California quail: description of the breed. California crested quail, or California partridge Callipepla californica California partridge

California quail is most often found in the wild. Its habitat is limited to the west coast of the United States from Oregon to California. Locals call them partridges and are bred in home gardens. This species is also popular as a poultry in Chile, New Zealand, Colombia. The characteristics of the breed, the features of its maintenance, feeding and breeding are described below.

Description of the breed California quail

home distinguishing feature breeds - a dark tuft, interestingly hanging over the head. The body of the bird is dense, 23-25 ​​cm long. The tail of the California quail is small, neat, the feathers on it are arranged in a ladder. Paws of medium length, dark gray. The head is small, the beak is black, curved.

The bird looks proud, beautiful, often bred for decorative purposes. The tuft is assembled from several long feathers, slightly curved down, like a visor. The male has more than the female. The California crested quail has a very bright appearance compared to the female. They have a yellow-white spot on their foreheads, two white stripes above their eyes and on their necks. The area of ​​the sternum, neck, at the top of the back and in the tail area, the plumage is bright blue or dark, contrasting. The wings are brown with white spots. The belly is light yellow with black edging of each feather.

The females are brown. This color ranges from dark to light depending on the body part of the quail. So, on the back there is an olive tint, the abdomen may have a yellow tint, while each feather has a dark edging.

The character is curious and although the quail does not know how to fly, it can climb into a hard-to-reach place if there is an approach. This can cause injury to the bird, so the house must be safe.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the breed?

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Increasingly, Californian quails are being kept as poultry. Why? Below are all the advantages of the species and the reasons why breeders like them so much.

• The appearance of the quail allows you to make it a decoration of the farmstead!
• It is not difficult to care for them - individuals are unpretentious.
• They hardly get sick, so you don’t have to worry about the “herd” during winter frosts or autumn rains, and although it’s better to do basic vaccinations, you can even do without them.
• The eggs are pear shaped. The shell is light with dark spots. Weight - 11 grams. For a year, one laying hen can give an average of 100-110 testicles.
• The meat is tender and healthy. Of course, there is not much of it (the weight of an individual is up to 280 g), but the pleasant taste and nutritional value compensate for this.

In terms of disadvantages, it is worth noting the difficulty of raising California quail chicks. But this applies to any breed of quail. The offspring of birds is characterized by fragility, weakness during the first weeks of life. As for adults, they are not very demanding on the conditions of detention, and yet they will have to spend money on equipping the house and aviary, but these are one-time expenses.

The disadvantages include the high cost of individuals. It is very difficult to buy a representative of the species. First you need to find a place where they are bred, and then also pay a considerable amount for the initial brood.

• These quails are not kept in cages. The breed still has features inherent in wild individuals, freedom is very important for them. A spacious poultry house with an aviary is one thing, a cage is another. In the latter, they simply will not survive.
• The temperature in the house and on the run should not fall below +10 degrees! Acceptable humidity is 55%. The ventilation system must be installed.
• The optimal daylight hours for high productivity are 18 hours a day. With its shortening in winter, it is necessary to provide an artificial day in the house. Then the bird will fly better.
• The perches are made unusual, they must imitate the trees on which the birds sleep in the wild. To do this, take a small tree or simple branches.
• For laying eggs, cozy nests are equipped.
• Sand and ash bowls are placed in the aviary and in the keeping room for the birds to clean their own feathers.

How to feed California quails?

Any food available can be eaten. California quail eats 7 grams of grain per day, females need less. From grains they prefer wheat, oats, millet, corn, sorghum. As a treat, you can give peas, beans or lentils. At the same time, they are ground so that the birds do not choke. Rice is occasionally given, barley - not crushed.

Feed the brood in the morning and evening. During the day, they independently look for goodies on the run. In the middle of the day, you can also give a mash of vegetables, chopped herbs. From vegetables they prefer potatoes, cabbage, beets and carrots, from greens alfalfa and clover. In summer, you can give mash at will, but in winter they must be included in the diet. In this case, the greens are replaced with herbal flour and sprouted grains.

