Quail vs Chicken (Vets’ Opinion)

Last Updated on August 3, 2023

I know it is cumbersome to handle things when you’re a beginner in poultry farming. Chickens and quails click everyone’s mind when it comes to the backyard or commercial poultry. Despite their special qualities, there are many major differences between these two species.

Most poultry farm owners need to choose between quails and chickens. There are many concerns about raising these birds together. The difference lies in egg production, feeding costs, housing maintenance, disease resistance, and feed efficiency.

Poultry farming is gaining popularity due to the high eggs and meat demand throughout the world. It has been estimated that the egg production was nearly 86.67 million metric tons. In comparison to egg production in 1990, there is a 100% increase due to more poultry farming.

If you’re someone who is confused about whether you should house quails or chickens, you come to the right place. We’ll look into some of the major differences between the two species. Additionally, the profitability aspect of rearing chickens and quails should also be focused on.

Overview of Specifications – Quail vs Chicken

Characteristic	Quail	Chicken
Weight	70 – 130 grams	1.5 – 2.5 kg
Size	15 – 20 cm	35 – 45 cm
Flying Ability	Vertical & Longer	Horizontal & Shorter
Age of Maturity	6 – 8 Weeks	24 Weeks
Space Allocation	1 – 2 sq. ft/bird	10 – 15 sq. ft/bird
Egg Productivity Duration	2 years	3 – 4 years
Egg Production per Year	300	200 – 250

Quail vs Chickens – What’s the Difference?

Now comes the point you’re eagerly waiting for! There are basic differences that will help you in choosing either chickens or quails. Chickens and quails belong to two different bird families. In the case of chickens, the family is Phasianidae whereas quail belongs to the Gallinaceous family.

Size & Space Requirements

Whenever you’re starting a poultry farm business, space allocation is the main factor. How many birds you can keep depends on how much space you have. There is a significant difference between the chicken and Quail sizes.

A chicken has an average size of 35 to 45 cm in height and length. Chicken occupies much more farm space. Experts recommend giving 10 to 15 square feet of per bird space for their good production capabilities.

On the other hand, quails are smaller and they occupy far less space than chickens. The average size of an adult quail is only up to 20 cm. In comparison to chickens, quails require 1 to 2 square feet. You can house a much larger number of quails than chickens in the same space.

Another factor is the weight of chicken and quails. Chickens are usually kept for meat and egg purposes. Meat-purpose breeds are relatively heavy and also require free-range production systems. Quails are smaller and can be housed in smaller coops and cages without open area access.

Egg Production & Quality

Chickens are famous for fulfilling the eggs demand of the whole world. The 86.67 million metric tons of egg production is solely due to commercial and homestead farming setups. Chickens lay white to brown color eggs and the eggs are of high quality.

In the modern world, countless breeds are developed in terms of prolific egg production. Some of them are even capable of laying eggs 5 times per week regardless of the climate and seasons. Breeds such as White Leghorn, Sussex, and Plymouth Rock are proficient egg layers.

The highest number of egg production is ranged from 200 to 250 eggs per year in the case of chickens. Quails do have a fairly good egg production standard. Their eggs are tinier than chicken eggs and are greyish. You also see a lot of black spots on the eggshell of quail’s eggs.

The weight of a chicken’s egg ranges from 40 to 60 grams and has good albumin to yolk ratio. Quails have a production performance of 300 eggs per year but the eggs are rather small in size. In my opinion, five eggs of quails make up the weight of one chicken egg.

The nutritional profile of chicken and quail eggs are fairly similar. A recent analysis of the egg profiles of both species indicates that vitamin B is present in excess in the eggs of quails. Whereas, vitamin D is more in the case of chickens’ eggs.

Production Cycles & Feed Costs

Production cycles and the start of egg production are the main determinants of feed costs. There is a big difference between the production cycles of chickens and quails. In quails, egg production started when they are 8 weeks old.

On the other hand, chickens take a fairly large amount of time before they reach the age of production. In the case of commercial layers, egg production started when the chickens reach the age of 24 weeks.

Here lie the feed cost differences in terms of farming chickens and quails. Quails are small birds and they don’t eat up as much food. Additionally, the production cycle is also started at an early age leading to lesser feed costs and faster returns.

Chickens take a lot longer to start egg production and before that, they still rely on feeding. They also need high protein feed before they reach maturity and egg production. However, the chicken’s production duration of 4 to 5 years and egg demand is still considered superior in the world.

Housing & Managemental Practices

As I’ve mentioned above the spacing requirements of chickens are more than quails, they also need more care. The housing requirements of chickens need to be done according to their living recommendations.

Chickens need a well-maintained coop setup with an open free-range area. Their coops also need to be properly made with good quality bedding. The nesting boxes, ventilation, and the cost of waterers and feeders increase the overall farm costs.

On the other hand, quails can be easily kept in cages and rabbit hutches. Such cages not only are ideal for quails but also provide a more natural habitat. Another plus point is you can easily build a hutch at home for quails to lessen the buying costs.

Hardiness & Disease Resistance

How much disease resistance your birds have directly determines how well they are going to perform. If I talk about quails, they are proven to be more disease-resistant. Quails are hardy birds and they can survive in suitable environments.

Quails also experience fewer bacterial and viral diseases in their lifetime. If you want to house quails, all you need is to take care of the cages and feeders’ cleanliness. Chickens are more disease susceptible and several viral diseases can cause production losses.

quail egg cholesterol vs chicken egg

Quail eggs generally contain higher levels of cholesterol compared to chicken eggs. While quail eggs are smaller in size, they are denser in nutrients and often considered more nutritious.

However, if you have specific dietary concerns, it is best to consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your egg consumption.

Final Thoughts – Quails vs Chickens

There are a lot of differences between chickens and quails and one should decide according to the resource’s availability. If you want to get quality eggs and meat that can sell at a faster rate, invest in a chicken farming business.

Quails are easier to raise as they don’t demand managemental care and you can start farming with less investment. By considering your farming expectations and cost calculations, you can decide which business is more feasible for you.

Research References

Priti, Mishra, and Shukla Satish. “Quail farming: an introduction.” International Journal of Life Sciences 2.2 (2014): 190-193.

Kar, Jotan, et al. “Management, growth performance and cost-effectiveness of Japanese Quail in Khaza Quail Farm” Global Journal of Medical Research 17.1 (2017).

Zaheer, Khalid. “An updated review on chicken eggs: production, consumption, management aspects and nutritional benefits to human health.” Food and Nutrition Sciences 6.13 (2015): 1208.