Evolving coturniculture: production challengesand market opportunities in alternative quailfarming

Resumen

Objective: Coturniculture refers to the breeding and productive use of Coturnix japonica. This bird has emerged
as a strategic alternative within non-conventional quail farming, highlighting its biological efficiency, low space
requirements, and rapid reproduction rate.
Design/Methodology/Approach: This review explains the integration of the main advances and challenges
of coturniculture, focusing on biological characteristics, production systems, feeding management, market
dynamics, and agroecological innovation. The productive potential of several production units operating with
genetic lines and specific diets or other constraints that limit performance is highlighted.
Results: The quail farming system for this species is adaptable to diverse scales and agroecological conditions.
It has been progressively consolidated in Latin America, particularly in Mexico. However, it has limited
development, weak technical development, and poor commercial coordination. However, recent studies have
documented improvements in production through the incorporation of alternative ingredients (insects, local
forage, agro-industrial byproducts) and practices that promote animal welfare. In the public consumption area,
coturniculture produces meat and eggs. These products are gaining ground in the gourmet, functional, and
sustainable food niches. However, there is a persistent lack of regulations, limited institutional promotion, and
limited awareness of public consumption of these products. Current trends in quail feeding should focus on
healthy, antibiotic-free production and a circular economy that opens up new possibilities for strengthening
the production chain.
Limitations/Implications of the study: Publications on coturniculture are limited. Studies in databases
indexed in Scopus and Google Scholar are few. However, the necessary information was collected to understand Findings/Conclusions: Coturniculture represents a viable option for rural diversification, provided
that public policies, applied research, technical training, and marketing schemes are promoted to develop
sustainable, profitable systems that integrate cultur
the landscape of this livestock activity.