FEEDING QUAIL

[Elana DeBolt]

I was thinking about getting quail and I was wondering if I can feed the quail babies 'chick starter' (but the kind for chickens) and if I could feed the quail adults 'layer feed' (but again the kind for chickens) My thing is that my parents (and my self) won't go for it if I have to get a special feed for them, plus I don't think my feed store has any. Any thoughts? Or tips?

 

[The Phantom]

Baby quail will need game bird starter. It is a much higher protein than chick starter. What breeds are you looking at?
@007Sean

 

[Fishkeeper]

You'll need game bird feed. Regular chicken feed doesn't have enough protein for quail.
You can probably order the feed online. Especially if you want button quail and as such would only need a tiny bit of food.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Are Quail very hardy? Like with heat? I’m thinking of maybe getting a few to go into my budgies cage

 

[The Phantom]

Are Quail very hardy? Like with heat? I’m thinking of maybe getting a few to go into my budgies cage

Blue scale, valley, gambles, benson, and merens quail are one that would probably do well.

 

[Fishkeeper]

What size is the cage? If it's big enough to keep any sort of bird happy, buttons or coturnix are good. And, yes, any environment that keeps a budgie happy and healthy will also work for quail.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

What size is the cage? If it's big enough to keep any sort of bird happy, buttons or coturnix are good. And, yes, any environment that keeps a budgie happy and healthy will also work for quail.

Oh it is a large old chicken run, mini wire. We may or may not depends on my mum and Dad

 

[Fishkeeper]

If it's outdoors, don't pick buttons. Other than that, your choices are fairly open.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

If it's outdoors, don't pick buttons. Other than that, your choices are fairly open.

It’s 40 degrees here in summer so I’m not sure...

 

[Fishkeeper]

Quail are hardy, they'll be fine. People keep quail outside. Many species of quail available in the hobby are closely related to their wild ancestors and would be living outside. Coturnix in particular are adaptable.
Again- if the budgie is happy and healthy, the quail will be fine. Shade and a lot of water when it's hot, sheltered, relatively enclosed places to burrow down into straw when it's cold. Make sure they have a dust bath, a dish of grit, and a dish of oyster shell, all separate.