Breeds of quails with photos and names. Quail breeds with photos and detailed characteristics. Nutrition in natural conditions

All quails, their species, breeds and varieties descended from one ancestor - Japanese wild quail - Coturnix japonica (lat.). The second name is the Mute Quail, because instead of a battle cry it makes sounds similar to the tapping of a wooden stick with elements of a soft buzzing.

This is a traditional model organism, that is, it is with it that the obtained new breeds or species are compared, tracing their selection improvement according to certain characteristics.

For the Japanese wild they are:

• body weight - 150-200 g;
• the number of eggs per year - 180-200 pcs.

This is how it looks like:

Today, species of Japanese broiler (meat) quail and Japanese quail with an emphasis on increased egg production are popular.

Why are Japanese breeds popular?

They are popular with poultry farmers for their unpretentiousness and preserved "wild" immunity.

In addition, they are easy to distinguish by gender - as early as 20 days, males are covered with brown feathers, and hens dress in light gray tones with black specks.

Quail is not a capricious bird, gets sick a little, is omnivorous, quickly gains weight, quails begin to lay eggs already in the 2nd month after birth, and the mass of the egg will increase as the female grows older. So, if the age of the laying hen is 35 days, then the weight of the egg will be at least 5.5 g, and at 65-69 days the testicle will already weigh 10.8-11 g.

However, there are certain conditions for keeping this bird:

1. The room for keeping should be warm, but well ventilated.
2. Cages should not be cramped so that the bird is not constrained in movement. An approximate calculation is as follows: for 50 adult birds, an area of ​​​​75-80 ×150 cm for egg breeds and 60-70 ×120 cm for meat breeds. All cages are no more than 30 cm high.
3. Cells can be made with your own hands, or you can buy ready-made ones.
4. Each cell needs separate lighting and heating.

Important! The cage must not be left in an open draft or in direct sunlight!

1. Drinkers and feeders should be removable (for ease of cleaning) and made of durable material (iron, plastic, faience).
2. Cells are not recommended to be placed in more than 3 tiers.

This is the optimal height for harvesting, trapping birds and collecting eggs with a normal average height of an adult.

1. The grid cell should not be wider than 2 cm.

This will ensure sufficient cleanliness of the cages and will not allow the chicks to fall down.

Advice. The tray will be easier to clean if you cover the bottom with paper or newspaper.

1. For growing young animals, additional heating and lighting will be required.
2. Quail females are bad mother hens (too shy).

For breeding, you will have to purchase a home incubator.

1. To obtain meat, males are fattened - they have a special diet and keep them separately. The hen gets her "diet" for a large strong egg - the fat female stops laying.

Important! The water in the drinkers should always be clean, the feed consumption per head should be at least 25 g per day!

It is necessary to feed three times strictly by the hour, expecting that the food will be eaten within 30 minutes.

Quail meat breeds and features of their content

To decide on the choice of quail breed for meat, you need to consider several options.

Broiler breeds are popular among quail breeders, such as:

• Pharaoh;
• Texas white;
• Japanese broiler;
• Phoenix golden.

A broiler quail needs a diet that leads to rapid weight gain so that by 1.5 months the male can gain at least 250-300 g (Pharaoh and Japanese) or even 350-400 (Texas).

Hens are always larger and heavier than males.

Feeding

Feed for meat poultry requires the addition of feed containing protein, vitamins and minerals. In order not to be mistaken with an overdose, it is better to buy ready-made feed for chicken broilers (“Start”, “Growth”, etc.).

The main grain mixture is prepared from crushed corn and wheat. A great addition would be boiled liver, egg, sea fish, fresh herbs. We pass everything through a meat grinder. Useful cottage cheese and periodic addition of fish oil.

Species differences

Broiler quails differ from egg breeds in their dense physique, precocity and friendly weight gain, high yield of meat products in the shortest possible time and peaceful disposition.

Among the shortcomings, one can note a weak interest in the opposite sex, both females and males.

Hence - low egg production and few fertilized eggs.

The sex of the bird is almost indistinguishable until puberty, which is determined by the first laid testicle.