An unusual supplement that is mandatory for quails of the Californian breed from an early age is poppy, it is simply added occasionally to the feed. It’s worth adding there, but already regularly, meat and bone meal, meat and fish waste. In winter, you can buy worms, flies and other insects as treats, as well as introduce vitamin and mineral supplements into the diet to get quality eggs. Chalk is mixed in a separate feeder, shells are crushed, gravel (fine).

If you buy feed for feeding, then only designed for any type of bird. The salt contained in the feed for livestock is poison for quails!

Pure water is poured into the drinker. In order for quails to sometimes clean their beaks, from time to time a solution of potassium permanganate is poured into them. But it must be removed immediately, as soon as the birds have cleaned their beaks, otherwise they will drink it, and this is harmful.

How to breed quails?

Wild California quail has good maternal qualities. Domestic bird cares less about the offspring, and yet the females incubate the eggs, look after the offspring. At a time, one female can incubate 12 eggs at once! The incubation process lasts up to 22 days.

However, more and more often, breeders use incubators to breed quails or simply lay eggs under chickens (of light breeds so that they do not suppress the offspring). This allows you to get eggs from quails without significant interruptions.

After birth, the chicks are kept in the brooder for some time to get stronger. They are planted with adults no earlier than 1.5 months later. Quail chickens need to eat initially boiled eggs, cottage cheese, softened cereals from Start mixtures or something similar.

The California crested quail (lat. Callipepla californica) belongs to the family of Tooth-billed partridges (Odontophoridae) from the order Galliformes. Since 1931, at the legislative level, it has been elected the official symbol of the state of California (USA). It is considered a valuable game bird and is bred in captivity for ornamental purposes.

Spreading

The natural habitat extends from Oregon to southern California. Currently, the species is found in the states of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and the District of Columbia. Californian quail was brought to France, where it successfully acclimatized. A large population of feral birds lives on the island of Corsica. IN last years attempts are being made to introduce the species into the avifauna of Germany.

For the first time, crested quails were brought to Europe in 1837, but their mass breeding never took place. Birds did not tolerate a humid climate. Mortality among chicks was especially high, so for a long time they were not of particular interest to breeders, unlike those more adapted to European conditions.

Behavior

California quails have a calm, balanced character and get along well with other bird species. However, it is not recommended to keep them with domestic chickens, which can often be aggressive towards their distant American relatives.

Quails are social sedentary birds that inhabit arid meadows or areas overgrown with tall shrubs. IN winter period they form flocks of up to 300 individuals. In addition to the collective search for food, sociable birds love to take joint baths in the dust, plunging into the soil to a depth of 5 cm and forming a font with a diameter of up to 15 cm. At the same time, bathers throw the dust up with their wings up and clearly enjoy a pleasant procedure. Bathing always takes place only in well-lit places.

The diet consists of seeds of various plants, berries and young leaves of grass. Especially feathered gourmets love the berries of toyon, or tree-leaved heteromeles, resembling very small bright red apples. They also very willingly eat insects and their larvae. Quail food is obtained on the ground, and they prefer to sleep on trees and shrubs.

reproduction

The mating season begins with the onset of frequent rains. Nesting takes place in late summer and early autumn, although mated pairs form as early as April. The female builds a nest in a small hole, carefully lining it from the inside with dry blades of grass and leaves. It is located under stones or tree roots.

The female usually lays 10-18 cream-colored eggs with greenish flecks. In captivity, she can lay up to 60 eggs in different places, but only a small number will incubate. Incubation lasts about 22 days.

The chicks hatch together within one day and the very next day they go with their parents in search of food. At the age of 9 days they already know how to fly a little, at the 5th week they become completely independent. At 3 months they reach the size of adult birds. Sexual maturity occurs next spring.

Description

The body length is about 28 cm with a weight of 150-175 g. The males have a black crest of 6 feathers on their heads. There is a small white spot around the crest. The neck is black, separated from the body by a white stripe.

