How to select a Profitable Quail Flock — AQAI
Quails may be tiny, but they come packed with nutritive value; some key nutrients that even chicken doesn’t have. At one point, Quail meat was so popular in India that it was being over-hunted and the government had to ban it. After the population has picked up and markets have opened up demand for it again, Quails have proven to be a great source of income for farmers who farm poultry. Apart from meat, these domestic game birds also produce bite-sized eggs that are also very popular among semi-urban populace of the country.
With rising demand and immense potential, the profitability of Quail farming is still relatively not well known. Most often, it is practised as a hobby instead of an income generator. In order to make a successful business out of Quail farming, one needs to be able to select good breeds and healthy birds. Here are some tips to help you with the selection:
·Start your stock with Quail pullets that are 30–35 days old.
·Female pullets typically start laying eggs between 36–60 days and this is a daily occurrence. As soon as the eggs are laid, check for shell thickness, colour and viscosity of the yolk. All of these will help determine the quality of the flock.
· Females lay about 300 eggs during the first year before the number of eggs gradually decreases, starting with 150 to 175 eggs in the second year. Any change in this average number is an indication of the robustness of this parent stock.
· A good indicator is a 65 percent average laying efficiency within 300 days laying period.
· Body confirmation is another imperative benchmark to understand flock characteristic. Tidiness of feathers, and signs of inbreeding such as black and white streaks should be made note of.
· Check for uniformity in sizes. A mature Japanese quail (60 days old) weighs an average of 120 grams, while a pullet that’s only 30 to 35 days old should only weigh around 100 grams.
· When it comes to choosing birds with uniform sizes, farmers should remember that a mature Japanese quail (60 days old) weighs an average of 120 grams, while a pullet that’s only 30 to 35 days old should only weigh around 100 grams. A mature American quail weighs an average of 220 grams while a pullet only weighs 200 grams.
Despite their size, quails can be a good source of income, especially since they have a high demand in the market. To pick from the best quail breeds in the market, visit AQAI.in
Originally published at https://www.aqai.in.
