Japanese Quail Breeder: Performance under Field Conditions

Quail are highly prolific with shorter generation interval, require less space, feed and capital to start with, have greater resistance to diseases and they can be reared under wide range of climate and farm conditions compared to other species of poultry. The significant role of housing system (cage vs deep litter) is well documented in chicken, whereas similar information is meager in the emerging area of Japanese quail production. Insufficient research work in Japanese quail breeding and incubation, had compelled quail breeders and hatcheries to adopt the management and techniques standardized for chicken, resulting in lesser fertility and hatchability than in chicken. The study of production and reproduction pattern of Japanese quail in relation to the ambient environment would throw light on acclimatization of Japanese quail to our agro-climatic conditions and management. This book, a part of PhD thesis submitted to the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai will be useful to aspiring farmers, entrepreneurs and researchers.