Quail farming in Ghana: a small flock that pays from eggs

Why quail suit a small plot or a spare room

Quail are small birds that need little floor space, so a farmer with a back room, a verandah or a small plot can keep a useful flock. A quail unit does not need the large house and heavy feed bills of a layer or broiler operation. It does need daily attention. Quail grow quickly, start laying within weeks and lay in large numbers for their size, but they are also fragile when young and sensitive to heat, damp and rough handling.

The attraction for most keepers is the egg. A quail egg is small, but it sells as a fresh, premium product in many urban settings, and a flock that lays most days gives you a steady supply to sell rather than a seasonal one. Because the income comes in small amounts, quail work best for people who can collect and sell every day, and who like keeping records on a small scale. If you are still comparing small-flock options, our guide to every day-old chick we sell lists the birds side by side.

Eggs or meat: choose the purpose first

Before you order a single chick, decide whether the flock is for eggs, for meat or for a mix. The choice changes the number of birds you need, the cages you build, the feed you buy and the buyers you approach. Most keepers near towns choose eggs, because the work of collecting and selling is steady, while processing meat birds takes time, labour and a second set of customers.

A mixed plan is possible, but keep the groups apart. Birds kept for meat grow differently from birds kept for eggs, and mixing them makes feeding and weighing harder. If you are not sure, start with an egg unit, learn the flock for a few months, and then decide whether you want a separate meat group. Our article comparing broilers, layers and Sasso sets out the same purpose question for larger flocks.

Cages, space and layout

Most egg-laying quail are kept in cages, and cages with a sloping wire floor let the eggs roll to a collection tray. That one feature saves a great deal of time, keeps the eggs cleaner and reduces the number that get trodden on or broken. Build the cages raised off the ground, with enough height for the birds to stand and move, and with a solid tray or cover under the floor to catch droppings.

Keep the cage row in a shaded, ventilated room. Quail handle heat badly, and a hot, humid room causes stress, poor laying and deaths. Leave walking space between rows so you can reach every cage without disturbing the birds, and place feeders and drinkers inside each cage so the birds do not need to climb or fight for access. Plan the layout on paper before you build, and count the cages you will need for the number of hens you plan to keep.

Brooding quail chicks: small birds, close heat

Quail chicks are tiny, and they are the most vulnerable stage of the whole cycle. They need a warm corner with a steady heat source, a dry floor and fresh water they can reach without drowning. A shallow drinker, a tray with small stones in it, or a drinker with a rim the chicks can climb is much safer than a deep dish. Check the chicks often in the first days. Huddled chicks are cold, and chicks that stay far from the heat source are too warm.

Keep the brooder quiet, with no draughts and no sudden noise. Feed a crumble or fine starter that the chicks can pick up easily, and spread a little on trays so none are left out. Weigh a sample of chicks at the end of the first week and keep the figures. A flock that grows evenly from the start is far easier to bring into lay on time. Our brooder set-up guide explains how to prepare the space before the box arrives.

Feeding quail for growth and for eggs

Quail feed moves through phases much like other poultry. Chicks need a high-protein starter in small crumbles, growers need a feed that keeps them growing evenly without becoming overweight, and laying hens need a layer feed with enough calcium to form good shells. Ask your feed seller for a feed made for quail or for small birds, and check the protein and calcium figures on the bag. Do not guess from the colour of the bag or the name on it.

Calcium deserves special attention. A hen that lays often uses a lot of calcium, and a shortage shows as thin or soft shells, cracked eggs and a falling lay rate. Keep a clean dish of suitable grit or shell material available if your feed does not supply enough calcium on its own. Fresh water matters as much as feed, so check the drinkers at least twice a day and clean them regularly.

Lighting and the laying cycle

Light tells a quail when to lay. Many keepers give laying flocks a longer day than natural daylight, often close to fifteen hours in total, using a timer on a lamp. The exact day length depends on the strain, the house and the season, so ask your supplier what they recommend for the birds you buy. Change the light gradually. A sudden jump from short days to long ones can upset a flock, and a sudden cut can stop laying altogether.

