Japanese quail are the fourth most farmed poultry species globally, yet they receive little welfare attention compared to chickens. Their specific behavioral needs can be met with targeted enrichment strategies.
Japanese quail are frequently overlooked in animal welfare discussions despite being farmed in extremely large numbers. Their small size makes dense housing appear less problematic than it actually is, but quail have the same basic behavioral needs as larger poultry: to dustbathe, forage, explore, and rest away from conspecific aggression. Feather pecking in quail can escalate to cannibalism rapidly in barren, overcrowded environments. Providing litter substrate for dustbathing, visual barriers to reduce aggressive interactions, and refuges for subordinate birds substantially reduces injury and improves welfare outcomes. The cost of enrichment per bird is minimal given their small size, making welfare improvements highly cost-effective for quail producers willing to implement change.