History of The
Japanese (Coturnix) Quails
Quail belong, along with
chickens, pheasants and partridges to the Family
Phasianoidea of Order Galliformes of the Class Aves of
the Animal Kingdom. Species or subspecies of the genus
Coturnix are native to all continents except
the Americas. One of them Coturnix coturnix or
common quail are migratory birds of Asia, Africa and
Europe. Several interbreeding subspecies are
recognized, the more important being the European
quail, Coturnix coturnix coturnix, and the
Asiatic or Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix
japonica. One subspecies that commonly migrates
between Europe and Asia was eventually domesticated in
China. These birds were raised as pets and singing
birds. The domesticated coturnix were brought at about
eleventh century to Japan from China across the Korean
bridge (Howes, 1964). In any event, coturnix were
first domesticated in the Orient and not in the Middle
East as has been claimed by some authors. Although
European coturnix migrating south in the fall across
the Mediterranean Sea were, in their exhausted
condition, easily caught or trapped the available
Egyptian and Biblical records do not indicate that
these birds were ever bred in captivity.
The first written records of
domesticated quail in Japan date from the twelfth
century. These birds were initially developed for
song. It is claimed that a Japanese Emperor obtained
relief from tuberculosis after eating quail meat, and
this led to selection of domestic quail for meat and
egg production in Japan in the latter part of the
nineteenth century (Howes, 1964). By 1910, the
Japanese quail in Japan were widely cultured for their
meat and eggs. Between 1910 and 1941, the population
of Japanese quail increased rapidly in Japan
especially in the Tokyo, Mishima, Nagoya, Gifu and
Toyohashi areas. This period also represented a time
of imperial expansion in Japanese history and
domesticated Japanese quail were established in Korea,
China, Taiwan an d Hong Kong, and later on spread to
Southeast Asia.
The domesticated subspecies,
Coturnix coturnix japonica, is called Japanese
quail but is also known by other names: Common quail,
Eastern quail, Asiatic quail, Stubble quail,
Pharaoh's quail, Red-throat quail, Japanese gray
quail, Japanese migratory quail, King quail, and
Japanese King quail. The correct popular nomenclature
for Coturnix coturnix japonica should be
Japanese quail or coturnix, but not coturnix quail
since in Latin "coturnix" may be translated as
quail.
Description
Coturnix Chick:
Young
coturnix are yellowish in appearance with stripes of
brown and somewhat resemble turkey poults except for
size. The newly hatched chicks weigh about 6 to 7
grams, but grow rapidly during the first few days.
After three days flight feathers begin to appear and
the birds are fully feathered about four weeks of age.
Partial sexing is possible by three weeks of age by
the cinnamon-colored feathers on the breast of the
male bird, but there are some birds that defy definite
sexing by this method, eve n when adults.
Adult Male:
Male (right) and Female (left) Quails
The adult male coturnix weighs about 100 to 140 grams
(3 1/2 to 5 ounces). The male birds can be identified
readily by the rusty brown colored feathers on the
upper throat and lower breast region. Males also have
a cloacal gland, a bulbous structure located at the
upper edge of the vent which secretes a white, foamy
material. This unique gland can be used to assess the
reproductive fitness of the males (Cheng, Hickman and
McIntyre (1985). The young birds begin to crow at 5 to
6 weeks old. Sanford (19 57) described the voice of
the male as a loud, castanet-like crow, producing
sound as "pick-per awick" or "ko-turro-neex". During
the height of the normal breeding season, coturnix
males will crow throughout the night.
Adult Female:
The adult female coturnix are slightly heavier than
the male, weighing from 120 to 160 grams (4 to 5 1/2
ounces). The body coloration of the female bird is
similar to the male except that the feathers on the
throat and upper breast are long, pointed, an d much
lighter cinnamon. Also, the light tan breast
feathers are characteristically black-stippled.
Quail
Eggs:
Coturnix eggs are characterized by a variety of color
patterns. They range from snow white to completely
brown. More commonly they are
tan and
dark brown speckled or mottled brown with a chalky
blue covering. The average egg from mature female
weighs a bout 10 grams (1/3 ounce), about 8 percent of
the body weight of the quail hen as compared to 3
percent for chicken eggs. The egg of Japanese quail
contains 158 Cal. of energy, 74.6% water, 13.1%
protein, 11.2% fat, and 1.1% total ash. The mineral
content includes 0.59 mg calcium, 220 mg phosphorus
and 3.8 mg iron. The vitamin content is 300 i.u. of
vitamin A, 0.12 mg of vitamin B1, 0.85 mg of vitamin
B2 and 0.10 mg nicotinic acid.
Coturnix Quail
