Broiler Quail Farming

Farm Site

Growing of quails does not require a large area. This is an advantage because of the small size of the quails as compared to chickens. Nevertheless the growing requirement is identical to chicken rearing. Farm site should follow laws and bylaws of the state. As an example, in Johor, a license is required to rear quails as provided in The Animal Industries Enactment Act.

In selecting suitable farm site, it is advisable the area should be away from domestic houses and other poultry farms. The area should be free from flood with transportation facilities for the movement of goods. Hilly and undulating areas are also suitable but incur high cost in land works. Areas with good ventilation must be considered.

The requirement for quail houses depends on the quantity and frequency of production. As an example, for an entrepreneur that wishes to produce broiler quails on weekly basis require minimum of 8 houses. The requirement follows the all-in all-out growing system for each house. For rearing of 10,000 quails in a house, the land requirement (or house dimension) is 10 meters wide by 21 meters long by 3.6 meters high. The growing density for the house is 210 square meter per quail. Give a distant of at least 15 meters between houses. Perimeter fencing is recommended to prevent predators and disturbances. Quails are easily excited and this can affect performance.

In quail rearing, the normal practice is for farmers to slaughter their quails and sell as dressed quails. Farmers have their own processing set up for this purpose. The processing house should be away from the rearing area. The size of the processing house depends on the number to be slaughtered. Cold room or freezer must be available for storage purposes.

2. Management System

It is recommended to follow the all-in all-out rearing system. Under this system only one age group of quails are reared per house. This system allows for better management practices and disease control. Wooden box rearing of quails is the most common rearing practice by our local farmers. Quail chicks are brooded in special wooden boxes after which they are transferred to multi tier wooden boxes. Bigger farmers practice floor rearing on deep litter system.

3. Supply of Day-old Chicks

Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ) is the type of quail use for meat and egg purposes. Supply of day old chicks for meat purpose comes from farmers growing layer quails. Some farmers rear imported bigger body size quails for meat production. From the appearance and description both strains are from the same species. The difference being for meat production, selection and breeding produce bigger size quails. The Institute for Poultry Development, Department of Veterinary services has developed a special meat type quail ( Coturnix japonica ) from selection and breeding works. This quail was named " PUYUH IKTA". For high quality meat quails, it is advisable for farmers to obtain Puyuh IKTA commercial stock from selected breeder quail farmers.

Farm Management

Brooding Period

On deep litter growing system, quail chicks from day old to 10-14 days are brooded using brooding circles made from cardboard. Gas brooder is used as the heat source. One gas brooder can brood 1000 quail chicks in one brooding circle. Brooding area per chick is 30 square centimeter from day old to 10 days. After 10-14 days brooding circle is dismantled and the quails are free to grow on the litter until slaughter age. Gas brooder should be hung in the centre of the circle 91 centimeters high. Heat regulation is important depending on the conditions of the environment. All around the house should be covered with polyethylene sheets to prevent draft and cold air entering the house. Eight liter water fount/200 quails and feed trays 30.5 cm x 30.5 cm x 2.52 cm /200 quails should be placed alternating one another in the brooding circle. Litter is from wood shavings placed 8 cm. high from the floor. Feed and water should be given without restriction.

If wooden box growing system is used, brooding period is also 10-14 days. The floor of the box has to be covered with corrugated paper or equivalent. This is to prevent quail chicks from dropping to the floor. The whole box is covered with clear plastic or gunnysacks to help retain heat in the box. Heat source is from 100 watts incandescent bulb placed in the centre of the box. One section of the box measuring 1 square meter can brood 80 quail chicks. Around the house must be covered with polyethylene sheets during brooding. Feed and water equipment are as described above.

Growing Period

On deep litter growing system, brooding circle can be dismantled after 10-14 days after which the quails are allowed to grow freely throughout the house until market age. After brooding, automatic water drinkers and hanging feeders are provided to the quails. Provide 1 automatic drinker/200 quails and 1 hanging feeder/200 quails. Feed is given freely without restriction to ensure rapid growth. Fresh, clean water should be provided everyday. Prevent outside disturbances during the growing period. Marketing age is recommended at 42 days. At this age, the average live weight is 290 grams. Please refer to Appendix 2 for the IKTA Quail Standard. Quails are caught and send to be processed immediately. Delay in slaughtering the quails will results the quails reaching sexual maturity and this can affect meat quality. Sexual maturity of broiler quails average 45 days.

