Modern quail breeds
Quail breeds have been bred over the past 100 years. The first to be tamed was the common wild quail. Then people began to improve the qualities they needed. The result is productive poultry from which you can get meat and eggs. The decorative direction developed separately, because quails are not only useful, but also beautiful birds. In some countries, they are also bred as fighting and songbirds.
Quail breeds
Classification of breeds
Quail keeping is becoming more and more popular. These birds are bred both for home consumption and for the sale of products. Today there are more than a dozen quail breeds, which differ in product quality. New varieties are constantly emerging. Poultry farmers divide them into:
- egg quail breeds;
- meat and meat varieties;
- meat breeds of quails;
- decorative types.
Not all breeds can be clearly squeezed into this classification. For example, you can get enough eggs and meat from both egg and meat. On average, a quail carries between 250 and 350 small eggs per year. Meat breeds are heavy. If the mass of an ordinary quail is 120-160 g, then a meat one can weigh 250 and even 300 g. Females are usually 15% heavier than males.
Decorative breeds are distinguished by beautiful original plumage. They are bred as a decoration of the poultry yard. These quails are often seen in zoos or public gardens. There are fighting quails that participate in competitions. But they are now rare, since in most countries, animal fights are prohibited. Males of this species in the mating season emit deep guttural sounds that many like. Below are the most popular quail breeds, their photos and descriptions. Which breed is the best, everyone can decide for himself.
English quail
There are 2 shades of English quail: white and black. These varieties differ not only in plumage, but also in some product characteristics. Below is a description of how English quail breeds look and their product characteristics.
English white quail
The English White Quail was created on the basis of the Japanese breed. As the name implies, the bird's plumage is white. The difference between males and females is almost imperceptible. They are divided according to the shade of the cloaca (bluish in the female, pink in the male) and a specific yellow secret that is secreted in males. It is possible to determine the sex no earlier than one month.
Quails of this variety are considered meat quails. They have tasty meat, and carcasses with light skin have a good presentation. Product characteristics are as follows:
- weight of females - 160-180 g;
- the weight of males is 140-160 g;
- the number of testicles is 250-300 pieces throughout the year;
- egg weight - 10-11 g.
Keeping and breeding birds is not a problem. The breed is unpretentious, eggs are well fertilized, hatchability and survival rate of chicks is high, therefore English white quails can be seen in many farms.
English black quail
English black quail is also bred on the basis of Japanese. Breeding it is not as popular as growing white. The fact is that the carcass of this bird is dark, and not everyone likes this color. The plumage of this species of quail ranges from dark brown to black. The product characteristics are somewhat superior to those of white quails:
- the maximum weight of females is 200 g, of males - 170 g;
- the annual number of meat quail eggs - 280 pcs.;
- egg weight - 10-11 g.
There are broiler egg quail breeds and black quail varieties. They weigh 200-210 g, but the egg production is lower, about 160-180 pieces per year. This type of quail is bred more often for amateur purposes and for home consumption.
Virginia variety of quails
Virginia quails are beautiful birds that are bred for decoration. Previously, they were hunted like game. In recent years, the cage keeping of the breed has been practiced to obtain tasty meat. This is what beautiful quails from Virginia look like:
- the size of the little body is average, approximately 22 cm in length;
- the head is small;
- the beak is short, laterally compressed, the upper part is bent down, the beak is serrated below;
- from the forehead to the neck there is a white stripe, in the center of the head there is a black cap;
- feathers on the back of the head red with brown;
- on the neck there is a ring of black feathers;
- at the base of the back, the plumage is gray with white tips;
- on top the body is brown with a red tint;
- below the body is brown, against the general background there are light wide stripes;
- feathers on the breast have a black edging.
The egg production of Virginia quails is low, in the wild they lay 8-14 eggs, at home they carry 60-80 pieces. per year. Males sing beautifully during the mating season, they climb a hill and give out the sounds of "bob white". Keeping the birds is not difficult. Quails live both in pens and in cages.
