mb.com.ph; October 30, 2015

Urban agriculture is becoming to be the ‘in’ thing. And it is not just the usual growing of vegetables, ornamentals and fruits. Animals which are often associated with foul odor can also be grown in thickly populated urban areas.

Of course, not all farm animals are suitable for raising in the urban setting. But there are a number which can be raised without the neighbors complaining. One of them is quail raising.

Gil SP Garcia who is president of a big company that manufactures animal feeds has come up with a practical module for quail raising in urban homes. The module was showcased at the Agri-Kapihan on October 25 at the AANI Agri-Bazaar at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.

Jeffrey dela Cruz, Agrichexer’s quail expert, conducted the lecture on urban quail raising at the Agri-Kapihan, bringing with him a double-deck wire cage that can accommodate 30 layers and 10 males to mate the females.

Although the female birds will lay eggs without any males to mate them, many believe that fertile eggs are more healthful than those unfertilized eggs. That’s also the belief of many Japanese and Korean consumers who prefer fertilized chicken eggs. They say a fertilized egg has more healthful attributes.

According to Jeffrey, the 30 layers can produce enough eggs that one family needs in their daily diets. It is also possible for them to sell some of their eggs to their neighbors. In fact, if they are business-minded, they could take care of more cages to increase their production if they think there is a demand in the neighborhood.

Only a modest capital is needed to start a quail raising project in the city. The cost of the cage, the birds (it could be ready-to-lay birds), feeds and miscellaneous expenses could amount to just P3,450. The amount can be recovered in just several months.

Usually the cost of producing a quail egg is about 80 centavos, according to Jeffrey. The market price ex-farm is P1.25 apiece. So there is a 45-centavo margin per egg.

In urban quail raising, the monetary profit may not be the paramount consideration. It is having a supply of fresh eggs that is probably more important. If more urbanites will produce food, especially healthy food, then food security is enhanced. Even if there are areas that are struck by disasters and they cannot deliver the usual commodities to the metro areas, there will be food available from the urban farmers. -  by Zac Sarian

Source: A module for urban quail raising