New quail - how to condition them up?

[joannas11]

I had 3 quail hens already and at the weekend, I got 4 more (all hens). They're about 6 weeks old. They were in quite a crowded pen with males and pheasant chicks and they are quite skinny and missing the feathers on their backs. I think this might be due to overcrowding rather than mites but I am on the look-out. Does anyone have any tips about how to improve their condition? They've been eating a lot and drinking a lot of water since I got them, no sign of any eggs yet. Thanks in advance.

 

[Charlie Wooster]

good luck.. keep us posted maybe share some pictures that may help with advice..

 

[Nabiki]

A lot of this will depend on what you feed them. Get them a good game bird starter for the next six weeks or so. After that you can start switching them to an adult game bird or turkey feed.

The feathers are going to look rough until their next moult. If they're getting enough protein their new feathers should look good.

 

[Mallards and Quail]

I had 3 quail hens already and at the weekend, I got 4 more (all hens). They're about 6 weeks old. They were in quite a crowded pen with males and pheasant chicks and they are quite skinny and missing the feathers on their backs. I think this might be due to overcrowding rather than mites but I am on the look-out. Does anyone have any tips about how to improve their condition? They've been eating a lot and drinking a lot of water since I got them, no sign of any eggs yet. Thanks in advance.

What type of quail?

 

[joannas11]

Thank you for the replies. The new ones are 2x Japanese and 2x Italian.
I have been feeding them on Heygates Quail Breeder Pellets which are 19.5% protein. I also have some mealworms which I thought might fatten them up a bit but I obviously won't give very many of those.
Here are some pics that show their backs

 

[Nabiki]

19.5% protein is low for 6 week olds. They should be getting 28-30% until they're about 12 weeks old, then you want to lower the protein.

Meal worms are high in fat, so that's not a bad thing to help them fatten up some. Like anything, don't go overboard. The normal rule of thumb is treats should beno more than 10% of their diet. You might get away with spoiling them for a bit until they gain some weight, though.

 

[joannas11]

Thanks for the advice, I have ordered in some higher protein feed. Do they look like the feathers will grow back ok?

 

[Charlie Wooster]

Thanks for the advice, I have ordered in some higher protein feed. Do they look like the feathers will grow back ok?

Yes they are coming back now, just need the boost in protein that will help greatly.