The Sunday Mail
Tafadzwa Kadani
Quail farming is on the rise in the country due to increased demand of the bird’s meat and eggs, it has emerged.
lt is also understood that the few farmers that are in the business are failing to supply enough to their customers.
The quail bird is a highly nutritious bird consumed locally and is popularly known as chiwuta in Shona or isigwaca in Ndebele.
It was originally ranched in Japan and soon spread to African countries with Uganda and Kenya becoming the pioneers of quail farming in 2010.
Realising how lucrative quail farming can become, more and more Zimbabweans are now taking it up as a business.
Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Quail Farmers Trust (ZQFT), Mr Campion Mutarisi confirmed that business was brisk adding that his organisation is now training and equipping prospective quail farmers.
“We started this trust in October 2014 after realising the potential that quail farming has. Our aim is to equip the general citizenry on how to farm the birds,” he said.
The quail bird is also popular for its ability to cure a number of illnesses that include insomnia and cancers, among others. Some have even gone on to say the bird’s meat and eggs can boost the immune system.
One of the advantages of quail farming is that the bird is not as susceptible to diseases as the chicken. They also do not consume as much feed, one bird consumes an average of 20 to 30 grammes a day.
When it comes to space, seven quail birds can be accommodated on a space that is sufficient for one chicken.
Females start laying eggs at six weeks and lay one egg every day for two years. Quail manure is high in ammonia nitrate and can be used as fertiliser.
“For one to start farming quails, he or she has to have a business plan. They have to be trained on how to keep the birds and have capital,” said Mr Mutarisi.
“The birds feed on chicken starter mash and layer mash. However, agro-processing companies are in the process of manufacturing feed that is specific to the quail bird and the feed will be available for sale very soon.”
“Zimbabwe is going to be the leading quail producer in Africa as we are mobilising farmers from village level in all districts.”
Currently, the ZQFT has trained about 20 youths from Glendale and they are set to get eggs to hatch.
It is understood that there is high demand for the quail birds and their eggs in some hotels and traditional food restaurants.
“We sell about 5 000 birds and 500 crates of eggs per month but still we cannot meet the demand,” said Mr Mutarisi.
For those that would want to venture into quail farming, it is recommended to start with one and half week old chicks. These will be easier to handle for a beginner, especially in smaller numbers such as a 100. The birds are kept in a closed area for four weeks and then separated into male and female birds.
The male and female have distinct features.
The female quail is dotted on the chest whilst the male is not. The ideal male to female ratio is 1:3.
At six weeks, the birds are brought together again and the farmer can then start feeding them with layer mash. At that time, they can get ready to start harvesting eggs.
One can also go into the business of hatching eggs and selling the chicks.
There are incubators specially made for quail birds. Imported electric or plug-in incubators can house a maximum of 288 eggs. Locally manufactured gas incubators can house a maximum of 800 eggs.
