Quail

Japanese quail (coturnix coturnix japonica have created a big impact in recent years and many quails farms have been established through out the lenght of this country both for egg and meat production. It is due to fact that increasing consumer awareness dor quality meat, it demanded the production of better quality broiler quail meat. It is of great importance to select the stocks, which have the inherent capacity to yield better quality meat and egg.

The experimental quail farms at CARI, being a nerve centre for quail production technology in India since 1974. Through the econcerted efforts of the scientists of the Institute, various quail housing equipments and their accessories were designed. A workable package of management production has also been worked out to support quail production in scientific manner. The salient achievement made on the Post Harvest technology aspects of quail eggs and meat are, quail egg and meat pickle. CARI is the only centre of Japanese quail, who maintains pure lines (broiler and layer) of quails through out the country. Now-a-days experimental quail farm, is giving consultancy services to the quail units also.

Special features

The following factors, which made quail farming as economically viable and technically feasible.

• Very short generation interval
• Quails are very robust to diseases
• No vaccination is required
• Low space requirement
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• Easy to handle
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• Early maturity
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• Very high laying intensity- female starts laying at an age of 42 days and reach to peak production by 10-12 weeks of age.

Practical Utility

• Quail offered an opportunity to alternative the chicken farming
• It is useful as table delicacy
• Pilot animal for research and education
• This species can be reared at interior places as it does not require vaccination and relatively low medication required

Central Avian Research Institute has taken lead to develop a number of new strains of egg and meat type quails with specific characteristics. Japanese quails "Coturnix coturnix Japonica" commonly known as Bater were utilised for developing specialized egg and meat lines of quail. There are three broiler quails lines namely CARI UTTAM, CARI UJJAWAL and CARI SWETA and one egg type quail line CARI PEARL (White Egg Shell line).

Broiler quail lines

(a) CARI UTTAM

Production characteristics

• Hatchability on total eggs set: 60-76%
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• Weight at 4 weeks: 150 g
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• Weight at 5 weeks: 170-190 g
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• Feed efficiency at 4 weeks: 2.51
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• Feed efficiency at 5 weeks: 2.80
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• Daily feed consumption: 25-28 g

(b) CARI UJJAWAL

Production characteristics

• Hatchability on total eggs set 65%
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• Weight at 4 weeks 140 g
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• Weight at 5 weeks 170-175 g
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• Feed efficiency at 5 weeks 2.93
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• Daily feed consumption: 25-28 g

(c) CARI SWETA

Production characteristics

• Hatchability on total eggs set 50-60%
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• Weight at 4 weeks 135 g
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• Weight at 5 weeks 155-165 g
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• Feed efficiency at 4 weeks 2.85
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• Feed efficiency at 5 weeks 2.90
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• Daily feed consumption: 25 g

CARI PEARL

(a) Wild colour quail
(b) White feathered quail
(c) White egg shell colour quail

Production characteristics

• Hatchability on total eggs set: 65-70%
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• Weight at 4 weeks: 120 g
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• Daily feed consumption: 25 g
• Age at 50% egg production: 8-10 wk
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• Hen day production: 285-295 eggs
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