Feed question

[Duck hunter]

I have jmf coturnix quail in lockdown and the local feed store only carries 20% gamebird feed. My question is can I mix soybean meal with this feed to up the protein or would this be too much protein?

 

[mdees88]

Your feed store doesn't carry chick starter? Mine doesn't have game bird starter but they have 24% chick starter and 30% turkey starter. I use the turkey starter...

 

[Duck hunter]

I think they have the 24% chick starter that's medicated but 20% is high as they had that wasn't medicated

 

[mdees88]

I would use 24% medicated feed over 20% non-medicated but that's just me. At least until you find some higher protein non medicated.

Can't help you about mixing the soybean but I would definitely make a trip back to your feed store and check out everything they got. Not sure where you're from but my local Tractor Supply has 24% dumor non medicated chick starter. My local feed store has 24, 26, 28, and 30% feeds. Some of the stuff is layer/grower, some is chick/turkey/gamebird starter. You just need to tell them what you are doing and they should be able to help you. Maybe you already have...

 

[RosieR]

Mine doesn’t carry a game starter either. They sold me non-medicated duck starter saying that’s what everyone in the area uses for quails. It’s at 22%.

 

[Duck hunter]

Same story, this 20% is what everyone is using around here. Well I've always used 28% gamebird feed the whole life of my birds. I got out of quail for a while and now that I've got me some more they have stopped carrying the 28. The closest TSC is 30 miles away. Someone on another thread directed me to a calculator that showed how much to mix with this 20% to get it up to 30

 

[RosieR]

Can we request the feed stores order it for us? Idk if it’s worth their time for one bag. But it would be nice lol

 

[Duck hunter]

Hatch day! Ordered 100 from jmf, he sent 120. 2 were cracked on delivery then a couple got cracked on the way to the incubator.my fault. Then the Turner cracked a couple. I ended up with 108 actually making it to day 14. Candled before lockdown and 95 made it into lockdown. These eggs are pretty big, hoping for a good hatch

 

[mdees88]

When you candle at day 14 you just want to see an egg that light will not shine through correct? Might would see a small air sac at the top? Then any eggs that light shine through you discard?

 

[Duck hunter]

Yea, dark eggs with an airsac go back in clear eggs go in the trash