California quail
The California Crested Quail is also a decorative bird. There are three varieties in nature. In America, birds have been bred for a long time, in Europe they began to appear only in recent years. Here is a description of the bird's appearance:
- the head is small, with a black tuft of 4-7 feathers bent forward;
- beak is short, strong, slightly curved;
- the body is chunky, compressed at the sides;
- legs are medium in length;
- the wings are short and rounded at the tips, the fourth and fifth flight feathers are elongated;
- shortened tail, with slightly pronounced steps;
- the forehead is white with yellow, there is a narrow white stripe on top, which goes to the back of the head;
- vertex with a black stripe that extends from the crest;
- from the cheeks along the neck and chin there is a white stripe in the shape of an inverted moon;
- the nape and neck are bluish-gray on top, each feather has a black core, a light stripe and a speck on the tip;
- the back is olive brown;
- the goiter and breast are blue-gray above;
- on the tummy, a pattern of brown feathers with a black border, reminiscent of fish scales;
- legs are gray, their height is 23-25 cm;
- the color of the females is less bright, brown-gray tones prevail, there are no black and white stripes on the head
Californian quails lay 9-15 eggs. Even at home, they live in pairs, not in groups. For each such pair, a separate cell should be built. Like other domesticated quails, Californian ones have lost their incubation instinct, so chicks must be raised in an incubator.
Chinese painted quail
Chinese painted quail is also bred for beauty. Its habitat is China, South and East Asia, Australia. Nowadays decorative birds have been brought to many other countries.In terms of size, they are the smallest of all quail breeds. Their colors are very interesting, a wild pheasant has a similar one. This is what these beauties look like:
- the beak is black, the legs are orange with yellow;
- cheeks, forehead, goiter and sides of a grayish blue tint;
- the neck and the area under the beak are black with a white stripe in the shape of a crescent;
- 2 more white stripes go from the beak to the cheeks;
- the back is brown with dark spots;
- brick-colored tummy;
- the female has a dark brown body above, and light brown below, the pattern on the head and neck is the same as in males.
It is necessary to keep the Chinese painted quails in groups, where there is 1 male and 2-4 females. Males are very attentive to their ladies, they will never eat until they are full. If the quails live in an aviary, they can hatch the testicles on their own. Chicks grow up in a short time and already at 3 weeks look like adults. In winter, quails need a heated house.
Manchu golden quail
The Manchu Golden Quail, or Phoenix, is a meat breed. However, it produces very large testicles, albeit in small numbers. Another feature of Manchurian quails is their magnificent golden plumage, thanks to which they are partially classified as decorative. It is somewhat reminiscent of the plumage of hens la Flèche, as can be seen from the photo. The product characteristics of this variety are as follows:
- female weight - 250-300 g;
- the weight of males is 200-220 g;
- carcasses of a beautiful light shade;
- number of eggs - 220 pieces per year;
- the weight of one egg is 16 g;
- the beginning of laying - 6-7 weeks.
The Manchu golden quail was derived from the Japanese one. The breed significantly surpassed its parent in weight, but is inferior in terms of egg production. Nevertheless, quails are also kept for the sake of eggs, because their mass is very large: 16 g versus 10-11 g for other quail breeds. To teach food eggs, males must be separated from females. It is easy to distinguish between them: in males, a mask on the face of a rusty, dark brown or light ocher shade is clearly distinguished.
Pharaohs
Quail Pharaohs are representatives of broiler breeds that were bred in the United States. There are two flavors: regular and Texas. It is believed that the Pharaohs are the most highly productive meat breeds of domesticated quails.
Common Pharaoh
The color of the feathers is the same as that of wild quails or Japanese quail. Carcasses due to this color of feathers do not have a very beautiful appearance and are sold worse. The size of the body is large, the body is compact, muscular. Product characteristics:
- quail weight - up to 300 g, quail - up to 270 g;
- number of eggs - 200-220 pcs. per year;
- the weight of one egg is 12-18 g;
- the age of onset of laying in hens is 6-7 weeks.
It is important to note that when buying hatching eggs or chicks, there is a high risk of getting livestock with different product characteristics than those stated. We do not have enough good breeding quails of the Pharaohs, therefore they are often crossed with other breeds. Distinguishing a cross without a lot of experience, especially at an early age, is almost impossible.
Texas Pharaoh
The Texas white quail Pharaoh is one of the largest breeds. Carcass weight reaches 250 g, and live bird - 440-450 g. Description of the appearance of the Texas Pharaoh:
- the body is plump;
- the back is extended;
- convex breast;
- shortened neck;
- legs and tail are short;
- the head is mediocre;
- flesh-colored beak, black at the tip;
- eyes are large, dark;
- the color is white, on the back of the head there is a black "island" of 3-4 specks;
- plumage is lush, fluffy.
