ARE QUAIL EGGS REPLACING CHICKEN EGGS IN NIGERIA?
For hundreds of years, the quail egg has been a regular feature in Asian diets as doctors and nutritionists recognize its benefits in combating allergies, such as rhinitis, asthma, hay fever; promoting good memory; enhancing brain activity; and regulating the nervous system.
More recently, quail eggs have been used in Europe, and are widely available in pharmacies in France, Switzerland and Germany.
Quails were introduced to Nigeria in 1992 by the National Veterinary Research Institute of Nigeria (NVRI) in Vom, Plateau State. The consumption of quail eggs and meat, and quail farming in general, has been promoted by this Institute, the Nigerian Television Authority and some national daily newspapers, especially The Nigerian Tribune. The social media are also not left out as they are rife with testimonies of those who have received some relief from certain ailments after using quail eggs. A religious dimension has been added to the craving for the eggs as God was reported to have fed his people with quails at a critical period in their history. See the Holy Quran- Surah Al-Baqarah (Q2:57), and the Holy Bible- (Ex16:13).
Today, quail eggs are becoming an easy-to-get product in the Nigerian market, and many people have embraced it as an active natural medicine which can treat or alleviate a wide range of diseases, without the many side effects that accompany chemical compounds used in making modern drugs. At the rate people are embracing the consumption of quail eggs, it is being expected that quail eggs may soon replace chicken eggs in the dinning table. Should that happen, it would not be strange as several studies have established the nutritional and medicinal benefits of quail eggs. In fact, in the neighbouring Benin Republic, especially in Port Novo area, quail eggs are the only available eggs in the market.
Consider the following health benefits:
Quail eggs inhibit the growth of cancerous cells.
As alkaline forming products, quail eggs are used to treat digestive tract disorders, such as gastritis, stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers.
They treat constipation, nausea, muscle weakness, dizziness, stress and fatigue.
They also treat insomnia, nervous system disorders, dry mouth, and paleness, muscle pain, peeling skin and hair loss.
They improve diseases of the heart, liver and kidney.
They purify the blood, increase haemoglobin, and intensively remove radionuclide from the body.
Thus the nutritional and medicinal benefits of quail eggs and meat cannot be over-emphasized; they are of immense benefit to everybody regardless of age, sex or state of health.
Quail eggs and meat are safe, and they can be consumed as part of a familys daily diet. Quail eggs are best consumed raw or mixed in a fruit drink. They may also be eaten boiled for about three minutes.
I am sure that youre wondering how I came across these amazing birds in the first instance. I accidentally came across day-old quails in February, 2011, at a hatchery in Ibadan where I had gone to set my turkey eggs for hatching, and I immediately fell in love with the petite smart looking birds. I bought them out of curiosity, without knowing that I had just made a fantastic investment decision. Today, I ship quail eggs and quails of all ages to Lagos, Abuja, Owerri, Onitsha and Port Harcourt. I have expanded the farm as the demands continue to rise.
Moreover, I believe anyone can replicate my story as a successful quail farmer because quail farming is not all that challenging. The birds are smallish in size; hence they do not need the wide space required like in the case of chicken or turkey.