Gamebird feed chart

[Buttercup Chillin]

Came across this will scrolling thru the web.

Check this out http://aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1343

Had to check and make sure it worked. Anyway Feed charts for Pheasants, Bobwhite's, Japanese Quail and ChuKar is as far as I looked.

 

[First To Hatch]

Thats interesting...but thing I don't understand with coturnix is sure they need high protien when growing up (first 6 weeks) but why cut back on that protien when they are expected to breed and lay fertile eggs? I've read a few articles that say to start them on 28-30% protein then raise them on 24%. Like I said before I've bought several advertised as Jumbo quail, they show me pictures they look big, I buy eggs grow them out things are 12 weeks old and tip the scale at 8 ounces.


Quote:
I think next year if I grow out some quail I'm going to hatch out/raise some breeders on 30% then if I start hatching out of them raise half on 24% and half on 30% just to see what happens...not a bad idea if anyone else wants to do it for me. This can open up to an interesting thread I'm curious to see what other have to say and what they feed.

 

[Stellar]

Great!

 

[First To Hatch]

Quote:
Hate to get off topic but are your A&Ms true A&M quail?

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I think next year if I grow out some quail I'm going to hatch out/raise some breeders on 30% then if I start hatching out of them raise half on 24% and half on 30% just to see what happens...not a bad idea if anyone else wants to do it for me. This can open up to an interesting thread I'm curious to see what other have to say and what they feed.

I think it is half genetics and half % of protein in the food I hatched some of Shellyd"s eggs I have gotten the largest jumbo browns from her so far the last coupla weeks the size of the eggs has gotten smaller but they have been laying whoppers and they have been fertile and hatching . I processed a bunch of roosters a few weeks ago. I am almost to the culling stage of the bigger quail project my bobs are barely laying but the corts are still laying like crazy.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

You can just grow some birds out and breed a few of them to have more. Or you can breed them for a purpose.

They don't actually need all that protein at that stage in their growth, but the high protein puts a layer of fat on them. Some people want that for meat birds, some don't. I do. If I still lived in the North, I would want a bit higher protein in the winter, helps keep them warm. But for the breeders they don't need it and it could interfere with their fertility. Just like any other bird we breed. That is why breeders are pulled from the growers as soon as they can be identified and put on a diet for breeding/laying. But not everyone does that, and for different reasons.

Growers don't need the calcium either, but the layers do. Layers being another facet of raising these birds. Some people raise them to get the layers to sell the eggs and that is all they are really interested in. So they have growers, layers and breeders or have their breeders in with the layers. But if you are raising them to increase their size you want the breeders separate from the layers. You want the largest breeders for meat breeders and the smaller but good size for the layers and layer breeders. Which are kept smaller for laying efficiency purposes, they don't need to be bigger. Actually bigger birds lay less eggs supposedly, just like in chickens. If you are raising both, you need breeders for both purposes.

I don't know what to tell you on protein. I have used Purina startena at 30% when I couldn't get my brand when I switched them to that at 28% protein, they grew faster it seemed. I think it depends on what the % is made up of. What the recipe is when the %'s are that close. What the weather is like where you are. A lot of different factors. Like stress, enclosure, etc. If my order doesn't come in tomorrow, I to will be using 24% and they will grow out however they do.

But for big birds, you need to start your own line if you don't have access to one. That is, selectively breed for size and that takes a high protein. Generation after generation... It will take 10-12 generations to get a 12-16 oz. bird, if you start with a standard. (from what I've read). We'll see. I have Jumbo Browns, but my birds will be improved by end of next year, they are close. If a hurricane don't get us or our world fall apart. Who knows what tomorrow brings, but that's the plan anyway.

Hope I didn't confuse you. But they are raised for different purposes (and there are other purposes too besides meat, eggs and varieties). That is why it seems there is conflicting information out there. So you decide, are you raising them for the eggs, and some meat? Or are you raising them for meat birds and some eggs? That is what I'm doing or will be if all goes well. 24% protein will slow me down, but not stop my little project, cause I have eggs to suppliment my babies with.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

aprophet

I think it is half genetics and half % of protein in the food I hatched some of Shellyd"s eggs I have gotten the largest jumbo browns from her

I agree genetics have to be there, and I think kept there is the problem. When breeding birds, you have to keep up with the culling (picking the biggest and best for breeding) and BBQ the rest. That's why color (show quality if you will) is not normally a part of the consideration for meat bird breeding. If you don't keep that up you loose the improvements that are recently incorporated and color doesn't come into the issue until much later.

Sounds like I need some of Shellyd's eggs to improve mine. Actually, I also want some of the Tibs and Reds.
My DH is going to have a Canary. Ha then I'd want to breed them.

And I want some of the White Mexican Speckled Cortunix that I saw last year and this spring here. I should have got them to breed to my Golds that I didn't have yet. Maybe I'll go look see if they are still there this weekend.


I think that feed chart is a few years old but I doubt there have been any changes to it yet.​

 

[First To Hatch]

Actually doesn't seem like a bad idea... grower till 7-8 weeks old, game bird layena in the spring and summer then switch them back to that grower in the fall. I'm not sure if I'll be getting the quail I was trying to make a deal with someone that would be able to take 30-50 every 2-3 weeks if that doesn't work out then I might not get them again to raise, but I'll probably still get some to process and give to a few friends.