The simplicity of quail breeding and the profitability of this business have led to an increase in the number of farmers engaged in raising these birds. This area of poultry farming gained particular popularity with the advent of meat breeds with improved characteristics of carcass mass, among which we consider the Pharaoh and Texas white quail breeds.
Pharaoh
Breed Pharaoh was bred in the 60s of the twentieth century. in California (USA), later hit the territory of the USSR, where it was brought from Poland. Currently, it is one of the most common breeds of quail, which are bred in Russia. 
Appearance and physique
Distinctive external signs of quail breed Pharaoh are:
- the plumage is brown in black and white speck, lighter on the belly, resembles the color of wild birds;
- body build - large;
- head is small, oval in shape;
- eyes - round, black color;
- beak - small, gray or brown;
- trunk - slightly elongated;
- wings shortened;
- tail is short;
- paws are light pink or light brown in color;
- the color of the eggshell is light gray and speckled.
Familiarize yourself with the list of the best breeds of quails, and also learn about the peculiarities of the content of such breeds of quails as Chinese painted, Manchurian, Estonian, ordinary.
Productive characteristics
The productivity of the Pharaoh breed can be characterized by such indicators:
- The mass of the male is from 0.2 to 0.27 kg, the females are about 0.3 kg, individual birds can reach 0.5 kg.
- Meat yield - from 70 to 73%.
- Puberty - 1.5 months. At this age, males can mate, and females begin to lay eggs.
- Egg production is about 200 eggs per year.
- The weight of the eggs is about 15 g (for such birds a rather large size).
- Egg fertilization - 90%.
- The survival rate of chicks is just over 70%.
Important! The best period for slaughtering the Pharaoh breed to get the highest percentage of meat is 6 weeks.
Texas white quail
Another meat breed of quail, bred in the USA, is Texas White (albino, white Texas giant, white Pharaoh, snow).
Important! The absence of other colors in the white plumage, except for black dots on the back of the head indicates the pure blood of the Texas white quail.
Appearance and physique
The appearance of the Texas White Quail breed is characterized by the following features:
- the plumage is luxuriant, white in color; several black dots on the back of the head;
- body build - tight;
- head - oval, small;
- eyes - round, black;
- beak - a small, pale pink color, at the end there may be a dark spot;
- the neck is short;
- body shape - oblong;
- the back is wide;
- chest - bulges forward;
- legs - well developed;
- hoisted - large, light pink color;
- character - calm.
Productive characteristics
The productivity of quail breed Texas White characterize these parameters:
- Weight - female weighs about 0.45 kg, male - 0.35 kg, maximum weight - up to 0.55 kg.
- The meat yield in females is up to 0.35 kg, in males it is up to 0.25 kg.
- Puberty - 2 months.
- Egg production - 200 eggs per year.
- Egg weight - about 12 g, sometimes up to 20 g.
- Egg fertilization - 90%.
- The survival rate of chicks is 70-80%.
Did you know? Quail eggs have almost 2.5 times more vitamins and almost 5 times more nutrients than chicken.
Care and maintenance of quail at home
In order to keep quails in the household, it is necessary to provide the following conditions:
- Cellular content has the advantage over the free, to protect them from other animals and to prevent shoots.
- At 20 square meters. cm of cage can have no more than 1 bird.
- The optimal cell size is 90 cm in length, 40 cm in width, 20 cm in height.
- The cells in the front wall of the cage must be of such a size that the bird can stick its head.
- Feeders and drinkers are attached to the outside of the cells.
- From the bottom of the cells are placed trays for eggs and feces.
- Birds designated for breeding are placed separately at the rate of 1 males no more than 4 females, and better - 2.
- Birds set aside for slaughter are divided into males and females and kept separately, actively feeding.
- The temperature in the room is maintained at a level of +18 to +22 ° C.
- Indoors there should be a dim extra light at the level of a 40 W lamp to provide illumination up to 17 hours per day.
- Ventilation holes are needed in the house, but there should be no drafts.
- Humidity should be about 70%.
- Birds must be cleaned regularly.
- You can feed your own food or purchased (for quails or laying hens).
- If feeds are prepared on their own, they must contain grains, vegetables, grass, chalk, salt, unrefined sunflower oil, fish meal.
- Birds can not be overfed, otherwise their egg production will decrease.
It will also be useful for you to learn how to make various feeders for quails with your own hands, how to make a brooder for quails with your own hands.
Thus, the most famous meat species of quail are the Pharaoh and Texas white. Both breeds are characterized by a large size of carcasses, they differ in the color of their plumage: brown in black and white speck in the Pharaoh and white in Texan.
Did you know? In 1990, with the help of quail, hatching from eggs in space, it was proved that cosmic radiation is not displayed on the appearance of offspring.
They do not require large maintenance costs, but you need to take into account the fear of drafts, bright light, crowdedness and to comply with sanitary and hygienic requirements.