Egg-laying quail breeds and features of caring for them

For a quail breed whose characteristics includes the concept of high egg production, 3 aspects are important:

1. Good adaptability to conditions.
2. Life span.
3. Long duration of oviposition.

These features are best suited for:

• Japanese egg laying;
• Estonian quail.

The productivity of these breeds is from 280 to 300 eggs per year, and the first eggs of the female are laid as early as 5-6 weeks.

Feeding

Feeding and housing conditions are similar to broiler breeds, but feed additives are different.

For meat breeds, weight gain is important, for egg breeds, the composition of the egg.

Quail-laying quails are fed with compound feeds that increase the productivity of the bird: “Zdravur”, “Solnyshko”, “Ryabushka”, etc.

It is more reasonable to replace the liver and sea fish with live worms, larvae and snails.

The grain mixture is made in the same way, but grated apple, carrot or pumpkin must be added to the menu. It must be added carefully so as not to cause intestinal upset!

For proper digestion, all types and breeds of quails are poured into a separate container with coarse clean sand or very fine gravel-fill.

Important! Sand and pebbles should not be given to quail chicks until they are 5-7 days old!

Toddlers often take sand for food, fill their goiter and die.

What can not be given to quails from green fodder

Never give:

• nightshade tops (tomatoes, potatoes);
• parsley, ranunculus and celery;
• sorrel;
• rye and buckwheat (in any form)

What breed of quail is the most egg-laying It is impossible to answer precisely, all differences are rather conditional. For example, Pharaoh's quail, which traditionally belongs to broiler meat breeds, rushes perfectly for quite a long time. high level, starting from the 6-8th week - at least 230 eggs weighing up to 16 g with the correct content.

Meat and egg breeds of quails

This group may include all types of quail known to farmers. In our country, they have proven themselves well:

• English whites and blacks;
• Tuxedo (a hybrid of white and black types);
• Marble (modified Japanese quail);
• Manchurian;
• Estonian;
• Virginia.

Another name for this group is general user. To the question: " What breed of quail is better to choose for beginners? "- The answer is unequivocal:" General use!

To determine, what breed of quail will be the best for you suppliers of meat and eggs, it is worth getting to know them in more detail.

Quail breeds by name with descriptions and photos

Quail Pharaoh you have already met description to egg-laying quail species. It's time to describe the Pharaoh quail breed itself and give it a photo

Female quail Pharaoh:

Male:

This breed is native to the USA.

It was actively used on the territory of the countries of the Soviet bloc in the creation of new egg and meat types of quail. Successful crosses with English white and Japanese quail, hence the color of the feather is very similar to the Japanese bird.

Carcass weight: from 200 to 300 g.

Feed quantity: 40 g/day.

Ready for slaughter at the age of 1.5-2 months.

The meat is excellent in boiled, smoked and fried form.

Texas quail: photo and description of the breed

This beautiful bird has several names:

• Albinotic quail;
• Texas giant;
• American broiler;
• White pharaoh;
• Snow Phoenix.

Breeding this meat quail is a promising business, because the live weight of the bird reaches 400-450 g.

Photo of a white beauty - a female Texas quail:

The name "Albinotic" is not true - these birds have everything in order with melanin. Evidence of this - dark spots on the head and black eyes.

The Texas Quail is often confused with the English White. The explanation is simple: the breeds so often intercrossed with each other that they almost lost their individuality. This was done in order to increase the endurance of the Texas breed. The English White is very resistant to various types of infections, such resistance was also sought from the Texan. In the end, the required proportion was found, both breeds practically do not get sick, but the individual features of each species have been smoothed out.

The only thing is that the English is slightly smaller than the Texas one, and it does not have a yellowish, blurry, barely noticeable speck at the beak and on the sides of the head. The productivity of both breeds is excellent.

If you set a goal and fatten the English cockerel, then it will not yield to the Texas cockerel in weight, it will just take more time.

Quail Texas early. Ready for slaughter in 6-8 weeks.

It does not have high egg production, about 150-170 eggs per year.

The filling of the egg is dense, with a large yolk. The shape is a large ellipse.

The meat is excellent in taste in any form.

