This post has a lot of information about quail farming in Nigeria. Yesterday, a friend of mine who is a corps member in Bayelsa state told me that he sells quail eggs to make more than N100,000 a month.
He says that he started this business about 2 years ago with about N200,000. In other words, when he was still in college. And had since made back the money he had put into it. After this guy’s conversation opened my eyes, I decided that I must start this business and make it work if everything goes well with my feasibility study.
So I did what I know how to do best: I did some research. And I’m glad to tell you about what I found.
Quail farming is a type of poultry farming that involves raising quail birds so that they can lay eggs. And sometimes for the making of meat. In Nigeria, farming quails is still not a very popular way to make a living. But, like every other type of farming, quail farming is a very profitable business.
But quail farming is different from other types of poultry farming in that it requires less money, has less risk, and guarantees a high return on investment.
A mature female quail costs about N500. While it cost about N300 for an adult male. So, your initial capacity will depend on how much money you have. On the other hand, you could start with quails that are 2 weeks old. And if you feed them well, take good care of them, and vaccinate them, they will be ready to lay eggs in 5 to 6 weeks.
It’s important to remember that quails do best when there are 5 females for every male. This means that if you want to start with 100 female quails, you should pair them with 20 males. To ensure efficient reproduction.
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD START QUAIL FARMING.
Less money is needed to start and run a quail farm than other kinds of livestock farms, and the risk of losing money is low. For example, to find a good place to raise chickens. And depending on where you live, building the kind of cage you want could cost well over N100,000 or even more. But quail farming can start anywhere there is room. Like at your backyard. All you have to do is build a cage that is safe and big enough to hold the number of birds you want to start with.
Also, running a quail farm costs less and takes less time and money. Disease doesn’t spread in quail farms like it does in chicken farms. So, even though vaccinations are important, they may not be given as often as they are in chicken farming.
Unlike chickens, quails don’t need a lot of food. A full-grown quail eats about 25 grams of food each day. On the other hand, a fully grown chicken eats about 150 grams of the same food every day.
2. High return on investment: Making money is the main goal of any business. Farming quails will give you a good return on your money. And also easy to grow if it is run well. This is because quails reach the age where they can lay eggs very quickly. So, guarantees that you’ll get your money back as soon as possible. Feeding quails and taking care of them in general is also cheap. This means a higher net profit after costs are taken into account.
Though, one quail egg costs about N20 to buy. Which is cheaper than eggs from a chicken. But because they reach the point where they can lay eggs faster and eat less feed. Quail farming is a better way to put your money to work.
A mature female quail will lay at least one egg every day if she is fed well. Or about 5 eggs a week on average. Which means that a single female quail lays 20 eggs every week. This means that if you start a quail farm with 500 female birds, you can be sure to get at least 10,000 eggs per month. At N20 per egg, you’ll have about N200,000 every month. That is more than what the average Nigerian banker makes in a month.
2. They reach adulthood quickly and lay a lot of eggs. Unlike fish and chickens, which take a long time to grow up, quails reach adulthood in just 5 to 6 weeks. And now they’re ready to start laying eggs. Another great thing about these birds is that they lay a lot of eggs. Like I said before, a mature female quial lays at least one egg every day if it is fed and cared for well. And about 5 eggs a week on average.
High Demand: The number of people who want quail eggs keeps going up. This is because it has health benefits. A medical report says that fertile quail eggs help stimulate the brain. And it helps fight diseases like cancer, anemia, and ulcers. Since more and more people learn about these benefits every day, the demand for quail eggs also goes up.
5. No formal training: Even though I always tell people to get training before they start farming, this is not always possible. Training is also important in quail farming, but it is not required. To run a successful quail farming business, you don’t need a degree.
QUAIL FARMING IN NIGERIA COMES WITH RISKS AND CHALLENGES.
Like any other kind of business, raising quails comes with its own set of risks. But the risks aren’t as big as the problems that come with setting up and running other farming businesses. Also, they are risks that could be easily dealt with if the right steps were taken. Among these risks are:
1. PREDATORS: Snakes, cats, and rodents are big problems for quail farmers. So, whichever housing system you choose, it’s best to make sure it’s built safely.
2. HUMAN THIEVES: Human thieves are another problem for quail farming. So, it is very important that the quail house be built with a lot of security and be in a safe area. If it’s a big farm, the farm workers and security guards hired should be honest and trustworthy.
5 THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO START A QUAIL FARM IN NIGERIA.
1. Business Plan: As I always tell you, a bankable and realistic business plan is the first thing you need to succeed in any business. This should be done after a thorough market study and a thorough feasibility study have been done to make sure the business is viable. This would help you figure out the size of the market, who your competitors are, what might make it hard for you to stay in business, how well your potential product would sell in your target market, and so on.
The business plan also acts as a guide to help you stay on track with your goals and vision for the business.
2. Housing/Location: A quail farm can be set up anywhere. It would be best if it were outside of residential areas. But because it doesn’t smell like chickens do, you can keep it in your backyard. Or any nearby land that is well taken care of and clean all the time.
More so, quails produce efficiently in cleaner environments. So, you should always keep their cages, homes, and the area around them clean.
Also, the homes should be built so that they are safe from animals and people who want to steal them.
Breeding: The success of a quail farming business depends on the breed of the parent stock, just like any other livestock farming business. So, depending on what kind of quail farming you want to do, make sure to get healthy, productive breeds.
As I said before, quail are raised for either their meat or their eggs. Most people raise quails so they can get eggs from them. So, if you are one of these people. Then the best breeds for you are Manchurian golden, Tuxedo, British range, and English White. But these breeds don’t get very big. So, it’s not a good place to raise meat.
On the other hand, if you want to raise quail for meat, you should choose broiler breeds like the White breasted Indian, Bob white, White America, and similar birds.
4. What they eat: Quails eat chicken feed. But unlike chickens, quails don’t need a lot of food. As I said before, a fully grown quail eats about 25 grams of food every day. On the other hand, a fully grown chicken eats about 150 grams of the same food every day.
5. The market for quail eggs is very big and growing all the time. But people in many parts of the country still prefer chicken eggs because they don’t know about its health benefits. So, it’s very important that you do a market study to find out if people in your area will buy quail eggs. As well as find out who your possible customers are.