Before writing this post, I was wondering which community I could post about this topic, but while searching through communities, I found this community that fits the theme I'm going to talk about today: quail egg breeding and production. This is a project I've been working on with my stepfather for a few months now, and we're already seeing results.
A little over a year ago, I was talking with my stepfather about a project that could benefit us. He had previously had a project with him raising dairy goats, but due to reasons beyond his control, all the goats had to be sold, so we abandoned that business, which had lasted about five years or so. Therefore, it wasn't the first time we'd worked with animal breeding, although this time it would be with these beautiful birds, quails.
We had previously considered raising laying hens, but comparing which was more feasible, we found that quails possess certain factors that enable better performance in a shorter period of time, in addition to the fact that quail eggs have better properties compared to laying hens.
First, quail egg production can begin within 30 to 40 days of the quail's hatching, so there's no need to wait as long to begin producing. The initial investment is much lower compared to raising hens, so raising quails means being able to start with a small investment in the shortest possible time.
On the other hand, another very important point is that it doesn't require much space. You just need vertical cages where the quails can spend the night, with their respective feed and water troughs. This is enough to complete their proper diet. These cages also contain trays for collecting bird droppings, which we can then use as fertilizer for some of our crops. Therefore, the space can be very small for breeding, but with proper ventilation and ensuring the area is not humid, so that it doesn't affect the quails.
Now, regarding another specific point regarding the qualities of quail eggs, it is that they contain more protein than chicken eggs, as well as a lower percentage of cholesterol, perfect for a good and balanced diet. These are among other extremely important qualities that we can find.
We currently have approximately 100 quails, so we're producing almost 100% of our daily production, although we're considering purchasing more eggs to continue increasing production, perhaps doubling the number of quails we already have.
Once we've collected all the eggs during the week, we do a complete count and see if any are broken. We then package them in 24-packs each to market the final producer, where we then supply wholesalers with the entire production, which is gradually growing. This also allows me to learn more about quail farming. I'm no expert, but I'm eager to learn more.
All photographs are mine.
