Blue-Breasted Quail (Synoicus chinensis): Characteristics, Breeding Techniques and Research

The blue-breasted quail is a socially monogamous, sexually dimorphic and precocial species pan-Asian, classified in the order Galliformes and family Phasianidae. There are different names for the blue-breasted quail in the scientific literature, so it is easily be confused that these names refer to the same species, and recently the scientific name Synoicus chinensis has been used. The main advantages include easy rearing in small areas, small body size, hardiness, high egg-laying performance, short generation interval and sex determination after the fourth week of life. In addition, blue-breasted quail are smaller than Japanese quail and still retain species-specific behavioural traits even after domestication. The blue-breasted quail was proposed as a model animal nearly three decades ago and has been used for more than two decades, mainly in zoology, animal genetics, heredity and immunology research. It is also worth noting that the blue-breasted quail is a widespread used parthenogenesis model. This study compiles scientific research on the blue-breasted quail and presents this information under physiological, morphological and behavioural characteristics, including information on the breeding techniques of the species. The studies show that there is growing recognition of the significance of blue-breasted quail in research laboratories and that their position is likely to be strengthened in the future.