In wooden box rearing, after brooding, the plastic cover is removed. Polyethylene sheets surrounding the house must be removed. The corrugated paper used to cover the floor in the box should be removed and discarded accordingly. Quails will then grow on the box floor until marketing age. Water founts can still be used and placed in the box. Ensure clean and fresh water daily. Feed trays should be removed and replace with feed troughs. Feed troughs are hung outside the box. One section of the box can grow 40 quails. Most quail farmers use tier wooden boxes. Figure 2 shows the wooden box rearing system. In this system, feed and water troughs are placed outside the box. The number of quails per box or tier depends on the dimensions. Provide 209 square centimeter of growing space per quail to market age.

Quail Nutrition

Quail starter mash feed is given to broiler quails. The nutrient requirement as recommended is in Appendix 3. This type of feed ensures rapid growth of quails to market weight. But in the field, most farmers do not use this feed. Broiler starter crumble feed for broiler chicken is commonly use. Feedmillers do not produce quail starter mash because of the small volume. For big producers, they can use the recommended quail feed by direct negotiation with the feed millers.

Health

Quails are generally resistant to many diseases but may succumb to diseases of other avian species. Specific diseases of quails are Ulcerative Enteritidis and Quail Bronchitis. Death due to injuries from cannibalism, flighty behavior and status seeking heirachy are common. Please contact the nearest DVS office for advice on quail diseases.

Environmental Management

Quail farmers are advised to follow all rules and regulations pertaining to livestock farming. Most common problems identified in quail rearing are flies, ordour and farm water discharge into the rivers. It is an offence to bridge any rules and regulations in the environmental laws. Producers are advised to seek advised from the nearest Department of Science and Environment.

Good Animal Husbandry Practices - (GAHP)

The present quail husbandry is far off then the expectation of the present customer's requirement. Farmers should emphasize on recommended husbandry system to fulfill the customer's expectations (clean products) with optimum income. Practicing GAHP increases the confidence of cleanliness and healthy food for domestic and export.

Farm Site

Before starting a farm, producers must consider a few factors suitable for the growing of quails. Factors involve in opening a new farm are as follows:

The farm must be away from develop or residential areas. Farmers should be aware of any laws and bylaws governing the rearing of livestock in their area.
If possible the farm must be far from any other poultry farm. It is recommended that perimeter fencing be put up around the farm.
The farm should be accessible by road for easy movement of farm inputs and outputs. Present of communication and electrical lines are important.
Flat land not subjected to flood with good drainage.
Areas with good air movement.

Housing

The importance of housing is to provide comfort and safe domain to the quails. Quails are sensitive to these factors. The size and dimensions of the building depends on the number of quails the farmer is going to rear. A few points must be followed to maximize production:


If the country is hot and humid throughout the year then the axis should be east-west. This is important in allowing the amount of sunlight into the houses.
The distant between two houses must be 15.24 meters minimum to prevent easy spread of diseases from house to house.
Avoid the present of large trees or buildings that can disrupt the flow of air to the houses. Avoid damp areas.
The width of the houses must not exceed 12.19 meters. This is to ensure that ventilation from side to side of the houses.
The length of the house depends on the contour of the land and the type of equipment use.
It is recommended that the roof be of aluminum type. Aluminum roofing is easily torn. It is recommended that the house shall not be under any trees.
The sides of the house should be covered with wire mesh or equivalent to prevent animals, chickens and wild birds. BRC wire is strong and last long and easy to clean.
Cemented floor is necessary for hygiene and easy management.
Proper drains around the houses.

Cleaning the Quali Housing

All equipment used after the growing of the last batch need to be washed and cleaned thoroughly. Use plenty of water and disinfectant to ensure the houses are always clean from disease agents for the next flock. The cleaning programme is as follows:


Remove old litter/manure.
Remove out and clean feeding equipment
Clean and service water drinkers.
Spray insecticide including roof area. Please follow manufacturer's instructions.
Cleaning the house with water. Using high-pressure sprayer is recommended.
Spray disinfectant. Please follow manufacturer's instructions.

Receiving Quail Chicks

Quail chicks need to be placed into brooding areas immediately on arrival. Delay in placing into brooding areas can lead to high mortality due to stress. Brooding management is critical in quail growing. High mortality was observed due to negligence in brooding. Not only the producers will suffer high mortality, surviving quails will be stunted.