Quail Manchurian: breed description and photo

This meat-egg species is distinguished by the lightest "wild" plumage, because the middle of the brown feather is golden wheat in color.

In the photo - a quail proudly "demonstrates" the quality of its magnificent eggs:

The male looks brighter than the girlfriend:

Carcass weight from 140 to 180 g.

Ripeness occurs after 6 weeks.

In a year - 280 eggs.

Egg weight - 12-14 g.

The meat is dry, but indispensable for obtaining a rich aromatic broth.

These are just some breeds of quails with short descriptions. In fact, for each breed there are several subspecies of meat, egg and common species, one has only to dive into the topic of quail breeding.

Quails are easy to keep and feed - there is little space and little food. The acquisition of 2 males and 3-5 hens for each will provide an average family of 4 with fresh and healthy eggs all year round. If you wish to breed quails, there will be tender meat.

What breed will be your chosen quail - your will, the main thing - desire!

Wild quail belongs to the pheasant family. Its weight usually does not exceed 150 g. The body length of the bird is 20 cm. This is the smallest relative of the chicken. His feathers are ochre-colored. The upper part of the wings and head, as well as the back and the area above the tail, are full of spots of various shades, dark and light. But nature conceived such a feature in quails for a reason. This is an excellent camouflage that allows you to hide from predators.

Other bird features

If the quail hides on the surface of the earth, it will not be possible to notice it. The abdominal part of the body is light in color. The color of the neck in males is dark, and in females it is whitish. Quails also sometimes have chest spots.

Birds are classified as chickens. They practically do not differ from other representatives of this group of birds. They stand out only due to the size and color of plumage. In total, there are 9 varieties of wild quail.

Common quail is considered the most common representative of this group. It lives in Eurasia, South and North Africa. It was also found on the island of Madagascar.

During the existence of the USSR, sports and commercial hunting for these birds was organized in the southern part of the country. This led to a decrease in the quail population, especially in the forest-steppe zone. The area of ​​meadows was reduced, which also affected their numbers. The fact is that it was in these zones allocated for hayfields and pastures that birds preferred to breed. A large number of harvesting equipment in these areas also led to the death of a considerable number of members of the family. The fact is that wheat was often sown in the meadows, in the thickets of which quails liked to equip their nests.

Domesticated quail species are almost indistinguishable in appearance from wild varieties. They are just more plump.

Gallery: common quail (25 photos)

Personality and lifestyle

Quail living in warm countries usually do not leave their homes. Only those species that live in cold regions fly south every year. The bird does not have the ability for long flight. Even if detected by predators, she prefers to flee. Rushing into the sky, the feathered one does not rise too high. While flying, it frequently flaps its wings. The quail spends most of its life on Earth. It settles in a dense grass cover. This fact left an imprint on the habits of the bird and its external features.

Grass acts as an excellent defense against potential enemies. That is why quails do not like to leave their home even for a short time. You will never see these birds living in trees. Their maximum weight gain usually comes in the fall. During this period, they prefer to gather in places from where they will begin their journey to warmer climes. Migratory birds go to winter in South Asia and Africa.

There was a time when quails were prized songbirds. But beautiful singing is obtained only from males. It is impossible to call pleasant melodies published by females. Once the singing of quails was a great success in the Kursk province.

An attempt to domesticate quail was first recorded in medieval Japan. Here they were valued for their delicious meat and eggs. They were bred for decorative purposes. Quail came to the USSR in the sixties of the XX century. The bird immediately began to enjoy success, and therefore it could often be seen on the territory of household plots.

Compared to wild relatives, domestic birds of this type have almost completely lost the ability to fly. Their craving for winter flights is also weakly expressed.

Often quails are bred in agriculture for the purpose of obtaining eggs. These birds are distinguished by a meek character and are not particularly picky. To keep a quail, you do not need to create any special conditions. They almost do not get sick and feel good even in a small cage.

Quail eggs are highly valued for their high content of vitamins and many useful properties. They keep for quite a long time.

Quails have a high body temperature. For this reason, they get sick relatively rarely, compared to other birds. A good metabolism also contributes to good health. They do not require vaccination. You can buy quails via the Internet and at special poultry farms. The maximum benefit can be obtained by breeding them for eggs.

