For all who are thinking of making their own quail feed

[quailswiss]

I have come across some useful info in "Nutrient Requirements of Poultry: Ninth Revised Edition, 1994" on GoogleBooks under the following link: http://books.google.ch/books?id=sy8rAAAAYAAJ, page 45.

Please share any recipes you are using if you do not buy pre-mixed feed.

Here the table format for those who want to use it in a spreadsheet:
TABLE 6-2 Nutrient Requirements of Japanese Quail(Coturnix) as Percentages or Units Per Kilogram of Diet (90 percent diy matter)
Starting and Growing; Breeding
Nutrient Unit 2900’ 2,900
Protein and amino acids

Protein % 24 20
Arginine % 1.23 1.26
Glycine + serine % 1.15 1.17
Histidine % 0.36 0.42
Isoleucine % 0.98 0.9
Leucine % 1.69 1.42
Lysine % 1.3 1
Methionine % 0.5 0.45
Methionine + cystine % 75 0.7
Phenvlalanlne % 0.96 0.78
Phenvlalanme+tvrosine % 1,80 1.4
Threonine % 1.02 0.74
Tryptophan % 0.22 0.19
Valine % 0.95 0.92

Fat
Linokic acid 1 1

Macrominerals
Calcium % 0.8 2.5
Chlorine % 0.14 0.14
Magnesium mg 300 500
Nonphytate phosphorus % 0.3 0.35
Potassium % 0.4 0.4
Sodium % 0.15 0.15

Trace minerals
Copper mg 5 5
Iodine mg 0.3 0.3
Iron mg 120 60
Manganese mg 60 60
Selenium mg 0.2 0.2
Zinc mg 25 50
Fat soluble vitamins

A lu 1.65 3,300
D3 ICU 750 900
E lU 12 25
K mg 1 1

Water soluble vitamins

B12 mg 0.003 0.003
Biotin mg 0.3 0.15
Choline mg 2,000 1,500
Folacin mg 1 1
Niacin mg 40 20
Pantothenic acid mg 10 15
Pvridoxine mg 3 3
Riboflavin mg 4 4
Thiamin mg 2 2

NOTE Where experiential data arc lacking. values typeset in bold aliases represent an estimate based on %-values obtained for other ages or species. For values not listed for the starting-growing periods, see requirements for turkeys as a guide.

 

[quailswiss]

The table from page 45 of Nutrient Requirements of Poultry: Ninth Revised Edition, 1994

 

[dc3085]

The problem with making your own food is nutritional distribution. Quail are really picky eaters and they will eat the things they like the most just like anything else. If there were seeds or other treats in in the cage the day I process they will make up the most of what is in every crop and they will have little or no game bird crumble in there at all if they found enough seed. If you are having a mill process it then you can be sure it's done correctly but at home you aren't going to lab test it for nutritional values when you finish and there is no other way to be sure. This becomes a vitamin issue for me at it's base. Vitamin deficiencies in quail tend to be pretty nasty and some can have a high mortality rate. Because a lot of people want to make GMO free or othewise organic foods that opinion no matter how much science I show to back it is always unpopular. I understand where they are coming from but you have a responsibility to provide them with correct nutrition since they literally cannot survive as a species without human involvement, and only even exist because of it. The birds you raise are over a thousand years removed from their natural genetics so are basically a different species. And since people intentionally pushed the envelope to create bigger faster growing birds they should always make sure they are properly fed. Just my $.02 and I dont want to disrupt your thread but I feel it is an opinion that should be shared even if you still plan to make your own.

The most successful method I've seen are poultry co-ops where a few people live near each other go in on however many tons their local mill requires for a run and just specify gmo free/organic inputs.

 

[quailswiss]

I hear what you are saying: there is much to be gained in having a "feed specialist" making up feed for you.

I thought it was an interesting question if, say, an organic broadacre farmer (linseed, sunflower, camelina, grains) could produce the main ingredients for quail feed himself, because then he could produce organic quail eggs without buying organic feed (which is not available everywhere).

Also, the lessons learned might be useful for any home quail owners who would like to diversify their feed.

 

[Twoandhelp]

This is very interesting to me. I've wanted to make my own but dc3085es a good point- they'll pick around and you can't be sure what you're getting. But thanks quailswiss- those vaharts are great and definitely can help in finding good options to diversify food options. I've thought about providing fodder like people do for chickens for my quail and ducks. I figure I'll just give it to them younger. I know the quail would play in it of nothing else. Those charts could help me pick the best sprouting options. Thanks to you both!