The chest and upper body are grey. The wings are brown with thin longitudinal white stripes. The abdomen is yellowish-brown with numerous black speckles. Males are more brightly colored.

The life expectancy of the California crested quail reaches 4 years.

These curious birds have been known in Russia for a long time, but they lived only in private collections of poultry farmers and were not known to the general public. Approximately 10 years ago, interest in the California quail increased, including due to the popularity of ordinary, domestic ones.

In this article we will talk about what it is and what application it can find in a home farm.

In nature, this species is found in the southern part of the United States, inhabiting deciduous forests and dense vineyards and even sparsely populated city parks.

Appearance

The front part of the male's head is colored light gray or yellow, a white stripe runs from the forehead to the ears, the second strip borders the chin around the circumference. The body is bright, it can be of different shades, from blue (as in the photo below) to brown and even crimson. The female has a more modest coloration, the head is often monophonic. On the head of the cockerel there is a long tuft directed forward, in the female it is shorter. In both, the body is painted with lighter feathers in the form of scales.

The body is elongated, the dimensions are standard: 23-26 cm. The paws are dark with an olive tint, without pronounced legs, like those.

Productive characteristics

Decorative crested quail is not grown with an eye on meat and even eggs, although the Californian's egg production is not negligible. For a year, a laying hen lays about 110 small eggs, compared to the ones we are used to. The photo shows that they look different:

There is significantly less pigmentation, and the shape is more elongated.

The live weight of the female, she is larger - within 180-220 gr., The carcass is about 130 gr. By the way, with the right content, the meat turns out to be very tasty, similar to game, with a pleasant specific aroma.

Character, behavior

In the wild, the California quail keeps in flocks of 15-25 individuals of different sexes; for the period of breeding chickens, it is divided in pairs. In February-March, the mating season takes place. All the time of incubation, the couple remains together; in case of loss of the female, the male acts as a hen.

This is a rather shy bird (as well as), and behaves accordingly in captivity: at the slightest rustle, it begins to fuss, run and flutter in a cage. However, over time, it gets used to the constant presence of a large number of people and noises.

In freedom, they are capable of moving rapidly, flying away, flying away, so it is necessary to monitor this.

A wild cockerel, which, if necessary, replaces the chickadee, led the kids to a watering place 🙂

In general, the breed is well adapted to captivity. Cage keeping in pairs is more common, however, with an aviary in a flock, the Californian not only looks better, but also feels more comfortable, less worried.

The climatic conditions in the region of origin are taken into account: the temperature should not fall below + 18 ° C, otherwise the egg production of the California quail will be zero. This quail tolerates heat better than the standard one, but at + 28 ° C it is already looking for a cooler place.

With a large herd indoors, productive ventilation is required; in winter, additional heating will be required.

The cages will need to be high so that the bird can jump on the perches (it is on a perch, higher from the ground, that they like to sleep).

For decorative purposes, enclosures are best equipped with separate nests, like those made in chicken coops, with a small opening for entry. When kept per egg, it is harvested for incubation.

Lighting may vary depending on the purpose of the stock. If you just have a decorative bird, then there will be enough natural daylight hours. In aviaries and in pairs in cages, you should not be afraid, so the sun is also not necessary to avoid.

When growing for hatching eggs, the lighting is increased to 12-15 hours, making it not too bright. The main thing is that the birds should see the feeders and drinkers well.

Quails feel great in a large aviary-type cage attached to the wall of the house.

reproduction

In the population offered for sale, the incubation instinct is partially preserved, however, at home, the California quail egg is subject to incubation. It takes 23 days at standard temperature and humidity conditions. Regular turnover is required.

Small quails hatch, weighing 20-25 grams, quite resilient and nimble, like. They are kept in the brooder for up to 3 weeks at a temperature of 32-33°C, from the second week the heat is gradually reduced to 26°C.

From the first day to 10 days, chickens are fed with ground starter feed for or quails, then they are given it whole. Upon reaching 20-24 days, they are transferred to adult feed.

According to breeders, sex can only be determined after 40-50 days, when individuals acquire adult plumage.

A two-day-old Californian chick (photo from the Internet).