Quail meat is very good for health. You can start breeding this bird with the purchase of special cages and boxes for keeping young animals. The cost of one copy depends on age. Chicks cost about 50 rubles. per piece, while for adults you will have to pay from 150 rubles.

At one time in Central Asia, these birds were bred to organize spectacular fights. They were carried out according to the standard scheme. Participants made bets on individual individuals. The owners usually kept fighting quails in their bosoms and valued them for their income.

Nutrition Features

To find food for itself, the quail bird rakes the ground with its paws and scatters it to the sides. Trying to answer the question of what quail eats, it is worth pointing out that most of the food consists of animal food. Birds prefer to eat caterpillars and various insects, worms, small invertebrates. As they grow older, they increasingly switch to plant-based food, consisting of:

This feature should be taken into account by those people who intend to breed quails. At an early age, birds are always given more animal food. The amount of plant components is gradually increased.

Chicks grow and develop quickly. For this reason, in addition to the standard components, their food should include proteins, vitamins and other useful compounds. Do not resort to the use of exotic types of food. Feed is enough if it is chosen correctly. It can be replaced by:

• crushed grain;
• sunflower;
• meat and fish meal;
• boiled vegetables;

Birds need to be protected. This will increase the number of livestock. Young animals are bred in specialized farms. Fans often keep not only domestic quail species, but also wild representatives.

Quail usually arrive at nesting sites in late spring. In the northern regions, this happens sometimes even at the beginning of summer. Birds do not form a permanent pair. For this reason, the male is free to choose any partner for the mating period. Potential grooms often arrange fierce battles for the attention of the female they like. She, in turn, may prefer several partners. During the breeding season, quails and quails arrange impressive scenes with the performance of songs that resemble screams for the most part.

Birds build nests directly in the ground, digging shallow holes for this. At the bottom they spread dry grass and feathers. A quail usually lays up to 20 eggs. They are brownish in color with dark spots. Males do not take any part in caring for future chicks, while the mother does not leave the nest for 15 days. That is why expectant mothers diligently gain weight before survival. This allows them to stock up on nutrients for a specified period, since they practically do not leave the nest.

Chicks break through the shell, being covered with thick red down. There are stripes on the back, head, wings and sides. From the first days they show high mobility. As soon as they dry out, the birds leave the nest. They grow incredibly fast. Literally after 5 weeks, the chicks turn into adults.

Mother all this time surrounds them with care. In case of danger, she covers them with wings. The presence of genetic affinity with chickens is evidenced by the fact that after artificial mixing of these species, the appearance of viable birds is possible. Quail laying hens are usually kept for no more than a year and a half. After the first year, they do not lay eggs well enough. Quails do not live long. If they live up to 5 years, this is considered to be very old.

Quail hunting options

The first option involves hunting in areas where birds build nests.. In this case, hunting dogs are used, which, focusing on the smell, look for masked birds. As soon as the frightened quails fly into the air, they immediately become a target for the hunter. If the event is held in places where there are a lot of these birds, then there is a chance to find up to several dozen birds.

The next option involves shooting on the coast before flying wild quails to warmer climes. Working in a limited area greatly facilitates the process, as a large number of birds are concentrated here. Hitting them with a gun is pretty easy. It is necessary to have a well-trained hunting dog. For this purpose, the spaniel is best suited. The dog will look for game, and then bring the fallen bird to the owner. In some cases, hunters demonstrate random shooting of quails, which is wrong. This is due to the presence of a large number of game.

Partridge and quail: differences

The quail is in many ways similar to the partridge. Both of these birds forage on the ground and love to bathe in the dust. They build their nests in the same way. Partridge stands out for its size. Her body is brighter:

• on the chest there is an ash-gray fluff with a brown tint;
• a darkish spot can be seen on the abdomen.

It is almost impossible to see a bird at the moment when it hid in the nest. Partridge chicks hatch on their own. By appearance they look like chickens. They are not with their parents for a long time, they almost immediately leave the "father's house".

If in winter the quails fly south, the partridges remain. As soon as the first snow falls, these birds settle close to humans. They forage on the roads. Sometimes they can be seen even in the poultry yard and near cowsheds.

