new quail owner here have a few questions please

[furlotte2001]

So I decided to hatch some quail eggs after a bunch of research and had 12 quail hatch 2 1/2 weeks ago, they are doing great.
I have been feeding them game food that I have crushed smaller for them but I was wondering at what age I can start giving them other food besides just the game feed? as well what else can I feed them when the time comes?.

Thank you all

 

[lomine]

I gave mine game bird feed for the first four weeks. I gave it to the dry and fermented. They really like the fermented feed. They still get both options.

At four weeks they went in their outdoor cage. That's when I started feeding them other things. Things I have given and they like are: dried mealworms, thistle seed, grapes, raspberries, the stem of a bell peeper with seeds attached, and broccoli. Lettuce they liked okay. The one thing they didn't like was yams.

I have also sprouted some grain seeds in a pot of dirt for them. They really like eating the grassy sprouts.

 

[lomine]

Forgot to add that if you start giving them other foods make sure to give them grit or access to ground so they can find their own. Sand would be good while they are little. Chick grit would be fine when they are older.

If you want to give them something to do give them a dust bath now. I gave mine a shallow bowl with a mix of playground sand (cause I already had it) and dirt/sand from my yard at 2 weeks. It's fun to watch them dust bathe for the first time.

 

[DannBlyth]

I have a big problem I have lost 2 quail and noticed most of the others are getting dry scappy spots just above the tail on either side of the spine???? The last bird I looked at had this

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[DannBlyth]

 

[lomine]

Is that an open wound? Quail are attracted to the color red. If another bird is bleeding they will pick at it and they can be canabalistic. It may be they are fighting and wounding each other. It would be best if you separate those with wounds from the others. Clean the wounds and let them heel before returning to the group.
Have you seen them fighting? How many do you have total and how many of each gender? How big is your cage?

 

[jimbo1989]

Looks like a infection probably from the wire cage material and feces or mites .once they have a small wound quail will attack so it could be a mix .try a different cage and bedding to see if it helps