Alternative quail foods

[bigjohn]

Does anyone raise coturnix quail on natural feeds and not on store bought food?

If so, what do you feed for them to thrive?

I was thinking of other countries that struggle with food shortages and quaility of foods and thinking of how practical quail would be to raise if there was some sort of feed that could be given other than gamebird feed or the like. Our church supports many missionaries in South America where reliable food and clean foods are not available. I know some organizations send goats, or rabbits, or chickens to help people get a food source established but quail would be such a fast protein source as well as eggs.

Any advice or opinions would be appreciated.

 

[cawooduck]

That is a very great idea, however, i think that you would have to keep sending chicks down there, unless the village has reliable electricity for an incubator to hatch some eggs. The reason being, Coturnix quail dont seem to go broody at all, from what i have heard the broodiness has been bred out of them over the centuries of domestic breeding.

If they could run an incubator and raise chicks/adults, i might think a corn meal may be able to sustain them.

 

[Boyd]

you could send a silky as well as some quail eggs

Silkies are known to hatch all sorts of eggs

Fluffy butt + eggs = happy peeps

 

[bigjohn]

Corn meal might certainly be an option. Seems like a small solar panel with battery or two would be enough to run a small incubator or even a broody chicken would certainly work.

Once it was setup, hundreds of birds could be raised easily and quickly for a year 'round supply.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
As a newly found silkie lover myself...i second the fluffy buttedness

 

[Boyd]

PS, the solar idea is great!!!!!! They make a GQF with a DC adapter ....... no fancy wires needed!!!!! Just use aligator clips to a car battery charged by solar panels!

 

[CARS]

They do still make incubators that require no electricity. I have one from the 1800's that is fueled by kerosene. (or at least was when all the pieces were there)

Edit: Like this: http://www.thomaseximp.com/thomas/egg.html