Japanese quail farmed for eggs and meat have specific behavioral needs including dustbathing, foraging, and flight opportunities that intensive systems deny.
Quail confined in battery cages cannot perform any of their natural behaviors including dustbathing, foraging, flying, or adequate social behavior. The intensity of motivation for these behaviors means frustration is ongoing throughout the production cycle. Enriched housing systems that provide litter for dustbathing, elevated areas for perching, and foraging substrate dramatically improve welfare with modest additional costs.