Attention, only TODAY!

Quail is a wild bird that belongs to the order of chickens. In the old days, it was of extreme interest to hunters. Today, the population of the species has declined significantly. Despite this, quails continue to be eaten, grown on special farms.

What is this bird? What appearance does she have? Where do representatives of the species live? What is the lifestyle of a quail? The answers to these and other questions can be found in our publication.

Quail bird: description

Representatives of the species are the smallest birds in the chicken order. Quail sizes in length - a maximum of 20 centimeters. Adults are able to gain a mass of about 130 grams. The small dimensions of the body allow such birds to move nimbly in dense vegetation without being seen by predators.

What does a common quail look like? The plumage of the bird in the back area has a brownish-yellow hue with numerous dark mottles. The feathered belly is light yellow. Thanks to this camouflage color, it is extremely difficult to notice quails among tall grasses.

Habitat

The common quail is a bird whose nesting sites are found almost throughout Eastern Europe. In domestic latitudes, it is widespread in Siberia, starting from the upper reaches of the Lena River and ending with the Solovetsky Islands. The quail bird can also be seen in Scandinavia. Quite numerous populations in North America. The species is found in India, China, Mongolia.

Quail - a migratory bird or not?

Representatives of the species that live in latitudes where there is a consistently high temperature of the surrounding space, as a rule, do not leave their inhabited places. So migrant quail or not? Only those birds are sent to the southern countries annually, whose homeland is rather cold lands.

The quail bird is practically not adapted for long flights. The maneuvers of the representatives of the species in the air cannot be called graceful. Overcoming significant distances during seasonal migrations, they often descend to the ground to rest. From the northern regions, their path usually lies in African and Asian countries. It is here that quails spend wintering, after which they return to their places of birth, where they reproduce offspring.

Lifestyle

The quail leads exclusively ground. Representatives of the species rise to the wing only if migration is necessary, or if there is an extreme threat from predators. In everyday life, the quail bird prefers to hide from enemies in dense tall vegetation, making quick dashes.

The choice of grass cover as a habitat left a direct imprint on the habits and appearance of the bird. These miniature creatures are extremely agile. They prefer to live in small groups, making short flights from place to place. Quails hover low to the ground, making tight turns in the air before landing. Representatives of the species refuse to hide on the branches of trees.

The basis of the daily diet of wild quail is food of animal origin. Representatives of the species prefer to rake the ground with their paws in search of small insects and reptiles, all kinds of worms, and invertebrates.

Wild quail also consume a large amount of plant food. They especially like young shoots and leaves of plants. From the soil of the quail, crumbled grains and seeds are collected.

reproduction

The mating season for common quails starts with the arrival of the first warm spring days. In the northern regions, representatives of the species begin to breed in early summer. Quail and quail do not form long unions and permanent pairs, which is often observed in other birds. Males and females mate randomly.

Quail nests are arranged in pre-prepared pits that are dug in the soil. Their surface is lined with dry grass, as well as soft feathers. As a rule, there are about eight eggs in one clutch. In some cases, their number is more than a dozen. The eggs are small and brownish in color with dark patches.

The female of the common quail incubates the offspring for about 3 weeks. After fertilization, the males return to their normal existence and take absolutely no part in caring for the laying of eggs. The upbringing of chicks is also entirely accounted for by quails.

Newly hatched quail chicks are already covered with rather thick fluff. As soon as the young dries out, he immediately begins to follow his mother everywhere, demonstrating high mobility. Chicks are growing at an incredible pace. They become completely independent, sexually mature individuals already at 5-6 weeks from the moment they are born. By autumn, juveniles accumulate significant reserves of fat in the body, which serves as a source of energy for them during the upcoming seasonal migration.

Reasons for the decline in the number of the species

To this day, common quail remains one of the main objects of interest for lovers of sport hunting. In the old days, poultry production in the southern regions of our country was of a commercial nature. This attitude towards birds on the part of man has led to a sharp reduction in the number of the species. A particularly significant decrease in the number of quails is observed in the forest-steppe zones. Previously, these regions had the highest populations.

