage should not exceed 20 cm, otherwise some individuals may be injured.
• Make sure you have an egg tray as the females lay directly on the floor.
• A tray intended for litter should be prepared in advance. Due to its absence, eggs will quickly become contaminated, and the likelihood of developing infectious diseases will also increase.

Feeding

Experts recommend that you definitely buy mixtures that were used to feed them along with quails. This is very important, because due to a sharp change in the place of detention and diet, egg production decreases. Indigestion is also possible. You need to buy food, the amount of which is enough for a month. During this time, it is necessary to gradually transfer the birds to their own food. Its main component is wheat and crushed corn. It is also allowed to use other grains in an amount not exceeding 10%. In addition, the diet should include fishmeal, sunflower meal, chalk and shells.

Compound feed is optimally suited for growing meat breeds of quail. Need them select according to the age of the quails:

• up to 3 weeks – PC-5;
• after 3 weeks – PC-6 and 5-10% shells;
• adults – PC-1 or PC-2 with the addition of shells.

Quails of any age drink a lot. Accordingly, it is necessary to ensure that water is available at all times. It is changed at least 3 times a day. When growing a large livestock, it is worth preparing drinkers with running water.

Vacuum drinkers are suitable for young animals. We are talking about an inverted jar, the neck of which is lowered into a small container. Thanks to this feature, the water layer will not exceed 15 mm, which means that the chicks will not choke. In such a drinking bowl, water must be changed at least 2 times a day.

Basic care

In general, caring for Pharaoh quails does not cause much difficulty. In most cases, you have to put a lot of effort in the presence of a large population. So, you should regularly clean the litter, change the water, distribute food and collect eggs. Both children and the elderly will cope with such work.

• In order for quails to grow well, it is necessary to monitor the temperature in the room, and also ventilate it if necessary. It is important to avoid drafts.
• Several times a week, a sand bath should be placed in the cage, where the birds will bathe. Thanks to this, quails get rid of parasites.
• Periodically, you need to inspect the livestock to identify diseased birds.
• Although quails are generally considered to be resistant to infection, feathering and pecking can occur if not properly cared for. This can be caused by a lack of food, too bright lighting, incorrect temperature conditions and drafts.

Breeding

For breeding quails of the Pharaoh breed, often used incubator. This allows you to get meat and eggs, as well as increase livestock. Experts recommend placing a small batch of eggs in the incubator, due to which the percentage of quail hatchability will increase. For these purposes, the freshest eggs, which are no more than 7 days old, are suitable. They are purchased on special farms or from breeders.

Chicks are born after about 17 days. In the incubator, eggs should be turned at least 3 times a day. The temperature during the first 10 days should be 38,5º C, the last 7 days – 38º C, and on the very last day and throughout the hatch – 37,5º C.

The hatching of chicks occurs in large numbers. Yes, quail are born in just 10 hours. Individuals that have hatched after 12 hours or later should not be left, as they almost always die.

Keeping chicks

In the first few days, the temperature in the room with quails should be 30-35º C. It is reduced to 25º C within a month. Round-the-clock lighting will be required for 2 weeks, and then daylight hours are reduced to 17 hours.

Before hatching need to prepare a brooder. In fact, it can be a box made of cardboard or wood. It must be covered up with a soft mesh. When the chicks are 2 weeks old, they are placed in a cage for adult quails. To maintain the desired temperature conditions here, the structure is sheathed with cellular polycarbonate with pre-prepared ventilation holes.

Feeding the chicks

During the first few weeks, Pharaoh quails are fed with hard-boiled eggs, which are pre-crushed. A little later, you can use compound feed intended for broiler chickens.

Small containers with low sides are suitable as feeders, and the drinkers must be necessarily vacuum, otherwise the chicks may choke.

getting meat

When growing quails of the pharaoh breed, it is necessary to obtain meat separate hens and males at 1 month of age. Important conditions at this stage are considered to be increased density in the cage and low lighting. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the constant availability of water and feed.

Selection for subsequent slaughter is carried out from 1,5 months. First, large birds are slaughtered, and from 2 months it is the turn of all the rest. This is due to the fact that the quail reach maturity. Accordingly, their further maintenance leads to overexpenditure of feed.

10-12 hours before slaughter need to remove water and foodso that the intestines of quails are freed. To cut the head, use a pruner or scissors. The carcass is processed when all the blood has gone. To do this, the birds are dipped in a container of hot water, the temperature of which does not exceed 70º C, for a couple of seconds. After that, you need to carefully pluck the carcass.

If the correct temperature regime is observed, the cultivation of quails of the pharaoh breed will not cause any special difficulties. To get more meat and eggs, you need to pick up good food and periodically inspect the livestock for the timely detection of sick individuals.