What will happen if quail chicks eat medicated feed?

[Mrs. BJ Hensley Jr.]

I have 1 quail that hatched off out of 12 eggs. I have chicks also and I have had the quail baby with the chicks. The chicks need medicated feed and i have not been giving it to them because of the quail baby. I need to give all the babies medicated but will my Golden quail get sick from it? I also have 7 guinea that just hatched today and yestrday..... im really excited.

 

[Stellar]

To be honest, I feed all my chicks, quails, and guinea babies gamebird starter. Everyone grows up healthy and laying. Medicated feed in the long run will cause sterility in males in gamebirds. Manchurian quail (you mentioned golden coloring) have a lethal gene so not all will hatch. They are a pretty mutation though.

 

[95yj]

I'v been giving my quail chicks medicated gamebird starter, they all grow up fine, i don't think they should eat medicated poultry starter, but i'm really not sure. I wouldn't do it.

 

[Stellar]

I have no clue who "invented" medicated Gamebird feed but no one should feed their quails it. It causes sterility in males. If you are breeding quail, that is a big downside to any quail farm.

 

[Denninmi]

OK, this got me thinking. If you DIDN'T want them to breed for whatever reason, could this be used as a form of contraceptive?

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

Ok so the reason that medicated feed stops fertility is the dozing fills the liver. If the liver is going bad causing fertility issues I'd think it safe to say other issues are there too.

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

Let me clarify that before I get shot....


Doses in the feed are made for larger birds. Larger birds sure they eat larger amounts than a small bird but that's not the way to think about it. (Portions are just examples don't take the amount to seriously just the concept)

The dose is set for a large bird who eats say 50% of his body weight a day. So he gets enough of the meds out of 50% of his body weight.

As smaller birds they need more energy cause it takes more steps to get where they are going etc. which takes more food. Smaller birds eat more food per ounce of body weight than a larger bird does. So it eats say.... 200% of it's own body weight.

If the gamebird food was dosed for a bird who eats 50% it's body weight and a smaller bird eats 200% it is getting 4 times that dose. The tiny liver just can't handle that and the extra "medication" stays in the body causing infertility and maybe other unseen problems.

 

[ChickenFamilyof5]

i have been playing with ny new incubator and a buddies quail eggs. Not wanting to invest money into it i have been feeding the little guys my left over medicated dhick starter. They are fine and loving it

 

[95yj]

Quote:
I have trouble believing this since i have proven adult male breeders that i raised on medicated feed, where did you hear this? While the theory of body weight sounds plausible this also sounds like it could be a case of people rallying against any kind of medication, to me it sounds kind of like the same urban legend that says roosters that get frost bitten combs are infertile, also not true. Also (grammar nazi) its quail for singular or plural...)

 

[Denninmi]

Well, I can't speak to the validity of the various theories, or whether or not it does, but I certainly wouldn't want to risk making them sick.

Thanks.