Like the English black and white species, the Pharaoh from Texas has a subtle difference between males and females. Males and females are distinguished by the shade of the cloaca and the presence of yellowish discharge. Youngsters grow and recover rapidly, but egg production, hatchability and chick survival rates are low.Texas Pharaohs eat no more feed than ordinary quails, therefore the cost of their meat is reduced, given the large mass. The light appearance of the carcasses allows them to raise their price, as they are in good demand.
Estonian quail
The progenitors of Estonian quails were English white, Pharaoh and Japanese quail. They belong to egg quail breeds with average productivity and rather large body weight. The Estonian has ocher-colored feathers with a brown tint; males have 3 yellowish brown stripes on the head clearly visible. In females, the goiter and the area under the beak are light gray, and dark dots are visible on the brown breast.
The product characteristics of the Estonian quail are as follows:
- live weight of sexually mature birds - 170-190 g;
- number of eggs - 275-285 pcs.;
- females begin to rush at the age of 37-40 days;
- fertilization of the testicles - 92-93%;
- hatchability of young animals - 81-82%;
- the survival rate of chicks is 98%.
The Estonian quail breed is quite popular, therefore it is not a problem to choose and buy it. It is versatile, you can get a large number of eggs and tasty good quality meat from birds. In addition, the quail is unpretentious, it does not require special care, it is ideal for growing in any conditions.
Japanese quail
Japanese quail is one of the most famous egg breeds, although a broiler meat business has also been developed recently.
The Japanese is rather large (body length - 16-17 cm), has a standard brown-gray color. Lives well in a confined space. Quails of the Japanese egg breed have the following product characteristics:
- the weight of broiler quails is 200-250 g, egg quails - 150-180 g;
- the annual number of eggs is 300 pcs. and more;
- egg weight - 10-12 g;
- the age of the onset of egg production in hens is 45-50 days.
On the basis of the Japanese representative, the English White Quail and the English Black Quail breed were bred. Also, the Japanese became the ancestor of the French Turedo breed and the golden Muharion. It is better to keep colored birds at home in pairs, and wild-colored birds - in families with one male and 3-4 females.
Marble quail
The marble quail is a mutational species of Japanese. It was received by the Moscow laboratory of the All-Russian Institute of Poultry. The breed is bred for the sake of obtaining testicles. The name is associated with a unique color: the birds have white feathers with a beautiful marble pattern. Thanks to the light feather, the carcasses are of high commercial quality. In terms of its productivity, the marble breed is not much different from the Japanese one:
- females weigh 180-200 g, males 150-170 g;
- body length - 13-18 cm;
- number of eggs - 300-320 pcs.;
- feed consumption per 1 individual - 5-6 kg;
- the beginning of egg production is 55-60 days.
Due to its beautiful plumage, the marble breed is often grown as ornamental birds. They have a pleasant voice, friendly character, quails quickly get used to a person. You can verify this by looking at numerous videos and photos. In addition, the Marble breed is quite profitable in terms of food. Crossing of Marble and English quails made it possible to breed the Moscow White breed with high meat productivity. If we compare it with the white Pharaoh, then the Moscow quail wins, especially in terms of weight.
Tuxedo quail
Once the English black and white quail mixed with each other. This crossing resulted in a beautiful breed of Tuxedo Quail. Above, the body of these birds is dark, and the tummy is white. Both colors come in different shades. On a dark background, you can see a golden or bluish tint, on a light one - gray or silver. Individuals of a fawn color are also found.
The productivity of this quail breed is average. Here is a table of the main indicators:
- quails weigh approximately 150-160 g;
- the annual number of eggs is 260-280 pcs.;
- the mass of one egg is 10-11 g;
- the beginning of laying - 6-7 weeks.
Tuxedo quails are suitable for growing in small private farms. Their productivity is too low for industrial breeding. Keeping birds is no problem and is a great choice for novice farmers.
Thus, there is no right decision regarding the best quail breed for breeding. It all depends on the goals of the farmer, what exactly he needs: meat, eggs or a winged friend that pleases the eye.