Food for newly hatched coturnix quail...

[Agape Builder]

Quote:
It was my understanding that quail did not have nearly as much reserve yolk as other poultry chicks do, but that they still have a little bit of yolk that they draw up into their abdomens. Chicken chicks have a 3 day reserve. I know quail do not have nearly that much, but I was of the understanding that they could go a few hours without food. It is taking them some time (some even more than an hour or two) to even be able to walk decently. I have read that repeatedly. Is that not the case?

 

[Rozzie]

These should get you started, as far as scientific material goes.

Scientific research articles on quail nutrition:

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=621596
"A review of quail nutrition research in India"
"This is a review of the work undertaken to establish the nutrient requirements of, and feeding practices suitable for, quail under tropical and subtropical conditions..."
Based on the use of commercial feed, but you may want to examine their research findings anyway.
1999, so fairly recent.
You'll probably have to access this one through a college or university library. If you have a large public library, they may have access.

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1516-635X2003000200010&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en
Here is a scientific journal article out of Brazil. It discusses the effects of different dietary protein levels
Full text is available online for this one.

http://tru.uni-sz.bg/bjvm/vol08-No2-02.pdf
Here is a scientific research article out of Bulgaria. Again, this discusses protein levels.

I'm sure if you search on Google scholar, you'll come up with many more journal articles on quail nutrition. Try searching for the word coturnix, as opposed to just quail. You will get more specific results that way. Some articles will be available online. For others, you will need access through a library system, or with a hefty credit card limit.

 

[emvickrey]

I didn't know didly about quail either when I got them. So don't feel bad. What I do is I grind up just regular starter for chicks until it's nealry powder. Thats what I feed the chicks till they start to grow their wing feathers. Then I switch it to the starter right out of the bag. Be careful about the waterer. The little buggars will drown in a regular chick waterer. Put marbles or those decorative glass stones in the resavior (sp?) so they can't fall in. Or get one for quail that screw on to a quart jar. They will poop in it alot so you want to keep it clean. They pretty much do the rest. Warmth, food and water. Well, cleaning up of poop too. If it where summer I owuls suggest putting grass clippings on the floor of their brooder. They like to get up under things. Maybe a small branch from a pine tree.

Good luck and Happy Hatching

 

[Agape Builder]

I am actually having a bit of a time getting them to eat or drink yet. I have dipped the beaks of the drier chicks into the water a couple of times, but they don't seem interested in food or water yet. Maybe in a few hours they will get hungry and thirsty. I still have them in the incubator while they hatch. Only two are dry and 7 more are very wet yet. I don't want to remove the lid too much because I do not want them to get chilled. Once they are dried I will not be as worried about it and I will put them in a brooder.

 

[Rozzie]

They'll probably start to eat when they are 3-4 hours old. (At least, that's when my quail babies seem to start eating.) Once you get a couple of them eating and drinking, the others will copy them.

Use your finger and "peck" at the food and water with it, while the chicks are near. If they can hear a bit of noise, it seems to help. Some chicks also seem to pick up on it faster if you do that, then touch your wet finger to their beak. I've put food on their beaks the same way. Seems to help them get the idea, though I doubt most folks go to this extreme to get them started with food and water. Again, once a couple get it, they will probably copy them BUT I always watch to make sure every bird is eating & drinking. (I've done that regardless of species: coturnix, button quail, chicken, duck, goose, guinea.)

 

[mhwc56]

Quote:
This "finger Mama" that Rozzie's talking about seems to work real well.

 

[emvickrey]

Once they are in their brooder I dip their beaks in the water then move them to the food dish and move it around. I will also sprinkle a little on the floor because they will peck around. Like Rozzie said. once one starts they all will. They are very curious buggars and will go to see what the other is doing.

 

[Agape Builder]

They (the hatched quail) are eating fine now. They ate the bologna out of that yolk mash. Now I have most of the currently hatched chicks (15 so far) transferred to a brooder with commercial gamebird feed. It took me a little time to get everything set up, but they are doing great.

 

[DuckLady]

Thread cleaned.

Carry on....nicely.

 

[Rozzie]

Glad to hear they are doing well!