The Coturnix quail is one of the most prolific birds of the poultry world.
It can start laying at 45 days and will lay over 300 eggs in the first year thereafter.
It needs a night light to give it 14-15 hours of light for maximum egg production.
The males can be culled for meat at about 120 grams at around 60 days and I had no trouble selling them at $10/kg dressed. Some Khmer clients thought they were young chickens as they had never seen such big ones.
Coturnix require a slightly higher protein food than chickens, France brand from Vietnam works out at about $0.60/kg. You have to use the feeders they stick their heads into or they will waste a LOT of feed and destroy your profit.
They must be housed, rice husk is ideal, makes great garden compost and the house can be very small.
They must be produced in an incubator.
They are a very financially rewarding bird to keep. Eggs cost me 2.3 cents to produce and sell readily at 5 cents each.
This is a low cost project.