Game bird crumble size

[Otter22]

Ok wondering if I'm crazy or the size of my crumble is larger than the last bag.

I am also seeing what seems like problems most of my quail cages would about empty the food dishes over night and I would fill them first thing in the morning. Since I have this new bag of food they are not eating as much and the dishes are almost half full of food in the morning and all larger size crumble left the birds act very hungry and are standing at the front of the cage wanting food. Also one on my cages they just stick there heads in the dish and toss the food out and they have been wasting a lot of feed very frustrating. I am also raising some Coturnix chicks and for the age of the birds they don't seem to be growing very fast and there dishes are not being emptied either.

Did I maybe get a bad bag of feed? is the size of the crumble upsetting the birds and slowing the chicks growth.

Any Thoughts?

Thanks.

John

 

[mhwc56]

John what brand of feed is it? what is the protein ?
How old are your chicks are you grinding the feed up for them?

 

[Otter22]

The brand is Bar & Ale 22% protein gamebird

I have read on here that many feed straight crumble for the coturnix chicks and was trying that out this time.

As in the past I am having trouble getting a good grind I have tried a food processor, coffee grinder and blender and I either get big original crumble size or dust.

 

[mhwc56]

Quote:
22% is tooooo low for protein You want at least 26% but 28 is better. i'm surprised you haven't lost chicks yet.
you want the grind to be more or less like cornmeal for the chicks. real small is better than too big for them to eat....
is that the only brand gamebird feed available to you? Alot of folks on here use Manna Pro ( i think it's by purina) i use Southern States brand feed..Their gamebird STARTER
hope this helps
martha

 

[Stellar]

Manna Pro and Purina are separate brands, both are good. As long as it's unmedicated and a decent amount of protein, you are set. John, you can add some hard boiled egg crumbled up to their diet to add some protein.

The Coturnix should munch that food up, they are 2 weeks old, some I know you have are older. I would try to blend the food down. If you don't have a blender, which I don't at the moment....a mortel and pestle will do, or a hammer and a bag...just get the consistency to be smaller so they can munch on it. The crumbles may be larger, if you are noticing it, they must be

Out of curiosity, what is the salt percentage on the bag? methionine too? Too low salt causes slow growth and too high....that's...wellll...very bad. For the time being, either add some egg to the diet or crunch it down a bit

 

[JJMR794]

Coturnix And Bobs Can Generally Eat Crumble Of Surprising Size Without Grinding From Hatch On... 33% Is Not A Gamebird Starter Feed And I Have Never Heard Of Bar And Ale??? Sounds Like A Beer Starter, Bot A Gamebird Starter

 

[Stellar]

John has some of my itty button babies too (they were in lockdown last time we chatted???) maybe that's what he is referring too???? Just wondering...

 

[JJMR794]

Buttons Yes Crush The Feed, But Coturnix Or Any New World Quail Speces?? No They Dont Need It.

However With The Off Brand Feed And The Low Protien I Am Willing To Bet Its Adult Ration, Not Starter. So It Could Be Much Larger Crumble.. Or A Lower Name Brand With Lesser Requirements? Didnt Crumble It Small Enough??

 

[Otter22]

Thank you guys for all your suggestions the Bar & ale brand is not starter is if game crumble. There is a mill here that has 28% turkey feed non medicated but only have it part of the year I turkey raising season. I have been talking about coturnix. The buttons hatched the other day and yes I know to grind that. I was just feeling like even my older birds with not crazy about the grind of this feed and like I said before grinding food I get a lot of dust and large pieces seem half and have not just a medium grind lol. I do feed them some hard boiled egg to bump the protein. Maybe it's just me I have not raised quail in a long time maybe just being over protective. I am not loosing any chicks and the older birds are laying eggs every day. Was just feeling like something was going on.

John

 

[joe125]

All local brands aside...there is something terribly wrong with all the national brands of GBS. No Alex, it isn't salt!
I have been using Purina mills non medicated game bird starter 5419 for 3+ years now with good results. Now, it is grown to fine, with way to much viable corn...I even removed several whole kernels of corn the past few days. Not to mention some greenish blue plastic looking substance. I'm not sure what is going on, but I will call and quiz Purina about it in the near future.

I grind a mayonnaise lid full of GBS for one day for my coturnix, but I'm paranoid. After that, they eat from the bag. Never had a starve-out with coturnix. Buttons, you are on your own.