Quails are small-sized terrestrial birds that originated from the Phasianidae family. These medium-sized birds comprise numerous species of which some of them are bred and raised on a large-scale. Depending on the quail species, they differ in their appearance, which gives the breeder a variety to choose from. These little plump birds have become popular in cookery as their eggs have good amount of nutrition value. In early times these birds were mostly used for hunting purposes and now they are mainly used for food. Raising and hatching quail eggs is not an easy task and must be done with complete dedication. Well raised quails can prove profitable. However, improper care can lead to many problems. Before considering the idea of raising quails, it is important to think of the space, cost and materials that are required to bring up these plump birds. In case you are planning to breed quails then you must make yourself aware about the bird’s health issues, growth rate and the size of the flock. So, read through the tips on how to raise these birds, to start your own mini quail farming.

Raising Quails

Selecting the Right Flock
Quails must be well selected before starting the breeding process. The birds must be of the similar size and must weigh normal. A 60 day old quail will weigh around 120 g while a 30-35 old will weigh about 100 g. Therefore, before bringing in the quails choose the appropriate flock so that breeding becomes a risk free process. Before purchasing the flock go through the medical or family record to understand the growth rate and also to predict any future health issues. If you are a beginner then purchase less quails but the ratio of females to males should be more. Males tend to easily breed with females and within 6 weeks a female quail is ready to lay eggs. These eggs can be consumed after 4-5 weeks.

Housing for Quails
Also consider the cost of the cage that you will need for the quails. These are medium-sized but plump birds, so, they require sufficient space to move around. You can either purchase a cage, which has a strong base or build it with plywood, mesh wire and lumber. Construct a big cage which would provide the birds with sufficient space and comfort as they grow. In case the flock is big, build or purchase layered cages so that you can accommodate the birds well.

Setting up Brooders
Brooders are boxes which has an inbuilt bulb and provides shelter to the newborn chicks. Brooder boxes keep the chicks warm until they develop feathers. Ventilation of air is important to prevent the brooder from getting too warm. After 10 days, the chicks can be brought out and kept under room temperature. Spread layers of newspapers on the cage flooring so that it can absorb the droppings of the bird. Newspapers can be easily rolled up and disposed off, which makes cleaning easy. Read the rest of this entry »

The wedge-tailed (Aquila audax) eagle is native to Australia and commonly known as the Eaglehawk. These huge birds of prey are spread throughout Australia and even in Southern New Guinea. The name of the bird is derived from the shape of its tail. This bird has a heavy body and a wide wing span that enables it to glide swiftly in the sky at a great height. Wedge-tailed eagles are known to live up to 20 years and pairs stay faithful to each other.

Wedge-tailed Eagle Facts

Distribution and Habitat
These majestic species of bird is spread all over the continent of Australia. These birds prefer living away from the city and mainly in forest areas. Wedge-tailed eagles are adaptable birds but prefer to stay in a peaceful and undisturbed environment.

Description
The male wedge-tailed eagles are darker than the females. The young ones of these eagles are light brown in color and have reddish heads. As they mature their color turns darker. The chicks of this species develop within few weeks. The second week after the hatching of the chicks, they begin to develop feathers. The female wedge-tailed eagle weighs around 7.1 to 12lbs and males weigh around 4.4 and 8.8lbs. These birds are built with a wide wingspan which measures around 227 cm. These birds grow up to a height of 1 meter. Eagles have a very sharp eyesight and can hunt their prey even if they fly very high. They have a hooked long beak which helps them to tear open the carcass and rip the meat. Their claws are huge and strong enough to have a good grip over their prey and even to cling on to a branch.

Food Sources
This largest bird of prey has a varied diet and mainly feeds on ground animals. Rabbits constitute a maximum of their diet, but, they also consume kangaroos, hares, wallabies, snakes, ravens, foxes, sheep and lizards. Most of their prey are caught while landing on the ground and pinning them against the ground by their claws. In order to hunt big animals, these eagles will form a flock and hunt together.
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Greater prairie chickens are native to North America. Habitat loss caused a great decline in the number of Greater Prairie chickens and almost pushed them towards extinction. Gradually the number of these birds increased as efforts are taken to protect them from extinction. Greater Prairie chickens which goes by the binomial name (Tympanuchus cupido) belongs to the grouse family and is well-known for its mating ritual.

Great Prairie chickens are medium-sized birds. They have round black feathers with white stripes running across it. They have a short and round tail that stands erect, pointing upward. Males have a yellow patch around their neck, which they inflate while performing the courtship ritual. Females are smaller and lighter than males and they lack the yellow comb and the patch around their neck. The birds from grouse family are around 6.5 kg and are 31 to 95 cm in length. Heath Hen (extinct) , the Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) and Attwater’s Prairie Chicken are three of the subspecies that are grouped under Tympanuchus cupido. Tall grass prairies or agricultural land are the areas where these birds find comfort for displaying courtship, nesting and brooding. However, the type of habitat changes and are always ranging to vast grassy fields.

Habitat Requirements for Greater Prairie Chicken

Greater prairie choose their dwelling place as per their needs. These mainly consists of wetlands, croplands, oak stands and short grasses. Therefore, let us take a look at how the habitat changes as per their requirements.

Lekking Ground
The mating pattern of the grouse family birds is referred to as lekking. The area they choose to perform the ritual is termed as the lekking ground. Males of these species create a small territory where they perform their competitive mating ritual. The males form a small territory and periodically display their wonderful courtship. The females then come to the lekking site and selects the dominant and desirable males to proceed with the ritual.

As the birds want to make their best impression, the lekking grounds are mostly low vegetation lands. Greater Prairie chickens also use grazed hill tops, burned land, wet meadows, cultivated land needle grass fields. The Great Prairie chickens use undisturbed lands that are away from traffic and roads. Read the rest of this entry »