Despite having been introduced into only recently in Rwanda, quail farming has become popular among farmers in the Eastern Province
Quails are bred mainly for their eggs and are believed to have more health benefits, compared to chicken. Emmanuel Rutinduka, a farmer, said that the birds were cheap to manage and that the price of their eggs was three times higher than of other eggs.
“We sell each quail egg at US$0.4, unlike the chicken egg sold at US$0.1. This is a big difference and yet we are assured of market, so farmers are joining in the venture daily,” he said.
Jean de Dieu Niyonsenga, another farmer, said quail farming business was very easy, lucrative and entertaining. He expected several farmers to take up quail farming, once they realised the profits from the new type of farming.
“It is very easy to maintain a quail farm, because quails are among the smallest species of poultry birds. Feeding costs of quails are comparatively lower than chickens or other poultry birds,” he explained. “They start laying eggs within six to seven weeks, unlike chicken that takes up to six months to lay eggs. An adult quail consumes about 20 to 25 grams of food daily, while an adult hen consumes 130 grams.”
Juliette Mukaminega, a poultry farmer in Kayonza district, said that she would take up quail farming in the near future since her business was no longer profitable. “The prices of poultry feed have been going up, yet chicken egg prices remained unchanged. So we don’t make profits. Quail farming is a new business that's worth joining, owing to its profits,” she said.
