Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T20:26:52.935Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The quail industry of Estonia*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

V. Tikk  and
H. Tikk
V. Tikk
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Breeding, Estonian Agricultural University, 30 Lai Street, Tartu 202400, Estonia
H. Tikk
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Breeding, Estonian Agricultural University, 30 Lai Street, Tartu 202400, Estonia
Get access

Abstract

The first quail chicks imported into Estonia were hatched in 1967 and the first quail farm was built in 1976. Commercial quail production began in 1980 and 10 years later annual egg production had reached 7.1 million and annual production of meat birds was about 10 tonnes. The development of quail farming in Estonia has depended on several factors, particularly the development through selection of improved egg-meat strains and successful research into incubation, brooding, nutrition and the husbandry and management of both broiler and egg production stocks. Current levels of performance under commercial conditions are for egg production of up to 86% or 315 (per bird housed) from 35 to 400 days of age. Average feed consumption levels as low as 2.62 kg/kg egg mass are achieved. Estonian broiler quail males average about 140 g and females 150 g live weight at 35 days and are considerably heavier than the original Japanese stock. Average feed conversion (males and females) is as low as 2.83 kg/kg live weight.

Keywords

Egg productionEstoniafeed consumptionmeat productionquail breedingquail production
Type
Research Article
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 49 , Issue 1 , March 1993 , pp. 65 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ruus, C., Tikk, H. and Paesalu, O. (1967) The first quail in Estonia. Sotsialistlik Põllumajandus 22: 1079–1081Google Scholar
Tikk, H. (1978) The quail industry in future. Actual Agriculture, Tallinn, pp. 416–420Google Scholar
Tikk, H. and Neps, V. (1986a) Problems related to the mating of quails in selection stock. Proceedings of the Republican Scientific Conference on Animal Husbandry, Tartu, pp. 25–26Google Scholar
Tikk, H. and Neps, V. (1986b) On correlation between biological characteristics of egg productivity of the Estonian quail. Proceedings of the Republican Scientific-Methodical Symposium, Tartu, pp. 46–51Google Scholar
Tikk, H. and Neps, V. (1987) Diurnal laying rhythm and laying cycles of the Estonian quail population. Achievements in Science and Advanced Experience in Agriculture 17: 44–48Google Scholar
Tikk, H., Tikk, V. and Neps, V. (1984) The quail industry. Ptitsevodstvo 11: 30–32Google Scholar
Tikk, H., Neps, V. and Tikk, V. (1988) About the research into egg production characteristics of Estonian population of Japanese quails and prognostication of their egg production. Proceedings of the XVIII World's Poultry Congress, Nagoya, pp. 1080–1083Google Scholar
Tikk, V. and Tikk, H. (1986) New Species of Poultry. Tallinn, 128 pp.Google Scholar
Tikk, V., Tikk, H. and Neps, V. (1985) The productive ability of the Estonian quail breed. Proceedings of the Poultry Conference, Baku, pp. 60–61Google Scholar
Tikk, V., Tikk, H. and Neps, V. (1989) Suitability of the Estonian quails for raising as broilers. Achievements in Science and Advanced Experience in Poultry Breeding 4: 8–11Google Scholar