Updates in research on quail nutrition and feeding: a review

Abstract

SUMMARY The first reports of quail breeding describe it as a little explored activity and used mainly for ornamentation. However, characteristics such as rapid growth, productivity precocity and low production cost, made this activity spread globally. Although there are other quail species, the Japanese quail has become the most used in industry and in the field of scientific research.Great technological advances have occurred over the years in the nutrition and feeding of these birds. Therefore, this review was prepared aiming to present the evolution of studies on nutrition and food and may contribute to future research. The great evolution of meat and egg production rates observed in quail farming is due to advances in genetics, improvement of management techniques, ambience and nutrition, with the development of studies using different ingredients in feed, thus meeting the production needs. However, constant updates are needed in research, considering advances in science, the population’s food habits and needs, in addition to economic, well-being and environmental issues, observing production goals and genetic characteristics for each stage of life, sex of birds and the quality of quail products.