We wrote about how to properly breed quails in an article about.

Feeding

The best option for feeding Californian quail is high-quality compound feed for laying hens. If the eggs have a soft shell, you should buy, or just crush the shell and mix with food. With an excess of calcium, the egg becomes covered with a dull coating.

You can carefully introduce fresh greens into the diet: alfalfa, clover, nettle. All grass before giving must be cleaned and crumbled. With the floor maintenance of crested quail, it forages well.

Advice about feeding mash, grain and homemade food should be taken with caution: in 90% this way will lead to the death of the entire herd.

Californian - not with the strongest immunity, adapted to low-quality rough food. Decorative quails, of course, are more resilient than broilers, but they have long been domesticated and need a well-balanced, complete diet.

commercial cultivation

From a business point of view, the California quail is very promising with the right approach. In addition to being very beautiful bird, it carries tasty and healthy eggs, so it can be positioned as a decorative item for sale to families with children.

What child wouldn't agree to get a couple of luxuriously painted quails in a beautiful cage, and feast on an egg a couple of times a week? A little competent advertising, and the buyer will line up for crested babies instead of parrots.

Moreover, the market here is free: in the Bird Markets, the price of a California male with a female is 6-8 thousand rubles. It’s easy to imagine how easy it is to compete in this niche.

Another, also undeveloped area of ​​sales - private poultry farmers and, in fact, the quail breeders themselves, who are happy to buy this breed for the soul. Trade in hatching eggs and young stock is the most profitable, and the potential is great.

A couple in an aviary from the farm of Kirill Sokolov, Kaliningrad.

Acquisition

There are few offers for the sale of California crested quail even in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The price for a male on Avito starts from 1500 rubles, females are more expensive: 2500-3000. However, it is better not to use free message boards and find a responsible breeder who can mail a hatching egg to your area.

Offers of day old chicks are very rare, and an adult bird is quite expensive, in addition, there is a high risk of running into an unscrupulous seller who will try to sell old, no longer suitable for production, representatives of the breed.

The best option is to buy eggs abroad. In Europe, they are not so rare, so the prices are reasonable. For example, in England, an egg is offered for 0.3 pounds, in rubles - 22 rubles at the exchange rate of July 2017. In the Czech Republic and Poland, they cost 0.3-0.4 euros, and the sellers are friendly and contact, and are happy to send parcels to Russia. Although it is better to wait for the opportunity and get precious testicles through familiar travelers.

Among poultry farmers specializing in quails, the California quail or California partridge, as this bird is often called in the United States, is especially popular. It is the west coast of North America that is considered the birthplace of this partridge - it can be found on the territory from Oregon to California. Efforts to acclimate the California quail elsewhere have been most successful in New Zealand, Colombia, Chile, and several other countries. In the natural environment in Europe, crested quails have not taken root, however, they can be found in many amateur poultry farmers.

Description of the appearance, advantages and disadvantages of the breed

The California crested quail has a distinctive appearance that makes it easy to identify among other quails. The quail has a downed body, reaching a length of 25 cm. The short, neat tail has a stepped structure. The short, slightly curved, black beak is ideally suited for eating various seeds. The wings are rounded. Paws of medium length are painted in dark lead color. Separately, one should dwell on the tuft formed by several feathers on the head. At the base they are gathered together, but at the top they form a kind of visor, bent forward. The crest of females of the California quail is much smaller than that of males.

Quails of the Californian breed have an interesting plumage color, and in hens and cockerels it is almost the same, with the only difference being that in males it is much brighter and more contrasting. The bird has a yellowish-white forehead. There are two white lines on the head: one of them passes just above the eyes, and the other, resembling a crescent, envelops the throat in front. The back of the bird is brown with an olive tint, the goiter and upper chest has a gray-blue tint. The lower part of the body has a peculiar scaly pattern: each brown or yellowish "scale" is clearly distinguished by a black border, especially in males.

Since crested quail is grown at home, primarily for decorative purposes, it is worth considering and comparing its pros and cons mainly from this point of view.

