Quail are farmed in large numbers for eggs and meat with minimal welfare regulation, despite showing complex social and behavioural needs that intensive systems fail to meet.
Farmed quail experience many of the same welfare deprivations as battery hens — inability to dustbathe, forage, or express social preferences, and chronic stress from overcrowding. Unlike laying hens in the EU, quail are largely excluded from welfare directives, leaving billions of birds in barren conditions. Higher-welfare systems providing litter flooring, space allowances, and enrichment exist but are rare. Consumer demand and regulatory advocacy are the primary levers for change.