Need Suggestions From Some Brilliant BYC Minds

[Lextextrapper]

I am going to be going out of town soon for 3 or 4 days. My problem is how to make sure my quail have enough food and water while I'm gone. I live way out in the country and don't have any neighbors to check on them for me. Are there any decent, inexpensive wateres/feeders that will hold a few days supply? My breeders are in individual 10" X 24" pens and my young birds are in 24" X 60" grown out pens. I can't leave until I get this covered.

 

[monarc23]

ohh that's a toughie this is my fear about having quails. I use water bottles for the water issue but that still needs filled every other day. As for feed I'd probably fill up two of my aluminum round things the whole way full with feed per every 5-6 birds and that would probably hold them for 3 days. (and my birds dont waste thier feed).....iim sorry im not much help at all someone else will deffinatly have a better suggestion. The longest im ever away from home is about 12 hours i avoid going long distances if i can help it with having burdies so im no help.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I'd be more worried about them wasting the feed. The more feed available (to mine), the more they waste. Maybe you can put some cake pans or something under the feeders? Then at least if they kick it out, it won't go far. You might want to look into some kind of a 'block', something that is stuck together, so they can't spread it. That would give them some extra, in case they would run out of feed. I would also put twice as many water bottles than you think you'll need. My jumbos' bottles have to be filled daily (for the one with the pop bottle water top) and every 2 days for a regular rabbit bottle. I have 11 birds in the cage, and they have both these bottles.

You might want to think about putting the cages on the ground while you are away, at least any dropped feed will be there for them to get.

If you use a small hanging feeder, like 5-10 pounds, that would hold them for a few days, but you'd have to worry about them wasting it. I don't know, good luck with them. Water is the most important, if they are out of food for a day, it's not going to kill them.