Advantages:

• Decorative appearance is perhaps the main reason for the interest in quails of this species from poultry farmers;
• Well adapted to natural conditions, which greatly simplifies its maintenance in enclosures;
• Does not need any special feed;
• Disease resistant.

Disadvantages:

• Relatively high cost;
• Low survival rate among chicks;
• The first two minuses create the third - it is usually not necessary to keep California quail for meat;
• The need for maintenance in spacious enclosures. In cramped cages, Californian quails quickly wither and lose their attractive appearance.

In nature, California quail prefers dry terrain: mountain deciduous forests, orchards and vineyards. Often you can meet partridge in city parks, where there are tall and dense shrubs.

After breeding, until the next mating season, California quails live in large flocks.

At home, California quails are usually kept in special enclosures. Since in nature the partridge sleeps and rests on tree branches or on suitable bushes, it is advisable to install several in the aviary, medium size, natural branches or any imitation of them. Often, poultry farmers keep these quails in a pen with other poultry.

Although the California crested quail normally tolerates sub-zero temperatures in nature, it is still better not to keep them outside at temperatures below +10 0 C.

Feeding

In the natural diet of quails, there are seeds of grasses, shrubs and trees, various fruits, and often insects.

At home, Californian quails readily eat cereals: crushed corn, wheat, rye, millet, and other types of grain. Many poultry farmers give the birds grain in the morning and evening, and in the afternoon - wet mash, including grated carrots, beets, chopped cabbage (whole leaves can be given). In the warm season, the mash is diluted with finely chopped alfalfa, clover, and other juicy herbs. In winter, the deficiency of natural vitamins can be replenished with germinated wheat or millet sprouts. In wet mixers, it is also worth regularly mixing a small amount of bone or fish meal, which is necessary for the bone system and the formation of eggshells.

Wet mixers are dosed so that excess feed does not spoil. It is enough to observe the appetite of birds for several days to determine the required single dose.

Crushed shells or fine gravel, chalk should always be present in the feeders.

Water in drinking bowls should be changed every 2-3 days, as pathogens can quickly develop in it.

Breeding

In nature, crested quail begins mating games in March. After fertilization of the female, the couple builds a nest - a small hole covered with dry grass. On average, a female California partridge lays 12 brownish eggs, the shell of which is replete with small dark spots. Incubation lasts 22 days. All this time, the cockerel is on guard, being close to the nest. When danger occurs, it makes warning sounds. Ornithologists say that males are ready to replace the female in case of her death, and hatch the eggs until the offspring appear.

Usually quails are under the care of their parents for about 4 weeks, after which they unite in flocks and begin to look for food on their own.

To breed California quail at home, it is necessary to create conditions close to natural. Since this is not always possible, most often, eggs are taken from females for further laying in an incubator. Eggs should only be handled with clean hands, as microorganisms can enter through the shell. For incubation, eggs of the correct shape, with a smooth surface, are selected. A large percentage of unfertilized eggs is often caused by a violation of the natural way of creating a pair.

The chicks that have appeared are rather weak, so care for them must be very scrupulous. There are cases when eggs were laid under a mother hen, which subsequently perceives the appeared quail for its chickens, creating everything the necessary conditions for the survival of babies.

The considered type of quail is more suitable for poultry farmers, who have the opportunity to create them as similar as possible to natural conditions habitats, that is, enclosures. Keeping such decorative birds in a cage will not allow you to watch their funny swaying while running, taking off on perches, or just watching their daily life. Therefore, before you buy California quails, you should think about the issue of their further comfortable maintenance.

Callipepla californica

4000-4500 rub.