Brooding

Brooding is the rearing of quail chicks with proper temperature control and ventilation. The right temperature is between 36-37 C for the first 3 days. The room temperature can be gradually reduced to ambient temperature. Heat supplementation ends on the 10th day. Good management calls for daily heat requirement and weather conditions. Low temperature results in mortality due to piling (suffocation). High temperature results in mortality due to heat stress. Brooding period is from day old to 10-14 days. Fresh water must be given daily. Glass marbles are placed in the drinking area of the water founts to prevent drowning. Water drinkers and marbles must be washed daily. Fresh feed should be given daily without restriction. Prevent feed wastage. Dead chicks should be removed and dispose off accordingly. Antibiotic treatment depends on situation. Farmers /producers are advised to contact DVS for advice and guidance on the usage of drugs.

Growing

Immediately after brooding, the brooding circles are removed and the quails are free to grow the entire area of the house. Provide 7.62 cm - 12.7 cm. high of litter material. Water founts can be replaced with automatic drinkers. The level of the drinkers must follow the height of the back of the quails. The water level in the drinker must be high enough for the quails to reach and at the same time prevent from easy spillage. Wash the drinkers everyday and provide clean water to ensure the health of the quails. Hanging feeders are used after brooding. Provide 1 feeder for every 100 quails. The amount of feed may not be necessary be filled to the top because quails do not eat that much. Fresh feed should be given daily. The feeder level must be according to back height of the quail.

In wooden box growing, after brooding, remove the floor cover and dispose off accordingly. Remove the plastic cover. Water drinkers are recommended/40 quails. Feed trough are hung outside the wooden box to facilitate easy feed dispense.

Other Management

Dead quails have to be removed daily and dispose off accordingly. Prevent any disturbances from other livestock or humans in the house.

The best way to prevent diseases is disease control. Care should always be given to cleanliness of the houses and farm area. If there is any outbreak of diseases, farmers are advised to contact the nearest DVS for advice. When using drugs or medications, please follow the recommended dosage. Farmers must control the use of medications including following the withdrawal period before slaughter.

Collecting Quails for Processing

When the quails have reached the marketing age, they are caught and placed in special crates to be sent to the processing plant.Catching must be performed carefully as to prevent injury to the quails. It is recommended that the quails are not fed 12 hours prior to slaughter. This is to ensure clean carcass from contamination of fecal and feed material during processing. It also saves on feed cost. Catching must be done quickly and prevent quails from fright. Prevent from throwing and kicking the quails during catching. Hold the quails by the leg. Do not hold many quails during catching. Place the quails in the crate headfirst and do not overcrowd the crates.

Quail Processing

Quails have to be slaughted immediately upon arrival at the processing plant. All crates have to be placed in areas designated in the holding area. Ensure complete cleanliness during processing. Slaughtering of quails must follow the Islamic way ( Halal).Proper technique must be follow for scalding and defeathering to prevent downgrade carcass ( broken leg, torn skin or flesh ). Evisceration needs to be performed carefully to prevent contamination of internal contents of the intestines on the carcass. Lungs must be removed. Completely processed quails have to be washed thoroughly and cool down before packing. Completely packed quails are then stored in the freezer for sale. Ensure cleanliness at all time.

Keeping Records

Record keeping is important to the producer to analyze success or failure in rearing. Records help the producer to identify any management mistakes and actions that need to be taken immediately if there are problems.





Marketing
Quail Chicks
For quail breeder farmers, their product is day old chicks. The price of day old chick is different by states and districts. The table below shows the price of day old quail chick by states.


Price of Commercial Broiler Day Old Quail Chick State Price of day old quail chick
(sen / chick)
Johor 40
Kedah 30
Kedah 30,40,50,60,100
Kelantan 30,35,50
Negeri Sembilan 40
Pahang 50
Perak 35,40
Terengganu 35,40
Sarawak 55,100
WP Labuan 80


The differences in price due to the following:

there are producers that sell chicks at more then one day old age
varied cost of production
different types of quail ( meat versus egg )


Dressed Quail
In quail rearing the product sold at the farm is completely dressed quails. Most quail farmers have the processing facilities. There are many forms of which quails are sold by state/district. Selling dressed per quail is the most popular form of quails sold in many states. There are different grades of quails. The grading is non-standard in many states. Different grading criteria cause the different in prices. Kelantan and Pahang states sold by weight.

