So If I can get the 30% game bird feed (which one of the local feed stores have) do I need to supplement with anything other than oyster shell / grit to keep quail properly conditioned to lay eggs & produce meat ? And what is used for treats ?
Not really. 30% will give them everything they need, oyster shell for the girls and grit for everybody. Give them a place to dust bathe as quail need to bathe everyday to keep the mites down. You can use sand or dirt. However they do love extra goodies in their diet. Not only can they be good for them, but they will enjoy you more when they see you coming with treats! Quail love greens, sprouts, quartered apples and peaches, dried fruit like raisins and cranberries, meal worms, hard boiled eggs, nuts and seeds. You can try all sorts of things to see what they like. Oh, they will bowl you OVER for snap peas in the pod! So, treats can enhance your relationship between you both and give them some natural type foods, which they love. Good luck!
YES! 30% GBS is the best thing you can feed your quail! Everything else is supplemental, or a treat. I agree with twocrowsranch about a dustpan. I consider it a MUST, not a treat or something they need to stop mites. It works off excess energy, and is even a social event for your birds. There isn't a mite closer than 37 inches to my birds, but the do love their dust bath! Nutritious greens like kale, collards, turnip, mustard, spinach, etc... Pretty much any high nutrition high calcium greens are good calcium supplements. If you can feed any of these with regularity, then you don't really need oyster shell. (Most species of quail) especially coturnix are champs at absorbing calcium from their diet. They don't need to eat a bunch of oyster shell like chickens or other galliformes. This is my opinion of things/feed/treats one should avoid. Iceberg lettuce (PURE EVIL!) White Bread (PURE EVIL!) Pretty much anything that is made into a bread like thing. Including, but not limited to...cakes, muffins, fritters, etc.... Even "Whole grain" versions of the same. Pasta (Pure Evil!) The jury is still out on cooked rice, but maybe in moderation.... Anything dried that expands to 2 or more times it's size when exposed to tap water. Dry beans, rice, pasta, grits, etc... It's a "No Brainier" and not trying to insult anyone's intelligence! Just covering the bases here.
I can understand how many breads would be bad for them. But would Corn bread be? I have always fed my birds and quail a corn bread that is loaded with goodies for them. Extra egg, and loaded with chopped veggies.
Corn bread seems to be ok. I make goodies out of corn bread as well. Around the holidays I make my parakeets their presents from cornbread and they are as old as me. Dennis, the gamebird starter is fine for their first 6 weeks. After that you can start giving them their "treats" while they are little tikes you can give them lettuce and blended oyster shell (you can sift the pullet sized oyster shells and get the powder...a little goes a long way)
Quote:So you have parakeets too! They are my favorite! I wouldn't think cornbread would be bad. I also add jarred baby food here and there , like a fruit or spinach.
