Can two week old Button Quail eat Premium Parakeet,finch, canary food!

[feather leg farms]

I bought some Premium Finch, Canary and Parakeet food at walmart. Can they eat that at two weeks old? How much do they get? How often?

 

[citalk2much]

You can use it as a treat. I give mine it about twice a week

 

[shelleyd2008]

But you need to make sure they have some kind of grit available.

 

[citalk2much]

Quote:
I don't give my quail any grit thou they do tend to eat there sand crazy birds

 

[shelleyd2008]

Well sand is a type of grit. Where do you get yours? I was getting some playsand bags from walmart, but they are out now, and those were expensive!! I try to get some dry dirt from the yard when it's not raining, but that hasn't been very often lately!

 

[citalk2much]

I get kids play sand at the big box lumber stores and when I put it in their bowls I mix in DE

 

[chickeypoo]

haha. come to my house for dry sand/dirt. LOL. it hasnt' rained nearly enough lately but fortunately my garden isn't showing that too badly. could you sneak to the beach for sand? and then maybe bake it so it gets sterilized... not sure what you could do besides buying play sand.... i never really had to figure that one out.

what do you house your buttons in and on? besides sand haha. can they be on wood shavings?

Thanks
Sue

 

[shelleyd2008]

I actually use pine pellets. I like the absorbency of them better, and unlike shavings, if the pellets get wet they smell better

I soak the pellets in warm water for a day or so, and make them break down to sawdust mostly. Then I put them in a (pan, tupperware, whatever) for a few days so they get good and dry. Mine are right now living in a rat manor cage, which is divided into two cages, top and bottom. I plan on modifying a bookcase into several individual breeder cages, so owning 8+ pairs of button quail won't take up too much space.

ETA: As for the sand, my plan is to make a sandbox for my son, since a load of sand costs about $25. When the sandbox gets low (from my taking it out to give to the quail), I'll just get another load. Kill two birds with one stone (no pun intended

) But that's in the future yet.