Quail are farmed for eggs and meat in increasingly large numbers but have less developed welfare standards than chickens. Their rapid growth and high-density housing create significant welfare challenges.
Quail welfare has received less research attention and regulatory focus than chickens, despite being farmed in comparable conditions. The same welfare problems that affect intensively farmed chickens — barren environments, high stocking densities, and frustration of natural behaviors — apply to intensively farmed quail. The precautionary principle suggests extending the same welfare standards to quail that are increasingly applied to other poultry species.