Hi everyone! I'm new to quail...well...new to birds in general, and I've got 11 coturnix chicks that are about 3 or 4 weeks old. Everything is going great, they've been really easy to care for, but I'm afraid they might be eating too much. Are they supposed to free feed or should i be feeding them smaller amounts at scheduled intervals? Everybody looks happy and healthy, i just can't believe how much they are eating!
They will eat as much as they want. You really do not need to worry about them "over eating". As for how much, that is one of the great mysteries of life, I have heard just about every number out there from very little to pounds per week. http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1343/ANR-1343.pdf is a study Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities did that gives a breakdown. But it will vary depending on the ambient temperature, and the quality of the food. Quail also like to scratch, so if they can get into the food dishes, they will throw a lot of it around and it will get wasted.
