The management of Japanese quail and their use in virological research: a review.

Since the domestication of Japanese quail during the last few decades, they are extensively used as table birds and pet birds. These birds, because of their physiological resemblance to chickens, inexpensive maintenance and rapid generation turnover are increasingly used in biomedical research including virology. In the present review the life cycle of birds, care and incubation of eggs, rearing, nutrition and naturally occurring diseases are described. The use of Japanese quail, their embryos and cell cultures derived from them in virological research are also discussed.