The table below shows the grade and prices by states. Dressed quails are usually sold to restaurants, night markets and supermarkets.


Grade and Prices of Quail by State ( 1998 ) State Grade Price
Kedah A( 150 - 180 gm/chick ) 1.50 / chick
B ( kurang dari 150 gm/chick ) 1.20 / chick
1.10 / chick
Perak Borong 1.60 / chick
Selangor A (minima 2.0 kg / 10 chick )
B (minima 1.6 kg / 10 chick )
C (minima 1.45 kg / 10 chick ) 2.00 / chick
1.70 / chick
1.50 / chick
Negeri Sembilan A ( melebihi 1.5 kg / 10 chick )
B ( 1.30 - 1.45 kg / 10 chick )
C ( 1.00 - 1.20 kg / 10 chick ) 1.75 / chick
1.60 / chick
1.10 / chick
Johor AA ( melebihi 190 gm / chick )
A ( 170 - 190 gm / chick )
B ( 150 - 170 gm / chick ) 2.10 / chick
1.90 / chick
1.70 / chick
Terengganu 1.10 - 1.20 gm / chick 1.50 - 1.60 / chick
atau 12.00 / kg
Kelantan 100 gm / chick
110 gm / chick
160 gm / chick
180 gm / chick 12.00 / kg
13.00 / kg
18.00 / kg
20.00 / kg



Fried Quail

The most popular form of quail consumed by the population is in fried form. A very high percentage of fried quails are sold in night markets, farmers market, warungs and restaurants. The price is dependent on location and states. As an example, in Johor Bahru, one fried quail costs RM2.50 - RM3.00. Nevertheless there are other forms of cooking of quails by restaurants.


Promotion

To expand the development of the quail industry, promotions are being held to expose the population to eating the nutritive and delicious quails. DVS via the states and FAMA occasionally hold promotions to meet the objective. Consumers responded well to these promotions and are accepting the quails. However, various promotions are always restricted in the urban areas. Further promotions into rural areas and with the help of the producers themselves, consumption of quails can be expected to increase further in the future.


Farm Site

Growing of quails does not require a large area. This is an advantage because of the small size of the quails as compared to chickens. Nevertheless the growing requirement is identical to chicken rearing. Farm site should follow laws and bylaws of the state. As an example, in Johor, a license is required to rear quails as provided in The Animal Industries Enactment Act.

In selecting suitable farm site, it is advisable the area should be away from domestic houses and other poultry farms. The area should be free from flood with transportation facilities for the movement of goods. Hilly and undulating areas are also suitable but incur high cost in land works. Areas with good ventilation must be considered.

The requirement for quail houses depends on the quantity and frequency of production. As an example, for an entrepreneur that wishes to produce broiler quails on weekly basis require minimum of 8 houses. The requirement follows the all-in all-out growing system for each house. For rearing of 10,000 quails in a house, the land requirement (or house dimension) is 10 meters wide by 21 meters long by 3.6 meters high. The growing density for the house is 210 square meter per quail. Give a distant of at least 15 meters between houses. Perimeter fencing is recommended to prevent predators and disturbances. Quails are easily excited and this can affect performance.

In quail rearing, the normal practice is for farmers to slaughter their quails and sell as dressed quails. Farmers have their own processing set up for this purpose. The processing house should be away from the rearing area. The size of the processing house depends on the number to be slaughtered. Cold room or freezer must be available for storage purposes.

2. Management System

It is recommended to follow the all-in all-out rearing system. Under this system only one age group of quails are reared per house. This system allows for better management practices and disease control. Wooden box rearing of quails is the most common rearing practice by our local farmers. Quail chicks are brooded in special wooden boxes after which they are transferred to multi tier wooden boxes. Bigger farmers practice floor rearing on deep litter system.

3. Supply of Day-old Chicks

Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ) is the type of quail use for meat and egg purposes. Supply of day old chicks for meat purpose comes from farmers growing layer quails. Some farmers rear imported bigger body size quails for meat production. From the appearance and description both strains are from the same species. The difference being for meat production, selection and breeding produce bigger size quails. The Institute for Poultry Development, Department of Veterinary services has developed a special meat type quail ( Coturnix japonica ) from selection and breeding works. This quail was named " PUYUH IKTA". For high quality meat quails, it is advisable for farmers to obtain Puyuh IKTA commercial stock from selected breeder quail farmers.




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