Feeding All My Birds

[GodLovesU]

I have a rooster and 11 hens, 3 male button quail, 4 male coturnix quail, 10 female coturnix quail, a dozen juvenile coturnix quail (male and female), and 13 4-week-old coturnix quail (male and female). Right now all 6 pens of birds are just eating unmedicated chick feed because that’s all I have. What would be a good food that I could feed all of them? Something that the girls would be getting enough calcium from. I wouldn’t mind buying multiple kinds of food or supplements, but would all-flock crumbles work? Also, the chickens are the only ones who can eat pellets, but they also like crumbles.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have a rooster and 11 hens, 3 male button quail, 4 male coturnix quail, 10 female coturnix quail, a dozen juvenile coturnix quail (male and female), and 13 4-week-old coturnix quail (male and female). Right now all 6 pens of birds are just eating unmedicated chick feed because that’s all I have. What would be a good food that I could feed all of them? Something that the girls would be getting enough calcium from. I wouldn’t mind buying multiple kinds of food or supplements, but would all-flock crumbles work? Also, the chickens are the only ones who can eat pellets, but they also like crumbles.

Before someone tags me, I'm going to bow out. I have NOT researched the nutritional needs of coturnix or button quail, and lack sufficient expertise to feel qualified in opining.

Chickens, ducks, yes. Even a bit about Turkeys. Quail? Nope.

Someone thank me not not saying "Quailified". It has been a long day, and the temptation was real.

 

[tlcmurphy]

I don’t have Quail but I thought that was the point of All Flock feeds? I read my bag of Kalmbach All Flock crumbles and it states “For chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and game birds.” Are quail considered game birds?
@Nabiki

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I don’t have Quail but I thought that was the point of All Flock feeds? I read my bag of Kalmbach All Flock crumbles and it states “For chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and game birds.” Are quail considered game birds?
@Nabiki

Typically "Game Bird" feeds are considerably higher crude protein - think 28-30%. That's both expensive and wasteful for chickens - they don't benefit from CPs that high. 20% CP might be sufficient for maintaining a breeding flock of game birds - *maybe* - but definitely not for raising Game Birds.

Are Quail "game birds"??? I imagine them as prettier, somewhat leaner, pigeons. [I'm probably wrong in that]

 

[tlcmurphy]

I know nothing about quail or game birds, I don’t want to steer anyone wrong!

 

[Nabiki]

I feed my adult quail a complete flock crumble that is 22% protein. I don't know about chickens, but that might be a bit high in protein for them. For both species, you will need to provide oyster shell or some other calcium source on the side for your layers.

 

[FrostRanger]

I feed my adult quail a complete flock crumble that is 22% protein. I don't know about chickens, but that might be a bit high in protein for them. For both species, you will need to provide oyster shell or some other calcium source on the side for your layers.

Nah, it's not until you get around 30% protein that you have to worry about too much protein for chickens, 22% is perfectly fine

 

[GodLovesU]

Ok, so I bought all-flock crumbles today and some oyster shell. Any suggestions for feeding the oyster shell? Also, I was wondering about grit. Do quail need it and do my chickens actually need it? Also, can grit or oyster shell be mixed in with regular feed?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Ok, so I bought all-flock crumbles today and some oyster shell. Any suggestions for feeding the oyster shell? Also, I was wondering about grit. Do quail need it and do my chickens actually need it? Also, can grit or oyster shell be mixed in with regular feed?

Put the oyster shell in a separate dish and grit in another. Don’t mix them—they will just get wasted. I don’t provide grit for my chickens because they can find it themselves out in their free range time. I can’t answer about quail so hopefully someone else chimes in about that

 

[GodLovesU]

Put the oyster shell in a separate dish and grit in another. Don’t mix them—they will just get wasted. I don’t provide grit for my chickens because they can find it themselves out in their free range time. I can’t answer about quail so hopefully someone else chimes in about that

Mine don’t free-range, my dogs are too aggressive.