Bobwhite - finding unmedicated feed - HELP!!!

[SuburbanMomof4]

Hi all,

My 6yo son is trying to hatch some quail eggs - we got a kit from Home Science Tools. He has 4 bobwhite eggs and is being religious about turning them, watching the temperature and making sure the incubator has some water in it for humidity. They are supposed to hatch approximately on Mother's Day (next Sunday). The directions said we can hope for 1-2 successful hatches...

I'd like to feed the chicks unmedicated feed, but we live in an area where people look at you funny when you talk about recycling.

I found this product from Manna Pro on Amazon for a bit over $13 including shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/Gamebird-Show...?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1336232309&sr=1-2

This seems to be my only choice at our local Tractor Supply for $7;
http://www.tractorsupply.com/dumor-reg-chick-starter-grower-20-10-lb--1028113

Neither product *seems* to list medications - but I am not sure. I also doubt we need 5lbs!

We also have chickens - we've just been buying them Purina Layer pellets, but they eat little of that as they freerange all over our acreage. I didn't even think about the medicated feed issue (didn't see options) when we got them as chicks. (And 4 full-size chickens were on regular feed before we we were half through the 5lbs of chick starter.)

BUT it means we have a bunch of eggs handy. I also have Brewer's Yeast, corn meal, molasses, and other normal cooking/baking stuff.

Can I make up something that would work to start the bobwhite chicks? And then maybe build them a movable home in our veggie garden or start vermicomposting or something?

Ideas, please? I have time to order stuff online right now, but not much!
Kerridwen
(5 kids and out of the suburbs!)

 

[TwoCrows]

The Manna Pro Gamebird feed will work well as it has 26% protein. Quail need at least 24% protein in their diet. You could respecify at your feed store and ask for Turkey starter. Many folks use Turkey starter the entire lives of the quail. Many times it comes non-medicated. Purina makes some gamebird feeds without medication also. If you can not find any non medicated, it will not hurt them.

And actually quail seem to be a bit more prone to cocci than chickens. So it might not hurt to use the medicated.

You will not be able to keep these quail with your chickens, nor can you free range quail. So you will need to make an enclosure of some sort. Either a pen style or aviary style place for them.

You can do the moveable thing, however should one of them escape, you will never see them again.

Quail are a magnet for night time varmints that love to eat quail. So what ever you build needs to be over built to protect your quail. Do a lot of planning on this one. These night time critters have a LOT of time on their hands at night and will work something till they get in.

 

[jbobs]

medicated feed will not hurt them at all. If anything, it will help prevent coccidiosis and result in increased chances that your birds will make it to adulthood. I always feed my chicks on medicated feed. If it were me I would be panicking if I couldn't find any LOL but then again I have a gallon of liquid Amprol standing by just in case.

 

[jbobs]

+1 on the turkey starter too, I cannot get game bird feed at my local store so I have always used turkey starter with great success.