feeding quail

[CrazyChickLady7]

Ok thanks. This has all been really helpful. I can't wait to see them pip.

 

[yellowherb]

I went out to my local feed store today, just a home town ranch type store. I asked about the purina game bird starter and they had not heard of it being discontinued. BUT, when I bought a bag of feed and they tossed it in the back of the truck it's not the same bag I had last time. This is growth and plumage Startena . It's still listed as 30% protein though. Normally the feed would have been on the shelf and I could pick it up myself but they had not put out the new stock yet.

 

[rick54]

Thank you yellowherb, that sounds very promising!

 

[cpirider]

Hi everybody, I have one queastion. Do someone know how much feed texas A&M quail eat a day? For coturnix quail I know it is around 25 grams/day. Sorry for my bad english, I am from Serbia, I have coturnix quails and thinking to get texas a&m if I can aford it, so I can't wait to hear what you would tell me

Ofcours I talk about good food with high level of protein

 

[quail raiser]

Texas a&m are coturnix quail so I'm guessing they eat about the same amount. I've raised them before but I've always just kept the feeders full, never really put much thought into how much each one eats

 

[cpirider]

Yes but they are much bigger, 10-14 oz per bird, and coturnix weight 4-6 oz

 

[Dinx]

At my local feedstore, I got Gamebird Starter by Home Grown. It's 28% protein crumbles.

Interestingly, on the label, it has instructions to turn it into other various feeds:

24% protein quail breeder recipe = 1700 parts feed + 100 parts ground limestone + 200 parts grain.

24% protein quail maintenance recipe =1600 parts feed + 400 grain. (Great for the bachelor pen.)

(There are also other formulations listed to make various percentages for non-quail game bird needs.)

This would work for any brand. I understand that many folks just keep to the 28% forever, but I've also read that organ damage can happen if you keep feeding the 28% forever. Knowing the above recipes means that a 50 pound sack of starter crumbles won't have to sit around until you hatch more chicks. Just use it as a base to mix whatever you need.

Robby at James Marie Farms told me to use 28-30% for the first 4 weeks and then 20-24% for adults.

 

[yellowherb]

@Dinx that's very interesting! I have both my buttons and coturnix in the aviaries of budgies and cockatiels, I purposely throw down the bird seed each day for the quail to eat along with refilling their quail crumbles, which is the 30%. While not mathematical about it, I guess it's working since I get a lot of eggs and happy quail when they see me coming They also get crushed oyster shell and loads of sand.

 

[EJA1]

Yellowherb, how do you feed the oyster shell? Is it mixed with their feed, or fed separately?

I tried calling the customer service number for Purina yesterday, but.... duh.... they're not open until Monday. I'll try again tomorrow.

 

[yellowherb]

I put it through a old food processor and made smaller chunks since it was large chunks. (talk about loud)
I tried putting it near their food but they ignored it from what I could see so we have a couple of paving stones for putting the heaters on in winter and I'm just scattering a bit there. They go get it when they want it and I add more once a week as they go through it or it gets scattered into the sand.

Keep us updated on the Purina call EJA1