Coturnix Quail
Coturnix Quail
The Pharaoh quail also known as the Coturnix quail and Japanese Quail.
Range: Migratory, breeds in eastern Asia - northern Mongolia, southern Siberia, northern China, Japan and North Korea; winters southern and central China, South Korea, southern Japan, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
This is a ground species, feeding on seeds and insects and reluctant to fly.
The domesticated forms are bred by the thousands for food production and hobby.
The breeding age of domestic forms will have adult plumage at six weeks and hens will begin producing eggs shortly after.
With a clutch size from 5 to 9 in the wild and captive birds are known to produce more than a 100 per year.
The incubation period for Coturnix Quail is 16 to 18 days at 99F to 100F with a humidity level of 60%.
Coturnix Quail Egg
Rather non-aggressive, it is unlikely that hens will go broody in captivity, artificial incubation will probably be needed, but one may gain success in an aviary.
During the brooding process change the paper and clean the wire daily for best success. Keep the quail in the brooder until fully feathered and reduce heat by 5 degrees weekly. Continue to protect quail chicks from draft's, and feed starter until week six. After the quail are fully feathered they can be sexed and moved to their final cage.
Feed high quality feed to your coturnix quail for healthy birds. 19-20% protein gamebird layer mix is required along with supplements of grit and oyster shell.
Some of the domesticated forms include Tuxedo, Pharoah, Golden Manchurian, British Range, Speckled and others.