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Although wild species of quails that were widespread in the world have long been the subject of hunting, the inhabitants of southeast Asia were the first to show interest in the domestication of birds. Therefore, it is believed that the ancestors of the main breeds of quail are feathery inhabitants of the Japanese islands. Later, in the course of artificial selection and due to the multitude of mutations of the fast-breeding bird, interesting from the point of view of breeding varieties appeared in other parts of the world.
What are modern quail breeds and their characteristics? What kind of birds are better raised on their own farmstead?
Colorful photos and descriptions of the breeds of quails, the most popular in the world and among our poultry farmers, will help to understand the huge diversity of this poultry and get birds for the soul and needs.
Japanese Quail
In different parts of the world, their own unique species of quail dwell. Wild quails, once for the first time domesticated by the Japanese, are found today in many areas of the Russian Far East and Primorye, in China and in their home country - in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Japanese quails are small, variegated birds with an elongated body, short, practically unsuitable for flight wings and an almost imperceptible tail.
Like most relatives, the males of Japanese quails have a brighter coloring than the females. Their breasts are brown, and the hens are light.
The weight of an adult bird reaches 130 grams, and the egg production rate of the female reaches 300 eggs per calendar year. Having fallen into the hands of breeders, Japanese quails today have become more active and longest, and varieties with greater weight have been obtained. At the same time, the positive features of this breed were preserved to the maximum: unpretentiousness to conditions of detention and immunity to a number of diseases dangerous for birds.
Manchurian golden quail
Beautiful golden birds outwardly resemble their Japanese counterparts, but their plumage is much lighter and has a distinct yellowish tint. Among the poultry farmers of Russia, this breed of quail is deservedly popular due to its versatility. Birds are distinguished by good meat indicators and decent egg production. Moreover, crossing Manchurian meat quails with females of other breeds gives very useful results. The progeny of such unions are distinguished by their large size and rapid weight gain.
For a year, the female of this breed of quail brings up to 220 eggs, very large for this species of bird. The average weight of one piece is 16 grams, when most relatives weigh an egg from 9 to 12 grams.
This egg weight is not surprising if you know another characteristic of the quail breed. A Manchurian female can grow up to 300 grams, which is more than twice the weight of a Japanese quail carcass. Indicators of males are slightly less, their well-fed, attractive for cooks carcasses weigh about 200 grams.
Today, poultry farmers use two different methods of growing Manchurian, golden quail. For large table eggs, the livestock of hens is kept away from males. Parent families are created only when it is necessary to obtain eggs for incubation.
Quail Pharaoh
Meat quail Pharaoh - the result of the work of American breeders. The appearance of the bird differs little from the natural "wild" color, while quail is much more massive than the Japanese ancestors. Like their Manchurian congeners, these birds perfectly increase the weight, which in females reaches 300, and in males - 240 grams. Egg production in this breed of quail is relatively low. For the year, the female brings up to 220 large table eggs.
The excellent characteristics of the quail breed claimed by breeders and American poultry farmers have been confirmed in Europe and Russia. To date, there are several lines of the breed of the Pharaoh, received by poultry farmers from different countries. And the American breeders did not stop in their work.
Texas Quail
On the basis of quails, the pharaoh in Texas produced other poultry meat breeds that immediately interested the world's poultry farmers. These are white Texas quails or white pharaohs, even exceeding their ancestors by weight.
The adult female of this variety grows to a record 400 grams, while the males are a bit smaller. However, it is possible to distinguish birds not only in fatness and size, but also in appearance. Texan quails have thick white plumage, sometimes with small single spots, wide back and chest. The color unusual for the species affected the skin color of the bird, so the carcasses of the white Texas pharaoh are more attractive for lovers of refined gastronomy than the meat of dark or variegated quails.
Poultry farmers speak of Texas white quails as unpretentious, fast-growing pets, extremely moderate in nutrition.
Estonian quail
On the basis of the blood of such breeds of quail as Pharaoh, English white Japanese were obtained Estonian quail. This is an excellent meat-meating type of poultry, which received from its ancestors the ability to keep egg production, endurance and unpretentiousness for a record long time.
