Texas quail (white pharaoh) due to a combination of many positive qualities is one of the most popular breeding breeds of domestic birds. But before you get the quail of this breed, it is necessary to get acquainted in detail with its characteristics and requirements for successful egg production in females.
Inference history
This breed appeared, as the name implies, in the United States. To obtain it, Japanese quail and other various species were first crossed.
Did you know? In quail eggs there is a high content of lecithin, which neutralizes the effect of cholesterol.
After this stage, the breed was mixed with English white quail, from which it received a white color. There were also crosses with large species of quail, which slightly modified the characteristics of the bird. 
Appearance and physique
Main features:
- color and plumage: snow-white, sometimes with a light yellow tinge, dense, quite fluffy. Perhaps the presence of black spots in the plumage, not more than three pieces;
- torso: large, rounded, especially in comparison with the usual quail, stocky;
- neck: medium, not wide;
- paws: muscular, strong;
- breast: wide, large coverage;
- tail: short, the same color as the bird;
- beak: light pinkish tint darker at the end.
The nature and instinct of brooding
It is precisely because of their calm and docile nature that the birds are so popular. At any age they are not very active. The great advantage is that the quail is not noisy - it allows you to place them in the apartment. When cohabiting with other species of birds do not show aggression, which is very convenient.
Did you know? The ancient Egyptian hieroglyph, denoting the letter "y", was depicted as a small quail.
A peculiarity of the white pharaoh is that females very quickly reach a period when they can begin to nest, namely at 45-55 days of life. They rush most actively at 5-6 months, after this peak there is a gradual decline, therefore it is recommended to replace females with new ones. 
The downside is that the egg production of the breed is slightly lower than that of other types of quail - it is primarily famous for its meat qualities. There is also no incubation instinct when kept in cages - in a cage conditions, hatching in 3-4% of birds is possible.
Find out what the quail meat tastes like and how useful it is.
Productive characteristics
Texas Quail has good performancetherefore, it is most often used for slaughtering:
- Weight: males - 350 grams, females - 450 grams on average.
- Meat outlet: plucked carcasses have a weight of 100-120 grams less, that is, the males at the exit - 250 grams, the females - 350 grams.
- Egg weight: 15-16 grams.
- Egg production: 65-70 %.
- Beginning of the period of carrying eggs: 45-55 days.
- Egg production per year: about 170 eggs.
Conditions of detention and care
In order for the bird to gain the necessary weight and rush well, it is necessary to adhere to certain conditions in the content and provide it with proper nutrition.
Another breed of quail meat is considered the Pharaoh.
Room Requirements
It is possible to place cages with birds both in house conditions, and in a shed, a hen house or other adapted construction. Its area will primarily depend on the number of reared quails. 
Temperature conditions depends on the age of the quail and should change with the growth of the chick:
- newborn chicks (up to 4 days) - +36 ° С;
- nestlings (from 4 to 10 days) - + 32-33 ° С;
- chicks (from 10 to 15 days) - +25 ° С;
- adults - not below +19 ° С.
Humidity indoors it is recommended to keep at about 55%.
Bright lighting is an irritant to such birds. An excessive amount of light can lead to a decrease in immunity due to stress, an interruption in the carrying of eggs, and aggression. The bulb of 25 W is suitable for lighting of the room with quails.
Important points are also the absence of drafts, inaccessibility to predatory species of animals. 
What should be the cells
Most often, quails are kept in cages, but because of the large size, the white pharaoh will not accept the standard sizes of structures. Also, a feature is that with a small cage size, the male cannot cover the female - this can lead to an increase in the number of unfertilized or “empty” eggs. Therefore, the cage should be larger than usual size, approximately 1000x50x40 cm with a maximum of 20 quails.
Important! With a small cage size due to crowding, birds can begin to show aggression towards each other.
It is most convenient to make the floor netted with a special tray for collecting bird droppings - this will facilitate the cleaning process.
Each cell must contain the following elements:
- egg collector (so that birds do not trample eggs);
- feeding trough;
- drinking bowl.
It is important to monitor the state of cleanliness of the room and water and clean it as needed, but regularly, since it is dirt and contaminated water that can cause the spread of disease. 
How to feed adult quail
The feeding of an adult individual occurs 3 times a day, in laying hens during the laying period - 2 times a day. For quails, special feed for chickens is used, with very rough grinding it is necessary to grind it.
Important! It is not necessary to add boiled eggs or cottage cheese to quail nutrition for up to 60 days, this can lead to problems of the digestive system.
You can use cereals, grains, clover, young nettles, chopped pieces of vegetables. As an additive, you can use bone meal, chalk powder or fish oil.
The daily allowance of feed is 50-55 grams per individual. 
Breeding quails at home
In order to breed Texas quail at home, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the rules for incubating quail eggs and caring for chicks.
Read also about species (ordinary, Chinese painted) and breeds (Estonian, Manchurian) quail.
Quail Egg Incubation
When buying eggs, you should pay attention to their appearance: they should be smooth, without cracks, have an average level of pigmentation, and have an oval shape.
The shelf life of eggs at a temperature not lower than +10 ° C should be no more than 12 days, otherwise there will not be a high level of hatchability of chicks. 
After selecting the eggs, it is advisable to disinfect them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to prevent diseases. The incubation process lasts 17 days. It is necessary to turn the eggs every 4 hours, but you can and 2-3 times a day.
Learn how to make an incubator and brooder for quails personally.
Nursing care
The important stage is the transfer of the young from the incubator to the cages - this needs to be done as the birds dry, the process can take up to 12 hours. Since the chicks are still bad on their feet, it is recommended to put corrugated paper in the cages for their convenience, as well as to adhere to the temperature regime given above.
Feeding ration
In the first days of life, any food should be very crushed, even better so that it is in powder form. It is recommended that it be feed without additives. The drinking bowl should be no deeper than 5 mm so that the newborn chicks do not choke and drown in it. 
How to distinguish the male from the female Texas quail
It is possible to distinguish the male from the female Texas quail by the following features - the goiter and cheeks in males are lighter than in females, and the plumage is more yellow. The beak of the males, on the contrary, is darker. But the most obvious sign is the secretory gland: in males it is represented as a mound, in females it is a flat surface.
Video: differences between male and female Texas quail
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the white Pharaoh breed include:
- large carcass weight;
- short incubation period;
- light color plumage and carcass;
- calm character;
- quick ripening for egg production.
To disadvantages:
- low hatchability;
- low egg production.
Video: content of Texas white quail
Breed Reviews
Thus, Texas quail is primarily a meat breed, but with proper nutrition and care, they can also show a good level of egg production. Rules of care and feeding are not much different from the usual quail.
