Coturnix quail are increasingly farmed for eggs and meat worldwide, but their welfare in commercial settings often goes unaddressed compared to chickens.
Farmed quail occupy a regulatory blind spot in many countries — welfare legislation targeting poultry often specifically covers chickens but not quail, leaving billions of birds without legal protections. Commercial quail are typically kept at extremely high densities in wire-floored cages that cause foot pad lesions and prevent natural behaviors including dust bathing, foraging, and social interaction. Stress-induced feather pecking and cannibalism are common. Enriched colony systems with loose substrate, perches, and reduced stocking density show markedly improved welfare indicators. Slaughter methods for quail also lag behind chicken standards in most countries.