How fast do quail grow and what is the cost and return for a small batch?

Quail are valued for speed: they reach market weight in a few weeks and start laying eggs at a young age (much sooner than chicken), so a batch turns over fast and you see returns quickly, which is the main attraction. Treat figures as ranges. The main costs for a small batch are chicks, feed (the biggest running cost), simple cages, and brooding for the first weeks. Returns depend heavily on your selling price for eggs and meat, which is good only where there is genuine local demand, so the fast cycle helps only if you have buyers. Mortality in the early days and thin local demand are the main risks. Start with a small batch to test your market and your management, then scale. Build a simple cost and return sheet with local chick, feed and selling rates, and confirm the rules with your animal husbandry department.