Quail farming is quietly emerging as a promising new livelihood for small farmers across Punjab, where rising demand from hotels and restaurants in Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan is encouraging growers in rural and suburban areas to set up small-scale units. The attraction is straightforward: the birds mature quickly, need little space and can be started with relatively modest capital, making them appealing for farmers looking to diversify.
The growing appetite for quail meat in Punjab’s cities is at the heart of the trend. Dr Faizan Rashid, who runs a quail farm in Pattoki near Lahore, describes quail meat as a luxury food item mostly eaten in major urban centres, where consumers have greater purchasing power. Despite a nutritional profile comparable to mutton, he points out, quail meat sells for almost half the price of lamb, which makes it an attractive specialty product for diners who want something distinctive without paying a premium.
That price gap matters for both sides of the trade. For restaurants and hotels, it lets them put a premium-feeling dish on the menu while keeping costs under control. For farmers, it means a ready urban market willing to pay a steady price for a product that costs comparatively little to produce.
One of the strongest selling points of quail farming is how little it demands in space and investment compared with conventional poultry. Dr Rashid notes that a room of just 100 square feet can accommodate up to 1,000 birds, a density unthinkable for chickens. The initial rearing process, including brooding and general management, is broadly similar to that of ordinary poultry, although temperature control is particularly important during the first few days of a chick’s life. Once past that delicate stage, quails are generally hardier and more resistant to disease than chickens, which reduces losses for small producers.
Disease management still requires care. Unlike conventional poultry, quails do not routinely require vaccination under certain farming practices, Dr Rashid explains, but disease prevention and veterinary attention remain essential, and antibiotics can be administered when prescribed for bacterial infections. Good hygiene, proper ventilation and careful flock observation are therefore just as important on a quail farm as on any other livestock unit.
Feed is the single biggest recurring expense in quail production, and the cost farmers watch most closely. A day-old chick costs around Rs. 17, while a mature bird can fetch between Rs. 70 and Rs. 100, depending on size and prevailing market demand. Profitability, Dr Rashid stresses, largely depends on efficient flock management, feed consumption, mortality control and access to reliable buyers. A Japanese-breed quail chick weighs around eight to nine grams at birth and can reach approximately 100 grams at maturity, giving farmers a fast turnaround from chick to saleable bird.
Research is also improving the economics of the sector. The Avian Research and Training Centre at the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore has developed a jumbo quail breed designed to improve bird size and meat yield. The initiative increased egg weight from 9.5 grams to 12 grams and day-old chick weight from 6.5 grams to eight grams. More impressively, live weight at 28 days has risen from 100 grams to 200 grams, with dressed weight doubling from 50 grams to 100 grams. Yet the jumbo variety has not won over every buyer: hotel and restaurant operators generally prefer smaller birds for serving, while the university breed is popular among consumers who buy the birds and cook them at home. New farmers should therefore know their target buyer before choosing a breed.
Not everyone urges unqualified enthusiasm. Dr Farhan Afzal, director of the Punjab Poultry Research Institute, describes quail farming as an attractive emerging business opportunity, citing compact housing, limited land requirements, early maturity and a short production cycle as its key advantages. At the same time, he cautions that uncertain demand, price fluctuations and limited access to regular buyers continue to constrain the sector’s commercial expansion. Potential advantages, he warns, do not automatically guarantee profitability: reliable buyers, feed costs, chick quality, mortality rates and farm management ultimately determine whether a quail unit makes money.
Institutional support currently comes through broader channels rather than a dedicated programme. Dr Afzal notes that the Punjab Livestock Department supports quail farming mainly through wider poultry research, extension services, farmer training, veterinary diagnostics and regulation, rather than a quail-specific assistance scheme. Farmers therefore rely on general livestock services and their own networks for technical advice, a gap that could matter as more newcomers enter the business without experience of rearing game birds.
Looking ahead, the sector’s growth will depend less on the birds’ production potential, which is already proven, than on solving the market problems around them. Addressing demand uncertainty, controlling production costs, improving stock quality and building a reliable value chain linking small farms to hotels, restaurants and household buyers will decide whether quail farming remains a niche sideline or grows into a meaningful source of rural income. If those links are built, Punjab’s small farmers may find that one of the smallest birds on the farm offers a practical route to steadier income.
