How do I supplement my coturnix with calcium?

[cutechick2010]

My young coturnix quail are actually laying better than I thought they would be at this time of year, but I found a rubber egg in there a couple days ago. I know for my chickens I give oyster shell, what do I give for the quail? I had a bag of the powdered oyster shell for cage birds on hand, so I am topping their feed with that right now, but that would get sooo expensive if I have to do that for the whole flock all the time. Obviously the oyster shell you get for chickens would be too big for the quail to eat, right? So what do other quail breeders do for this issue? Oh, my quail are eating a meat builder feed for turkeys, ducks, gamebirds etc., right now, that is the closest I have been able to come to an actual gamebird feed around here.

 

[Stellar]

Hi

For oyster shell, I have the big bag for the chickens and have been using the dust (left over) on the quail...I then mix it with the feed and give it to my birds that way. I used to blend the oyster shell in the blender but I got tired of buying new blenders every week

 

[JJMR794]

Quail Are Way More Efficient At Absorbing Calcium From Their Diet Than Chickens And Technically Do Not Need Supplimental Calcium In Their Diet If Given A Proper Gamebird Formula Ration For Daily Feed... Now If You Want To Offer It To Them As A Suppliment Or Treat It Wont Hurt Anything, But Is Not Necessary. The Shell-less Egg Thing Is A Fluke Once In A Great While Thing That Coturnix Do Occaisionally And Should Not Be Taken As A Sign Of Calcium Deficiency... Unless It Is A Regular Occurance... If They Were Calcium Defcient You Will See A Great Many Leg Deformity And Walking Maladies Before You'd Ever See Shell Less Eggs.

There Is Oyster Shell Grit Available Which Is Smaller Thinner Oyster Shells Thats Pulverized To A Finer Crumble For Quail And Small Gamebirds. Or You Can Use The "dust From The Bottom Of A Standard Bag.. Or Make Your Own If You Have A Trusty Hammer And Some Spare Time.

As Well You Can Offer Them Cuttlebones Which Will Help Keep Their Beaks Worn Down As Well As Provide Extra Calcium

 

[greenriver]

I would not worry about a rubber egg now and them.

 

[doxies1]

I save all my egg shells, nuke them to kill any bacteria, hand smash them and then put them in the blender. Offer it on the side they will know if they need it. My guineas hardly touch it untill they start laying , then they go through quite a bit. I offer them ground egg shells with their oyster shell.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Well, I do use the Good stuff for their GB feed but I still give them more calcium. Cause my eggs need more, or I get thin shells.
I sift the oyster shells into their sand box and I crush chicken egg shells for them.

 

[joe125]

It doesn't really matter how much calcium you give to coturnix. You are going to get a few shell less eggs. Please don't get me wrong. Giving extra calcium is really good for their bones!

As JJ said, quail, specifically coturnix quail are very efficient at absorbing/manufacturing calcium from a high quality game bird feed. Also, as stated, extra calcium should be in a format, that the birds can eat. I mean even roos, because it's good for their bones too!

The only caution with feeding extra calcium is...do not over saturate/offer calcium supplements to the point of causing a "Starve out"!

Shell less eggs in coturnix are caused by physical actions, not a lack of calcium! Hen gets startled, jumps up and the egg on her production line slips past both the shell department, as well as the paint department. Human goes to store/feed store and buys oyster shell, cuttlefish bone, as well as expensive things to ad to water. Store/feed store are happy (suckers), birds just go back to their own business, and human thinks they have cured them of the shell less egg thing.....until it happens again....time for another trip to the store.....MAYBE NOT

 

[For my girl]

Old thread, but I've got A&M Jumbo's in two different pens. One is in an old rabbit hutch - the other in a tractor built for them. I've been getting a rubber egg from the ones in the tractor every other day or so. I figure it's one of them that has a problem - because I give them all chicken eggshells that I baked and then crumbled. They started laying about 3 weeks ago - and the first time or two I figured it was just a first try or something - but it's time to figure out which hen it is and cull her.

I don't mix the eggshells into their feed. I put it in a really small pet bowl from Wal-Mart, and the hens go for it. I figure there's no point in having the roosters eat it.