Japanese quail are farmed globally for eggs and meat in systems with significant welfare challenges including extreme stocking densities and poor environmental complexity.
Farmed quail welfare suffers from two compounding problems: welfare standards are essentially non-existent for this species, and their nervous, reactive temperament makes them particularly sensitive to the stressors of commercial housing. Overcrowding causes extreme stress responses, stereotypic behavior, and severe aggression. Unlike laying hens, quail have received virtually no scientific welfare research attention proportional to their numbers farmed. The combination of high numbers farmed, poor welfare conditions, and absence of welfare standards makes quail one of the most welfare-neglected farmed species globally.