Service Agreement Representatives of this breed are quails, rounded torso, short, like all related birds, wings, short neck and arched back. The color of the bird is close to natural. Males are brighter and more expressive than larger females. Telling everything about quails from Estonia, one cannot fail to mention their magnificent early-manifesting egg productivity.
A female who starts in 37–40 days old can give up to 30 dozen eggs weighing 9–12 grams each per year. The birds themselves weigh less than meat congeners. The average weight of the carcass is 120-130 grams, but with such a small weight the meat is very tasty.
English black quail
From the Japanese quail in the UK, a population of quite dark birds with brown and sometimes almost black plumage was obtained. The breed received the name of the English black quail and quickly spread to European countries, hitting Russia. In comparison with the ancestors, this breed of quail is more fat, but it is lagging behind in the growth rate and is not so willingly carried.
English black quail females grow to 200 grams of live weight, males have an average weight of about 170 grams. Each year, the layer brings 260–280 small delicacy eggs. Thanks to unpretentiousness and stable egg production, birds are popular with amateur poultry farmers.
English white quail
The second British breed of quails is strikingly different from the black-brown counterparts. White English quails belong to the egg variety, but once in the kitchen, their carcasses look better than the dark ones, which increases the interest of lovers to this poultry.
In quails, predominantly white plumage, although brown, black or golden spots are permissible. Beginning to be born at the age of 40–45 days, quails give 280 eggs during a calendar year. The live weight of the female English quail is 160–180 grams, and the roosters grow to 160 grams.
Tuxedo quail
The original look of tuxedo quails attracts many interested views of poultry farmers to this breed. The variety obtained by crossing white and black English birds has an egg direction, but it is also valuable for private farms.
Unusual, dark at the top and white at the bottom, the representatives of the breed are obliged to quail for mutations, due to which recently breeders have received not only quail quails, but also birds with beautiful “marble plumage”.Such quail on a white background is clearly distinguishable bluish-gray glow on the feathers. Not uncommon on the farmstead pizza golden, blue, pale yellow colors. The average female tuxedo quail weighs no more than 160 grams, and the roosters are even smaller. But this does not prevent an interesting bird from bringing up to 280 eggs a year.
Chinese painted quail
In addition to Japanese quail, painted Chinese birds with a red belly and rich tinges of color on the neck and back are widely known in the world today. Unlike Japanese quails, which are polygamous, this bird prefers to spend its entire life with a single chosen one. Quails are unpretentious and easily adapt to different conditions of detention, jealous of their own housing and its protection.
Since these quails are quite small, selection work is now underway in Asia and Europe to breed with the best meat and egg characteristics.
Virgin quail
Having achieved significant results in the domestication of ordinary quail, poultry farmers make successful attempts to grow birds in private farms that were previously considered exotic. An example is the native American species - Virginian quail. From the already familiar rocks it is distinguished by an elongated body, large eyes and a shortened beak. The birds have a reddish brown color with bright black and white markings on the feathers. White stripes are clearly visible on the heads of the males.
These quails are larger than normal, but it’s too early to talk about their meat orientation and the consolidation of the breed signs, although after good fattening they have a certain culinary value. Egg production is also not great. But lovers of decorative birds will appreciate the golden and snowy virgin quail.
Californian quail
The Californian variety is considered the most unusual and beautiful quail. The head of the representatives of this breed of quails is crowned by a miniature sultan of several dark feathers. The body of large, up to 25 cm long, birds is rounded, dense, the tail, although longer than that of other relatives, but still short. The quail has a convex chest, decorated with whitish or yellow feathers with a black border, white contrasting stripes on the forehead and cheeks. Olive back and variegated neck. Females are not as bright as males, but noticeably brighter than many domesticated cousins.
Birds are already being taken out and raised for meat, as well as for decorating garden-pack areas. Birds are monogamous and quick. Californian quail chicks can begin adult life at the age of 35 days.
