new subspecies of coturnix quail

[therandomhatcher]

I'm gonna mess around with genetics a little... In the next 12 or so generations of my jumbo Coturnix quail line, I am going to try to make this line almost fully carnivorous. I will try to make them more athletic, slimmer, and stronger. Assuming their beak and digestive track start adapting, I will gradually go from small insects, up to mice.
(gradually, very, very, gradually) Any suggestions on what insects could give them a more complete diet?

 

[therandomhatcher]

it will make them higher in natural protein, more adapt to released survival. (yes I know, Coturnix quail are tame, but if they are carnivorous and less heavy like herbivores are, it could fly like a bob, and dive at mice like a slower smaller hawk.

 

[Kiki]

What?

 

[therandomhatcher]

I know, crazy, I'm curious what the line of them would turn out like though. Please don't view me as a mad scientist though. I'm just wondering if it could be healthy for them with no negative effects.

 

[therandomhatcher]

I will find insects very similar to vegetables in vitamins, minerals, fat, protein, etc.

 

[Kiki]

I know, crazy, I'm curious what the line of them would turn out like though. Please don't view me as a mad scientist though. I'm just wondering if it could be healthy for them with no negative effects.

I don't even understand what you're planning on doing hence my question what.
What exactly do you think you're going to do... Or how are you going to do it?

 

[NatJ]

I'm gonna mess around with genetics a little... In the next 12 or so generations of my jumbo Coturnix quail line, I am going to try to make this line almost fully carnivorous. I will try to make them more athletic, slimmer, and stronger. Assuming their beak and digestive track start adapting, I will gradually go from small insects, up to mice.
(gradually, very, very, gradually) Any suggestions on what insects could give them a more complete diet?

Their digestive tract won't have to adapt--they already handle insects just fine.

Any plant-eater can digest meat too. Meat breaks down faster and more easily than plants do.

The only "adapting" I would expect from their digestive system is that they might gradually lose the ability to digest plants (although that will probably take more generations than you will ever raise.)

I don't know if you will have any health issue or not. There might be some that do worse than others on that diet, so culling the worse ones will leave the ones that do less badly.

 

[therandomhatcher]

I won't go so far it will ruin their natural life, just experimenting.

 

[therandomhatcher]

Their digestive tract won't have to adapt--they already handle insects just fine.

Any plant-eater can digest meat too. Meat breaks down faster and more easily than plants do.

The only "adapting" I would expect from their digestive system is that they might gradually lose the ability to digest plants (although that will probably take more generations than you will ever raise.)

I don't know if you will have any health issue or not. There might be some that do worse than others on that diet, so culling the worse ones will leave the ones that do less badly.

I know they already do eat insects, but I mean like medium to large insects without more than 3% plants

 

[Aquira]

I know reptiles aren't the same as birds, but with reptiles that are omnivores: if you feed too many mice they can get (if I recall correctly) Fatty Liver Disease. Just a heads up, I'm not sure if the quail would end up getting it or not. But it might be something that could pop up.