Coturnix Quail Farming Beginners Guide.

By following these simple steps, you can get started with quail farming and enjoy its benefits. Quail farming is a great way to provide yourself with eggs and meat for consumption and selling to provide extra financial aid.

Let’s go into the details about “Research” which includes learning about the different breeds of quails, their housing and food needs, incubation, and the best practices for raising them.

Note: This Blog Content contains Affiliate Links

Table of Content

1. Quail Breeds
2. Quail Housing
3. Quail Food, Water & Nutrition
4. Quail Incubator
5. Quail Eggs
6. Quail Housekeeping
7. Quail Environment
8. Question & FAQ
9. Conclusion

Quail Breeds

When starting a quail farm, it is important to learn about the different types of quail breeds because there are a variety of quail breeds that are available for farming and the most common quail breed is the Japanese quail and Coturnix quails, which is known for their high egg production. Other popular quail breeds include:

There are many other species around the world but the most common farmed Quails are Cortunix Quails and Japanese Quails in bird size comparison, Japanese Quails are the smallest when compared to Cortunix Quails and other Quail species.

The life expectancy for Quails in captivity is usually 1 year or less.

Back to Table of Content

Quail Housing

In general, quails do not require a lot of space. A small coop or pen that is 4-5 square feet will be sufficient for a few quails. If you plan on raising more quails, you will need to increase the size of the coop accordingly.

It is also important to provide adequate ventilation in the house. This can be achieved by adding an exhaust fan to create proper air circulation inside the house.

When it comes to the coop’s design, there are many different options to choose from. You can purchase a pre-made coop or build one yourself. If you decide to build your own coop, there are several things you will need to keep in mind.

There are many different types of quail housing, and the most popular types of quail housing include wooden cages with wire mesh and chicken coops.

Wooden cages with wire mesh are a popular choice for quail coops because they can be easily customized to meet the specific needs of your quail flock. For the standard size, it’s about 4ft in length, 1ft in height, and 2ft in width on the side.

A custom 4ft x 1ft x 2ft wooden frame can typically store around 50 Quail birds but we recommend not going over because the ideal capacity for that coop size is around 40 – 45 Quail birds. In technical terms, quails generally occupy a space of 1 sqft per each bird so having extra space will definitely help in terms of quail health.

Chicken coops are also a popular choice for quail housing because they provide ample space for the quails to roam.

Check out our article on “How to Build a Wood Quail Cage” to build your very own Quail Coop from scratch.

Back to Table of Content

Quail Food, Water & Nutrition.

Quail are omnivorous birds and can be fed a variety of different foods. In general, quail prefer to eat seeds, insects, and other small animals. A typical quail diet consists of:

• Worms (small)
• Green leaves
• Fresh vegetables
• Quail pellets or feed

A high protein and fiber base diet is necessary to keep quail happy, and healthy to continue producing delicious eggs regularly.

Quail Daily Food Consumption.

• Chicks – 5 to 8 grams per day per chick.
• Adult Quail – 17- 20 grams per day for each bird.
• Egg Laying Quails – 20 to 25 grams per day for each bird.

This type of bird species usually doesn’t over-eat their meals so having to place more feed into its food feeder is not a problem provided an anti-spill mechanism is placed because quails tend to flick their feed and the food just goes to waste.

Food Feeders

When feeding quail, it is essential to provide them with a variety of different foods so that they can get the nutrients they need. Feeding quail a diet that consists only of commercial pellets can lead to health problems. Quails need high protein and fiber food, and they should also have access to fresh water at all times.

It is also important to keep in mind that quails are messy eaters. They will often throw food around their pen or coop, and because of this can create a mess and lead to disease problems. To avoid this, you will need to clean the pen or coop regularly.

There are many different types of quail feeders, and the style you choose will depend on your needs and preferences. The most popular types of quail feeders include ground feeders, hanging feeders, and trough feeders. Ground feeders are a good choice for quail farmers who have a small number of birds.

Here is an example of a ground food feeder.

To learn better and more affordable ways to feed your Quails, check out this article “How not to feed your quails: Food Guide”.

Check out this article ” How to build a Wooden Feeder” to make your own d.i.y feeder.