Another reason for the gradual disappearance of the quail bird in its natural habitat is the development of land for agricultural activities. Thus, the areas of grassy meadows overgrown with dense vegetation are reduced. It is this environment that serves as a place for the quail bird to obtain food and breed.

Every year, a lot of quails die during haymaking by industrial machines. Birds often leave their egg-layings when human activity begins in the fields. The problem is that the active phase of the work on agricultural land falls precisely on the period of quail hatching.

What does a person do to save the species? In order to increase the quail population, various conservation measures are being taken. As practice has shown, the most effective solution is the creation of conditions for breeding young birds in nature reserves and special farms.

Economic importance

Today, quails are increasingly bred as poultry. The largest scale of such economic exploitation of birds is observed in the United States. Due to the fact that quails are not picky in the choice of food, as well as in living and keeping conditions, they are able to quickly breed in captivity.

It is worth noting that domesticated quails have undergone impressive changes compared to wild individuals. First of all, this concerns an increase in the size of eggs, the mass of which has become approximately 45% larger. In addition, domestic quails lost their ability to fly due to uselessness. Among the birds that are kept in the conditions of farms and household plots, there is a disappearance of the nesting instinct, incubation of eggs, and subsequent care for offspring.

Today, quail eggs can be seen in almost every store. Breeding projects for these birds look extremely promising and profitable. Laying quails are usually kept for a year and a half. In the future, they reproduce a small number of eggs and are suitable only for meat. In captivity, quails do not live long. Deep old age for such birds is considered to be about 4-5 years old.

Quail hunting

In the old days, quail fishing was done at the beginning of summer. The hunt began at sunset. Nets were spread across the grass. The hunter was located nearby, making sounds imitating the cry of a bird with the help of a special pipe. When the lured quail approached the trap, it immediately became entangled in the net.

Today, representatives of the species are most often hunted with a gun and dogs. The height of the fishery falls on the period of seasonal bird migrations. Today, hunting with the use of nets is carried out only with the appropriate permission obtained from the environmental authorities. At the same time, only males are caught, which are fattened and handed over to procurement organizations. In order to conserve quail populations in wild environment females caught in the net are released into the wild.

Features of keeping at home

Breeding quails is a simple task. These birds lend themselves perfectly to taming and domestication, like chickens. You can keep them in terrariums and cages, where there can be 4-5 birds. Nests and perches are not organized for them. In captivity, females lay their eggs directly on a substrate of soil and dry grass.

Breeding representatives of the species in captivity is possible only with the help of incubation of eggs. After all, domesticated females do not feel the need to hatch offspring. Breeders often lay quail eggs in chickens. However, in this case, there is a possibility that they will be crushed.

Quails are fed mainly with grain. Their daily diet includes barley groats, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal. Such birds feel the need for a significant amount of protein food, which is used as minced meat, chopped fish, cottage cheese. Quails are also fed with nettles, carrots, cabbage. Birds are offered daily eggshell, fine gravel.

Finally

As you can see, the common quail is a rather interesting, unusual bird. Not so long ago, these birds could be seen almost everywhere in the wild. However, these days, impressive quail populations are becoming rarer. Quails are extremely secretive birds. Therefore, studying their lifestyle and habits in order to preserve the species is a rather difficult task.

The common (or wild) quail is significantly different from many of its "domestic" relatives and, above all, the ability to fly. This is a very interesting bird, watching which you can learn a lot of new things. If this is not possible, then we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the following information about it.

Description and appearance

Common quails belong to the subfamily of partridges, the order of galliformes, and have similar external features to them. The body weight of one bird is on average 100–150 g, with a body length of 16–20 cm. The wings are quite long and have a span of 32–35 cm. The tail is small, almost imperceptible.
The color of the plumage of ordinary quails is very peculiar, but in general yellowish-brown colors predominate in it. This is exactly the upper part of the body of the bird, but sometimes there are additions in the form of ocher inclusions and black spots. The vertex on the head is darker, with a slightly noticeable brown tint, and several buffy stripes run along it. On the head of the birds are brown eyes and a small, neat brown beak (sometimes it can be light in color).

