About a year ago, Lekgomo Malatjie seized the opportunity to initiate a backyard quail farming enterprise without any prior experience in farming or knowledge about these birds.
Malatjie has been a vegan for the past seven years. However, when he left his job as a engineer in the mining industry in March 2023 to go into the health and wellness space, he realised that he was not getting in enough nutrients.
“When i was doing my health and wellness course, i realised that a vegan diet alone is not enough. So i tried to find alternative meats. As a result i started exploring farming exotic chicken breeds commercially,” he says.
Choosing quail farming
Malatjie had always worked in corporate environments, with his most recent job being as a quantity surveyor in the mining industry. However, he and his wife, Sanga, were increasingly interested in self-sufficiency, so they began exploring various options.
“My wife had been talking about quail, and as we explored quail for our home, it became clear that it could be a healthier alternative meat to what’s available commercially,” Malatjie says.
With dedication, research, and some trial and error, he learned the ins and outs of quail farming and is now well on his way to taking his farming venture based in Roodepoort, Gauteng to a whole new level.
Quails are known for their prolific egg-laying ability, which is why Malatjie chose this bird.
“[Some] quail [breeds] lay 300 eggs a year while chickens lay around 150 to 300 eggs a year.
“Quails lay from six to seven weeks [after hatching] while chickens take around four [to six] months to start laying,” Malatjie explains.
He adds that because quails mature faster and start laying eggs sooner, this decreases his upfront capital outlay as a result of feed. He sees a return on investment much sooner than chicken farmers.
From dawn to nighttime
When Malatjie drove more than 450km to collect the quail farming equipment he bought, including cages, incubators, and brooders, he had no idea of the amount of dedication, attention to detail, time, and resources that goes into managing quails.
However, no matter how big the task ahead, Malatjie was up for the challenge and wasted no time at all.
“The next day after our trip we went to buy fertile quail eggs to incubate and more quail. And this is how it began,” he shares.
His daily routine is to keep his quails healthy and produce eggs. Every day at 05:00, he turns on the lights in the coop to encourage egg-laying.
He also prepares special water blends tailored to the quail’s needs, even while he’s busy looking after his other animals including rabbits, goats, and chickens.
Related stories
- Growing food and dreams: Science student becomes fierce farmer
- Mother’s hustle inspires Maseko’s farming TikTok triumph
- Gogo’s helper: Mothudi grows healthy crops and community
“On different days I mix different water concoctions for them. On a Monday, we do apple cider vinegar and water to help with egg production, meat tenderness, parasites, and general well-being of the quails.”
Malatjie further explains that on Wednesdays, he adds viro-kill to the quails’ water, which is a broad-spectrum disinfectant that helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
On Fridays, he gives them water with liquidized garlic as a natural antibiotic. And on Saturdays, he mixes a variety of culinary spices like turmeric, cayenne pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and moringa to help avoid different ailments.
“On Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, I do a routine cleaning and disinfecting of the coop. Removing the droppings, misting the cages with viro-kill.”
By noon, Malatjie finishes his morning routine, but there’s still work to be done. He continues to feed and give water to the quails until five or six, depending on the season, he says. At 21:00, he switches off the lights in the coop, marking the end of his daily tasks.
During the hatching season, he closely monitors the incubators, ensuring optimal warmth and humidity for healthy chick development.
Once the chicks arrive (typically within 16-18 days), he remains vigilant, keeping a close watch over them. Furthermore, he conducts weekly health inspections on his adult quail, promptly isolating any sick chicks to prevent the spread of illness among the flock.
The world of quail farming
According to Malatjie, quail are ready to be eaten at around 10 weeks old. This is when they have reached their full size and weight goal, typically exceeding 350 grams.
To get them there, the quail needs to be moved to designated feeding areas and given a special high-protein diet to promote healthy growth.
“Depending on the business model, some farmers only cull males so that they can have more females to produce eggs. For farmers who have achieved their desired flock size, they cull both male and female,” he shares.
Malatjie explains that quail eggs are believed to strengthen the immune system by improving blood health. They’re also thought to help remove heavy metals from your body, cleansing your bloodstream.
“They improve organ function and enhance brain activity,” Malatjie adds.
Finding the right market
Malatjie has a market among the Asian community based in South Africa for his quail birds and eggs. He also supplies quail eggs to a grocery shop in Gauteng. For now, his informal market is working well, while he conducts further research on a larger target market.
He envisions a future where quail becomes a household staple for more South Africans. As awareness grows about its nutritional benefits, he believes it could transition from a gourmet dining item to a more accessible option for everyday meals.
“Because of their size, people can keep quail as subsistence farming for meat and eggs even in the urban areas.”
He also mentions that people have the opportunity to be involved in every stage of the supply chain, producing both eggs and meat. This differs from chicken farming, where certain breeds are raised exclusively for meat production while others are focused on egg-laying.
Malatjie also raises rabbits and cultivates some crops. However, when is comes to quail, he has found his passion.
READ NEXT: Chicken housing: Here’s how to build the perfect coop
Get Stories of Change: Inspirational stories from the people that feed Mzansi.