(Callipepla californica)

Class - Birds

Squad - Chicken

Family - Pheasant

Genus - Scaled quail

Appearance

The main distinguishing feature of the crested quail is a small crest on the head, consisting of 2-10 (usually 4-6) feathers narrowed at the base and widened at the end, which are bent forward in adult birds. Moreover, both males and females wear such a headdress, only in the latter it looks a little more modest. In general, males are slightly different from females. They have a yellowish-white forehead, above which a thin white stripe stretches to the back of the head. The dark brown crown is underlined by a black stripe, and the black chin, lower cheeks and throat are outlined by a white crescent. The beak is also black, but the legs are lead grey. The plumage on the back, chest, belly and tail is similar in both sexes, only the males are slightly brighter. The chest and neck of the California crested quail are bluish-gray, there are thin longitudinal white stripes on the sides. The belly and undertail remind that these birds belong to the genus of scaly quails: there is a black scaly pattern on a yellowish-brown background. Juveniles do not have this pattern. In addition, the tuft feathers are shorter and do not have the white trim of adult birds. The length of a medium-sized California quail ranges from 25-27 cm, wing - 11 cm, tail - 9 cm.

Habitat

It lives on the west coast of North America from southern California to southwestern Oregon. In addition, these beautiful birds were brought to Hawaii, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand, where they successfully develop new spaces.

In nature

California crested quails live in arid grasslands and open spaces with dense, tall shrubs up to 2,500 meters above sea level. They can also settle not far from a person, if the area they like is located next to a suitable reservoir, where they can quench their thirst. These chickens feed on grass seeds, sometimes they eat the fruits of trees, their seeds, as well as various small arthropods. They are active during daylight hours and sleep in trees at night. During the day they spend most of their time on the ground, it is very difficult to get them to rise into the air. Californian quails remember their own wings only in moments of danger, when they can fly over short distances.

reproduction

In the cold season, crested quails live in large groups and look for food together, and by spring they break up into pairs. Already in early March, males begin to lek: they spread their wings and jump in front of females with spread feathers on their chests, while loudly shouting “Kaaah, kaaah!”. This continues until the female succumbs to this active onslaught and agrees to mate. The mother nests right on the ground. To do this, she digs a small hole and covers it with soft, dry blades of grass. In one clutch there are usually from 10 to 14 dark brown speckled eggs, from which small, downy chicks hatch after about 22 days. During incubation, the father guards the nest and warns of the appearance of a predator. In the event of the death of a female, he can even take her place and hatch the chicks on his own. Already at 4 weeks, quails leave their parents and form their own small flocks.

The average life expectancy is about 3-4 years.

At home, California quails are usually kept in special quails. Since in nature the partridge sleeps and rests on tree branches or on suitable bushes, it is advisable to install several medium-sized natural branches or some kind of their imitation in the aviary. Often, poultry farmers keep these quails in a pen with other poultry. Although the California crested quail normally tolerates sub-zero temperatures in nature, it is still better not to keep them outside at temperatures below +10 0 C.

At home, Californian quails readily eat cereals: crushed corn, wheat, rye, millet, and other types of grain. Many poultry farmers give the birds grain in the morning and evening, and in the afternoon - wet mash, including grated carrots, beets, chopped cabbage (whole leaves can be given). In the warm season, the mash is diluted with finely chopped alfalfa, clover, and other juicy herbs. In winter, the deficiency of natural vitamins can be replenished with germinated wheat or millet sprouts. In wet mixers, it is also worth regularly mixing a small amount of bone or fish meal, which is necessary for the bone system and the formation of eggshells.

Wet mixers are dosed so that excess feed does not spoil. It is enough to observe the appetite of birds for several days to determine the required single dose.

Crushed shells or fine gravel, chalk should always be present in the feeders.

Water in drinking bowls should be changed every 2-3 days, as pathogens can quickly develop in it.

To breed California quail at home, it is necessary to create conditions close to natural. Since this is not always possible, most often, eggs are taken from females for further laying in an incubator. Eggs should only be handled with clean hands, as microorganisms can enter through the shell. For incubation, eggs of the correct shape, with a smooth surface, are selected. A large percentage of unfertilized eggs is often caused by a violation of the natural way of creating a pair.

The chicks that have appeared are rather weak, so care for them must be very scrupulous. There are cases when eggs were laid under a mother hen, which subsequently perceives the quails that have appeared as their chickens, creating all the necessary conditions for the survival of the babies.