Within poultry farming, there is a branch known as coturniculture, which is the science which studies the improvement, promotion and breeding of quails, in order to make full use of its products, meat, eggs, excrement, etc, and also for cynegetic purposes.

The quail belongs to the gallinaceous order, pheasant family, Coturnix type, of which there are a large number of species, the most widespread and most well-known are the Coturnix Coturnix, known as the European or wild quail (aptitude for flight, and for cynegetic purposes) and the Japanese Coturnix or domestic quail (aptitude for meat). The existence of the quail has been known since ancient times, as can be seen in the compilations in the Exodus.

For this reason it is very difficult to establish when intensive exploitation of the same began. The Japanese quail was the first to become domesticated and be industrially exploited. Over time it was imported to Europe, where it was crossed with the European quail, the result of the two species coming together being the possibility of intensive exploitation.

The industrial exploitation of the quail is based on knowledge of facilities, handling and prophylactic programmes for illnesses, both for reproduction, incubation and breeding, along with proper knowledge of the diet necessary for balance, in order to obtain good exploitation results for the production of eggs and meat. The quality of quail meat has been known since ancient times, given its high content in proteins and amino acids and its low infiltration of fat, along with its fine growth index, with the period to reach adult state being an average of 35 days.

The quail provides extraordinarily tender and exquisite meat, which is easy to prepare gastronomically, making it superior to the meats of other poultry species. The production of eggs, both for reproduction and for human consumption, is of great importance due to the high laying capacity of the quails, along with high fertility which, in model exploitations in facilities and handling, can reach 90% on the laying curve and 87% on the fertility curve.

Quail egg shells have a series of characteristic pigmentations which, in their natural habitat, provide protection against predators, which confuse the eggs with the natural surroundings. Knowledge of quail eggs for human consumption also dates from ancient times. We now know much more about their dietetic and therapeutic value, resulting from their properties with high concentrations of A, D, C, E, B1 and B2 vitamins, amino acids and minerals, particularly iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus and calcium.

The production of quails is also important for cynegetic purposes, since nowadays the high number of people who go hunting, along with new techniques used in agriculture, has resulted in a shrinking number of wild quails. The production of quails is different to the production of meat, and, thanks to the breeding of quails, with a stock suitable for flight, we can, using appropriate production techniques and climate control in special ranges or flying areas, release them in game preserves for the enjoyment of the most demanding hunters. For these reasons, helped by the climate and the geographical situation of Spain, where the breeding of quails is very auspicious, coturniculture has become considerably more popular over recent years.