Did you know? The first wild quails were domesticated in the warm regions of Asia, from where they came to America, and then spread throughout Europe. The modern Japanese quail (it is often bred at home) is a distant relative of the Asian quail, and the Japanese began its mass breeding only at the beginning of the 20th century.

In males, dark color feathers are noted on the throat, cheeks and chin, while in females these areas are much lighter. The goiter of males is fiery red, which allows them to attract the attention of young ladies who do not need such a bright color.
The belly is much lighter than the dorsal part, and black, white or brown blotches are easily distinguishable on the surface of the feathers. Such a specific color allows wild quails to survive, because merging with the surface of the earth, they become almost invisible to predators and hunters.

Paws are relatively short, but widely spaced, which allows the bird to move very quickly on the soil surface in case of danger. Despite the ability to fly, wild quails spend most of their lives in dashes.

Where does the common quail live?

The common quail is found in many countries Europe, Africa and Western Asia. On Russian lands, he is hunted in the east, where he lives both on flat terrain and in the mountains. The wintering place of these small birds is the warm African mainland and the territory of Western Asia. The flight to the southern countries is celebrated at the beginning of April, and the birds fly to the northern regions only at the beginning of May.
Birds feel good in open flat areas with high growth, in pastures or floodplain meadows, up to 2 thousand meters high.

Did you know? Quails have already been in space, and this happened back in 1990, when the chicks of this bird hatched at the Mir orbital station. Naturally, the rearing of young animals was carried out in specially adapted for this purpose incubators.

Lifestyle

Moving closer to their nesting habitat, birds choose areas unsuitable for agriculture, where there is plenty of space for running and there is no need to constantly take off (they do not like this). The birds spend their whole day in high thickets of grass, getting their own food, and if you intervene in their measured rhythm of life, the disturbed bird will immediately freeze in place, trying to merge as much as possible with the environment. When a person approaches, it quickly takes off and flies away.
At night, wild quails climb into the grass or under spreading bushes, hiding in them in small flocks. So they can warm each other and do not freeze even on the coldest days of the season.

Wild quails have a lot of natural enemies: from foxes and ferrets to snakes, weasels and various raptors. In addition, in many countries, birds are hunted, and they are forced to flee from humans. Departure to warmer climes occurs in September, but the last birds leave their native places only in November. Quail flocks move at night, and during the daytime they descend to the ground and hide in high thickets of bushes.

What does a common quail eat?

Up to 48% of the feed in the diet of an ordinary quail - food of animal origin. In the first days of life, these are small insects, worms and other invertebrates, but with age, older chicks begin to eat more vegetation: leaves and shoots, and then seeds and grains.
The basis of the diet at this age is weed seeds, and flower buds, leaves and berries, which the birds either pluck from the bushes or pick up from the soil, along with bugs or other invertebrates, act as an additional source of all the substances necessary for the bird.

Important! If the quails came to you directly from wildlife, then at first their diet should be as close as possible to the usual, including insects and plant seeds. The birds are gradually transferred to compound feed and other products familiar at home.

reproduction

Quail is one of last birds, which return to their usual nesting places in the spring (approximately in late April or early May). They do not create permanent pairs, so males mate with any female, of course, first having won her from a competitor. At the height of the mating season, quails make loud repetitive sounds around the clock, reminiscent of “weeding”. Quails respond to them, which later arrange nests in the recesses of the soil.
Caring mothers line the bottom of the pits with dry grass, and sometimes with their own feathers. In one nest, from 8 to 20 brownish eggs are placed, with black patches on the surface of the shell. The process of incubation of chicks lasts 15–17 days, and the countdown starts from the last egg laid. Fathers do not take part in incubation or further education of the young, and as soon as the “newborns” dry out a little (they hatch from the eggs densely pubescent), they leave the nest together with their mother.
Already in the first days of their existence, the reddish-buffy chicks of the common quail are very active. If you're lucky, you can watch how the striped backs swarm in the grass, trying to keep up with their mother. The weight of one newly hatched wild chick is slightly less than the cubs. home breeding(about 5.5 g), but already in 35-40 days of life, these birds reach "adult" sizes.