Quail production Techniques in Andaman Nicobar Islands

Quails (“Bater" in Hindi, Titir Pakhi' in Bengali) are hardy birds and does not suffer from common poultry diseases. Their eggs and meat are highly nutritious and is relished by children and aged persons. This is said quail meat and egg is good for allergic asthma patients. Quail farming requires only a low capital investment and gives early return (within 35-40 days) over the investment. They start egg layingat 6th week of age and produce around 250 eggs in a year. The farming activities are simple and timings can be flexed. Hence, this farming can be adapted by home makers, employees and naive farmers as well. Scientists of ICAR-CIARI have standardized package of practices for quail rearing in Andaman conditions and imparting training for the interested farmers. The quails maintained in ICAR-CIARI reaches an average body weight of 180-190 gm at 6 weeks of age.A proper brooder management, nutrition and correct light settings are critical in successful quail farming. A brooding period of minimum 2 weeks is needed for chicks. The feed require a higher protein content than normal broiler ration. At layer stage i.e above 6 weeks, they need a 16-18 h of light compared to chicks (24 h of lighting) while grower stage (3-6 weeks) quail does not require any additional light than natural 12 h lighting. The selection of male and female are easy in quail and can be done by 3-4th weeks of age. A proper male-female ratio of 1:3 is important for better hatchability.

Benefit:Quail rearing in Andaman Nicobar Islands is profitable venture as it is a tourist place . It ensures early return over initial investment.

Source : Contact person with Name, Designation e-mail and phone no: Dr. RafeequeRahmanAlyethodi. Scientist, Animal Science Division, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair. Email: Rafeeqe.Rahman@icar.gov.in. Ph: 9476019389