Giving the quail "treats"

[Beckey2054]

So my husband is "obsessed" with our quail. We have 6 giant Bobwhite quail that are about 5 weeks old. (we also have 32 eggs in the bator set to hatch on Saturday) He is constantly feeding them treats.. One of the quail (they named her Crystal) "calls" for him all day long, and the others join in at times too. They are spoiled rotten.. lol.. These quail may be the tamest quail out there as they just love to sit on someones shoulder and be walked around. They will fly out of their pin to see us. Pretty cute..

What I am curious to know is if he is going to make them sick with the treats he is feeding them.. I was ok with him feeding them little crickets and small insects you would find out in the garden anyway (which is where they will live once they are a few weeks older) but he also feeds them pieces of chicken, tuna, egg (which I had read egg was ok.. ) and recently he said that they absolutely LOVE cheese and will fight over it.. I am just a smidge worried that some of these "treats" are going to make us some sick quail. Anyone out there have any idea??

Also - if there are any other "good" treats for them to have let us know.. Hubby and the kids love to sit and feed them all afternoon.. which is probably why they are so exceptionally tame vs some of the other bob whites we have seen.. I myself do not hold them as much, but mostly because I know that once we have too many birds we will begin to utilize them for food and I just know I cannot do it if I am friendly with any of them.. We plan on raising them for their eggs as well as meat once in a while. I can handle eating their eggs if they are "pets" just not the meat.. so I just try to be a good owner by making sure they have fresh water, food, a clean pen and a box of sand to play in....and Ill let the hubby and kids tame them.. lol..

 

[Caribear]

I am pretty much a quail newbie, but I think those treats are fine as long as they are in moderation. I give mine treats too, haven't tried meat or cheese yet but they go nuts for eggs. I also give them wild bird seed mix in their run for "scratch" and they seem to enjoy that.

I know what you mean about getting attached to them. I started raising them with the same idea, that I would get their eggs and eventually use them for meat, but they're just so darn cute. I can't imagine putting any of my babies in the freezer now...

 

[TwoCrows]

I would go easy on the cheese as it can be hard to break down in the system if it is of a gooey consistancy. Good quail treats are greens of all kinds, chopped up veggies of all kinds, quartered apples, peaches, berries...my quail go nuts for snap peas in the pod. Corn on the cob is good for them, seeds, mealworms, sprouts, even grass.

 

[speedy2020]

The only treat my quail get is the clip grass when I mow my lawn. They eat and loving take the bath with the grass. .

 

[ParadiseQuail]

My quails like chopped pineapples. It's a so-so with boiled eggs. Not so much with carrots and cabbage.

 

[Sharment]

Are there any foods that are absolute no-no's? When we had a pair of cockatiels, the vet told us chocolate and avacados were on the 'do not' list...

 

[GalloSiSupieras]

Any treats help minimize their smell?

 

[cva34]

My Butler BW will meet you at door for Garden greens/lettuce..Thy like there sand box too let it go empty for a couple days .Then dump a few cans of sand in and stand back or you'l get sand blasted... cva34

 

[quailchick]

I have read veggies and some fruit are okay, eggs and worms. Plus any insects you can find outside to bring in, I would just think about size though. Depending on how big your chicks are, I would wait on the big crickets. I give my Bobwhites hard boiled egg, meal worms, millet sprays, and Purina Game Bird Startena Chow. I want to try some fruit and veggies next but I have been nervous...maybe I will just start with some fruit and see what happens.

 

[quailchick]

Any treats help minimize their smell?

A Bobwhite Quail farmer in Petaluma told me to use Apple Cider Vinegar. She said it prevents pasty butt, but what I found online is that it reduces odor. All I know is that so far my four 3 month old chicks don't smell at all.