Food for newly hatched coturnix quail...

[Agape Builder]

Quote:

 

[Wifezilla]

Manna Pro makes 5# bags of game bird feed. We were just talking about that on another thread. Get the feed or you will be sorry.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I had the same problem as you, but it was w/ baby chickens. I had some hatch out and I didn't have any Chick Starter for them. I scrambled some eggs and tore them up in little bit size peices and fed them to my babies until we got food for them. Boiled eggs are also a favorite.

 

[mhwc56]

Okay...i had missed something here....
The issue it seems is MISCOMMUNICATION
What is apparently being asked is WHAT ARE ALTERNATIVE FEEDS for the chicks rather than commercial feeds.....
Why didn't you say so to start with ? it wouldn't be an unusual question as other folks have asked similar ones.
When you worded your post the way you did you got everyones' hackles up b/c it sounded like a cruelty/indifference issue ....
do a search through BYC quail stuff on dietary information and you should be able to find alot of useful info.....

 

[SilverPhoenix]

If you're interested in learning to mix your own feed from different sources, that is a different matter entirely and you should have just said so to begin with. I'll bet there are people on BYC who mix their own foods and could offer you some tips. Mixing one's own feed is certainly possible to do with the proper research into diets, but if you're seeking that kind of information you should just be upfront about it instead of going on and on about feeding egg yolk to newly hatched quail. However, that doesn't change the fact that the quail are hatching now and it could take days or weeks to learn the proper balances of seed, grains, vitamins, minerals, etc., to add to your quail diet if you're going to make your own feed. I would at least get some commercial feed for them so they don't die of malnutrition while you conduct that research. Quail are fragile. You can feed them some boiled egg, certainly, but on the side instead of as their primary diet. And again, I don't understand why you're taking such an attitude towards us. We're trying to help, be honest, and offer you the right information so your quail thrive.

And yes, we may have misunderstood because of the wording of your post. You made it sound like you did not want to buy them food and therefore just wanted to feed them what you had laying around. If you had just clarified that you were seeking alternative diets and wanting to feed the quail something besides a commercial diet, I don't think there would have been any hackles raised to begin with.

 

[Agape Builder]

Silver Pheonix,

I don't plan on feeding them only egg yolk. To be honest, I was really just thinking about using it for a day or so until I got to the store. I posted the question because I am doing the research now. The chicks are just starting to hatch anyways. Only one of them has even dried off yet. I put a two pickle jar lids in there, one with water and some little bell balls (couldn't find any marbles or stones yet) to keep them from climbing in the water (but allowing them to drink), and the other with some mashed up egg yolk. They are not even ready to eat really anyways. I will probably run over to my friend's house tonight and borrow some 28% protein gamebird feed from him. I was planning on doing that from the start anyways.

 

[Wifezilla]

Big difference between asking for help mixing your own feed and telling people you can't afford feed.

Mixing your own feed is something you do AFTER you research. Not after you hatch quail and can't afford to give them anything but scrambled eggs until your next paycheck.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Quote:
Okay, thank you for the clarification. Now we are properly understanding what the other person means.

Yes, it is fine to feed them egg yolk for a little bit and on the side of their normal diet. I do agree with Wifezilla's points, however, and keep that in mind. But I am at ease knowing that they will be getting the gamebird starter they need.

 

[mhwc56]

Also , be aware,if you don't already know, that with Quail , you cannot let them go for a few hours without feeding them like you can with chicken chicks who have a reserve when they first hatch, quail chicks do NOT have a reserve....as soon as they are dry get them into the brooder with food .

 

[Agape Builder]

Quote:
Thank you for the respectful and helpful post! In fact, it started as a sincere question about the possibility of using the yolk temporarily, but also with a secondary purpose of learning about alternative feeds as well. I do not think of myself as an animal abuser. However, I am sure that a number of others would think that of me if they ever knew that I have eaten some of the chickens that I have raised in the past, or even that I free range my chickens and that some in the past have been killed by predators. (The vast majority I ever had killed by predators were IN the coop, not in the yard.) And, yes, I have had chicks die soon after hatching, and I have had some die from heat and coccidiosis in the past. But, i will tell you, my chickens roost either in my window sill or in a tree nearby, and I can assuredly tell you that I am one of the fastest out there in the middle of the night in my boxers with a concrete float iin my hand to bash any possum or other predator coming after my chickens. I am definitely against all animal abuse, and I will hold nothing back to protect my animals from harm. My chickens come to me when I call, and they know who their protector is.

That being said, I am always trying to learn new stuff. I am going overseas and plan to raise a lot of livestock over there to help feed the poorest of the poor, but I am trying to learn all that I can now before I go. This is one of those areas that I am not an expert in and thus am looking to learn more. Sometimes you just have to sort through the information that you get before you get the information that you need.