Baby quail feed

[pmk3001]

Hi All

My quail are due to hatch very soon, I have searched all the local feed shops, none of them sell game bird feed or turkey feed at all, they claim it is out of season here in the UK. I had to buy chick crumbs which is only 18% protein. Can I add ground up boiled egg and dried meal worms (shops seem to sell them for feeding wild birds) to boost the protein?

Many thanks.

 

[ThaJuicyJuice]

yes do that, but they aren't able to eat large items. keep that in mind

 

[pmk3001]

Thank you. I forgot to mention they are coturnix quail. I thought about grinding the worms, egg and chick crumbs together. How much egg and worms do you think I should add?

 

[dc3085]

Thank you. I forgot to mention they are coturnix quail. I thought about grinding the worms, egg and chick crumbs together. How much egg and worms do you think I should add?

You kind of cant overdo it on the egg as long as you use reason but be careful with meal worms they are high in fat and if over fed can lead to health problems (fatty heart/liver). It is suggested to limit adult coturnix to 2-3 meal worms per day so i'd say appx 1 per day for the chicks. There are several threads that talk about different ways to make low protein starter work for quail chicks, so try an advanced search of the quail forum but adding the egg and some worms is a good start.

 

[Lobzi]

When to feed babies? I know chicken chicks can last a few days on the absorbed yolk. How about coturnix hatch-lings?

 

[dc3085]

Leave them in the incubator for 24 hours after they hatch. After that move them to the brooder with an autofeeder. You dont want chicks to ever run out of feed.

 

[texan4ut]

My little ones hatch 2 days ago they have plenty of food and water and they eat pretty much all day and night so far . My brooder is 4 feet long 2 feet wide, food on one end and heat on the other with water in between they eat a lot already 19 birds. Eat, water get under the heat, nap and do it again so yes lots of food.

 

[Lobzi]

Ok, thank you. I provided food for the one that hatched this morning. It may have taken in a little. I also offered it water/sugar/electrolyte solution with an eyedropper.

 

[Lobzi]

How do you teach them to eat/drink or do you need to?

 

[texan4ut]

How do you teach them to eat/drink or do you need to?

My 1st hatch this week I was taking them out of the incubator and dipping their beak in the water, however some of those chicks escaped before I could do that and they ran straight to where I had put food on a paper towel began eating right away. 3 days later all are eating and drinking just fine.