Water Feeders.

Water is essential to all animals and humans. Quails are no exception and because of this, changing their water daily or weekly is a must. There are a lot of water-style feeders available on the market but the best is one used commonly in chicken farms. Here are a few examples of water feeders.

Attach type of water cup feeder uses a pipe system connecting to a tank, but manual water feeders don’t need any pipe attachment, only placing it inside the coop.

You can purchase it at

ER Hot Poultry Chicken Hanging Duck Drinking Water Nipple Drinker Feeder With Cup – Shopee MY– https://invle.co/clev0dy

Example of a water feeder system using a water feeder cup.

Back to Table of Content

Quail Incubation.

Quail incubation is the process of hatching quail eggs. Quail eggs can be incubated at home or in a commercial hatchery.

If you choose to incubate the eggs at home, you will need to purchase an incubator and a set of fertile quail eggs. Incubators can be purchased online and also can be built on your own.

Purchasing Your Own Incubator

Incubator Temperature

• The incubator should be set to a temperature of 37.5 – 38.0 degrees Celcius and humidity set between 70 – 80%
• Let it run 24 hours a day until the eggs hatch.

For commercial hatcheries, the process will be handled by the professionals at the hatchery. All you need to do is drop off your eggs and pick them up later. (If such a service is available in your area).

Incubation Period for Quails.

• The total incubation period process takes around 13-15 days.
• On days 1 – 3, place in a brooding box with the temperature set at 37.5 -38.0 degrees celsius. During this period, the embryos will grow and develop inside the eggs.
• On days 3 – 5, candle the eggs to check for fertility. Candling involves shining a light into the egg to check for changes inside. If there are no changes inside the egg, it is not fertile and should not hatch.
• After candling, transfer the eggs into an incubator because will undergo incubation for the remaining 10-12 days.
• Once hatched, the newly hatched chicks will then transfer to a brooder for days 1-3 days set at the same temperature as the incubator which is 37.5-38.0 degrees Celcius.
• On days 4- 14, transfer chicks to another cage with a lower temperature setting.
• On days 14 and above, having full feathers can now transfer to a breeding coop where they will grow until they are ready for sale or slaughter on day 45.

(Caution: Chicks that are not transferred from the brooding box to a regular coop will slowly lose their feathers and eventually get sick and die)

For better details on how to build an automatic Incubator, Check out the article “How to build an Automatic Egg Incubator?”

Back to Table of Content

Quail Eggs.

With the proper care and nutrition, Quails can lay eggs year-round. Quails typically will start laying eggs around 45 days after hatching. They are 1/5 the size of a Chicken egg and 1/6 that of a duck egg.

“Interesting Facts : Quails that are commercially breed do not know how to hatch their own eggs”

Collecting quail eggs from the nest can be done by hand or with a special egg collector. If you choose to collect the eggs by hand, you will need to be careful not to damage the eggs.

The best time to collect the eggs is early in the morning when they are cool. They usually lay their eggs around 3 pm in the evening till 9 pm at night.

Quail Laying Eggs Requirement

Quails don’t necessarily need a male quail to lay eggs, but to have fertile eggs for incubation, a male is required during breeding arrangements with a

• 1:3 ratio (Male: Female) or,
• 1:4 ratio (Male: Female).

For more details on how to select the best egg for incubation, check out this article “Best Method and Practices Breeding Quails and Hatching.”.

Back to Table of Content

Quail Housekeeping.

It is very important to keep clean when it comes to raising quails. Quail are messy eaters and will often throw food around their pen or coop, and because of this, it can lead to disease problems and disruption of egg production. To avoid this, you will need to clean the pen or coop regularly.

All quail designs must have a “dropping tray” for easy cleaning. Example of a design.

A “Dropping tray” is made using wood and painting so the wood can last longer because quail dropping is highly acidic. Canvas and other water-resistant base materials also qualify.

Back to table of Content

Quail Environment.

Quails can tolerate a variety of climates, but they do best in areas with mild winters and warm summers. The temperature should be kept at around 24 – 34 degrees Celcius and should be shielded from direct sunlight and water.

Back to Table of Content