Quail are farmed in large numbers worldwide with minimal welfare regulation. Understanding their specific needs helps advocates address welfare gaps in this neglected sector.
Quail welfare represents a neglected area of farm animal welfare advocacy, with these small birds typically housed under conditions that would not meet even basic welfare standards applied to chickens in many jurisdictions. The short production cycles and intensive systems used in quail farming mean that welfare compromises affect large numbers of birds for shorter but still significant periods. Dustbathing is a fundamental welfare need that quail in bare cages cannot meet, leading to the same pattern of frustration and redirected behaviour seen in other cage-housed poultry. The development of welfare standards specific to quail and consumer awareness of their welfare situation are necessary foundations for meaningful improvement in this sector.