Keep the light timer and the lamp in good order. A timer that fails and leaves the flock in the dark for a day is a common reason for a sudden drop in eggs, and it is easy to prevent with a weekly check. Write down the time the lights come on and go off, so that if the lay rate drops you can rule the lighting in or out before looking at feed or health.

A daily routine that keeps the unit clean

A quail unit is run on routine. Collect eggs at least twice a day, because quail lay often and eggs left in the cage get dirty or broken. Remove droppings from the trays, check the feed and water, and pick out any dead or weak bird. Count the eggs and the deaths, and write both in a book or on a sheet by the cages. After a month of this routine you will know your flock better than any guide can tell you.

Store eggs in a cool, clean place and sell them fresh. Quail eggs spoil faster in heat, and a tray that sits in a hot room for a day loses value. Keep egg trays clean and dry, and do not sell cracked eggs as whole ones. If you sell food, ask your local health or food safety office what rules apply to egg sales in your area.

Selling quail eggs in the cities

Quail eggs sell best to buyers who value small, fresh eggs and who will take them regularly. Restaurants, food sellers, households who buy for children or for special meals, and people who prepare eggs for sale in the market are all possible buyers. Visit each buyer before you have a surplus, show them the eggs, agree on a collection day and a tray size, and keep to that routine. Regular supply is what keeps a buyer, more than a low price.

Sell by the tray for regular customers and by the count for one-off buyers, and write the price down for both. Because quail eggs are small, a buyer may ask for a whole tray at once, so plan your collection to match the orders you have. A quiet week with few orders is a good time to check your records and clean the cages thoroughly.

Worked example: planning a 200-hen unit

Suppose you keep 200 laying hens and, on an average day, 170 of them lay. That is about 170 eggs a day, or roughly 1,190 eggs a week. Packed in trays of 30, that is about 40 trays a week to sell. The count is the number you should plan around, not a figure from a book, so replace these numbers with your own once your first month of records is in.

Feed, cages, lamps, trays and labour are your own costs, and they depend on your area. Build the sales plan from the tray count, not from the number of birds, because a flock that lays well sells what it collects. Before you invest in a large unit, run a smaller test flock for two months, which is the best way to learn your egg count and find buyers.

Health and keeping losses low

Quail are hardy once they are established, but a crowded, dirty or hot unit will wear them down quickly. Clean the cages and trays on a fixed day each week, remove droppings between cleanings, and keep the feed sealed so rats and insects stay away. Control flies, which spread quickly in a unit with droppings, and keep the area around the house tidy.

Follow your vet's schedule for any vaccines, treatments or deworming, and ask them to check the flock if the lay rate drops or birds start dying. Isolate a bird that looks unwell, and do not put a sick bird back with the others until you know what is wrong. Limit visitors, and keep your shoes and equipment clean when you move between the brooder and the laying cages. Our frequently asked questions cover general chick care and handling.

How to order quail chicks from Halaal Farms

Quail chicks are priced on request, because the price follows the hatch and the quantity. Start with a WhatsApp message to +233 24 915 1503 that gives the bird count, your town and the date you need them. We reply with the hatch date and the price in writing. You pay by mobile money, bank transfer or cash after you have the figures. We do not take payment through the website.

Quail chicks reach all 16 regions. We send them in ventilated boxes to a station near you, and a visit to the farm in Opeikuma, Kasoa, is possible once you have booked. For the basics on quail chicks, read our quail chicks page, or check the price list for the other birds we sell. If you are planning a larger unit alongside quail, our layer chicks page covers the other kind of egg flock. You can also place a request through the order form on the website. For the route your chicks would take, see our delivery page, and for buying tips in general, read where to buy day-old chicks in Ghana.

Questions farmers ask