Feed for newly hatched Quail

[sega]

Wondering what to feed my newly hatched Quail. I have been feeding them Chick Starter Grower until they are about 4 weeks old them I swap over to high protein 20% Quail feed. Is this correct to be feeding them this way?

 

[TwoCrows]

Quail chicks need more protein than is in chicken chick starter. They need a gamebird or turkey starter/feed of 24% to 28% all their lives.

 

[sega]

Purchased 24% quail starter grower today. Will give this a try. Will it make them grow faster?

 

[TwoCrows]

No, it won't make them necessarily grow faster, but they will grow healthier.

 

[FenDruadin]

I'm amazed that you didn't lose any chicks when feeding them chick starter. The one time I ran out of game bird starter and the feed stores were also out of it, my chicks started eating EACH OTHER. It was horrible. They were being fed chick starter and it wasn't close to good for them. Then they started falling over and not being able to stand up from the lack of protein.

Fortunately, I was able to remedy the situation quickly when the feed store's shipment came in, and most of them survived, but it was a vivid lesson in why game birds have separate feed mixes.

Also, for newly hatched quail, I grind the food in a coffee grinder--their beaks are SO tiny, I feel like this helps them. They eat it like crazy, and ignore the bigger chunks. I don't think it's strictly necessary, but I do think it helps them thrive.

Good luck with the babies. Nothing is cuter than a quail chick!

 

[sega]

I'm amazed that you didn't lose any chicks when feeding them chick starter. The one time I ran out of game bird starter and the feed stores were also out of it, my chicks started eating EACH OTHER. It was horrible. They were being fed chick starter and it wasn't close to good for them. Then they started falling over and not being able to stand up from the lack of protein.

Fortunately, I was able to remedy the situation quickly when the feed store's shipment came in, and most of them survived, but it was a vivid lesson in why game birds have separate feed mixes.

Also, for newly hatched quail, I grind the food in a coffee grinder--their beaks are SO tiny, I feel like this helps them. They eat it like crazy, and ignore the bigger chunks. I don't think it's strictly necessary, but I do think it helps them thrive.

Good luck with the babies. Nothing is cuter than a quail chick!

I have been feeding them chick starter and have not had one problem with them dying. The only time I had a problem with them pecking each other is when I put three older BobWhite quail in with some young Pharaoh quail. The next morning I was a few Pharaoh quail shorter than the night before. Three BW Quail sent to the woods.

I am now feeding only Game Bird feed to my Quail.

 

[FenDruadin]

I wonder if the chick starter you have access to might be higher in protein than what I was using at the time (I don't remember what brand I had then). Glad you didn't lose any!

 

[sega]

I wonder if the chick starter you have access to might be higher in protein than what I was using at the time (I don't remember what brand I had then). Glad you didn't lose any!

I will check the label and let you know.

 

[sega]

I wonder if the chick starter you have access to might be higher in protein than what I was using at the time (I don't remember what brand I had then). Glad you didn't lose any!

The feed is: MID-SOUTH PULLET STARTER-GROWER CRUMBLES MEDICATED.
I have been feeding it to 4 different hatching's of Quail and have not had any problems yet. It is 20% Crude Protein, min. It also has 0.0125% Amprolium. It cost $15.85 a 50lb bag.

The Tractor Supply DuMOR

Chick Starter 24% Feed for Quail, Turkey, and other Game Birds is $16.99 a 50lb bag. I have started using it since chatting with some people on here.
I hope they do just as good eating it. From my limited experience I have found that Quail are much more hardier than Chicken chicks and a lot easier to raise.

 

[FenDruadin]

That's great! I always figure if it's working well for you, go with it. If you run into problems, then assess what you're doing and consider a change. But it sounds like they're doing great. Let us know how they do on the new feed, and if you notice any changes.