One week update

[Esc_Quaily]

I'm new to quail-keeping. My family had our first hatch a week ago. Since then 6 others have hatched. We have 5 golden birds and 2 brown beauties with gold markings around their heads.

I'm not very good at maths. Using chicken maths if we have 7 actual birds how many do we have using chicken maths?

Feathers are coming in now and they look much
?rounder than last week. We get occasional chirps and I think their singing is lovely. We have some starlings in the roof (outside) and hearing the two birdsongs together is a real mental boost!!!

Everyone has bonded and adapted to life outside of the egg. The dust bath is very popular as is the shop bought cress I put in for enrichment.

This little one has been named Fred by my son. We don't know the sex of any of the birds yet but this one is Fred. Meet Fred

I'm excited to watch them grow and then finally move out into my greenhouse where they will hopefully really thrive.

Many thanks for all your help so far on my quail-keeper journey. I appreciate all you BYCers.

 

[GodLovesU]

I believe, according to chicken math, any animal that is not a chicken doesn't count at all.

 

[Nabiki]

Congratulations on your hatch! I do love the sounds they make, and I'm still working on and off towards a songbird line (they were often bred for their songs in Japan, but all of the songbird lines were lost in WWII).

I would hold off on the bath and treats until they are at least 3-4 weeks old, though. Young chicks may eat the sand or whatever you have in the bath, and proper nutrition is critical in their first few weeks of life.

A good turkey/gamebird starter is all they should have for now, and as you do add treats to their diet, make sure they're not more than 10% of their total diet.

 

[CascadiaRiver]

I believe, according to chicken math, any animal that is not a chicken doesn't count at all.

Hey now! Bantams don't count either ;D

 

[Esc_Quaily]

Congratulations on your hatch! I do love the sounds they make, and I'm still working on and off towards a songbird line (they were often bred for their songs in Japan, but all of the songbird lines were lost in WWII).

I would hold off on the bath and treats until they are at least 3-4 weeks old, though. Young chicks may eat the sand or whatever you have in the bath, and proper nutrition is critical in their first few weeks of life.

A good turkey/gamebird starter is all they should have for now, and as you do add treats to their diet, make sure they're not more than 10% of their total diet.

Thanks for your input @Nabiki I added the dust bath because they were preening their feathers with their beaks. I have seen some of them pecking the contents of the bath. I'll take it out. They don't seem to eat the cress, they kinda nest in it.

Our chick crumb was sent with the eggs it is suitable for game. It's 19% protein. I blended some hemp seeds to bulk it up a bit. I've been looking for the high protein stuff you guys get in America but the protein content in UK crumb is much lower.

 

[Nabiki]

Thanks for your input @Nabiki I added the dust bath because they were preening their feathers with their beaks. I have seen some of them pecking the contents of the bath. I'll take it out. They don't seem to eat the cress, they kinda nest in it.

Our chick crumb was sent with the eggs it is suitable for game. It's 19% protein. I blended some hemp seeds to bulk it up a bit. I've been looking for the high protein stuff you guys get in America but the protein content in UK crumb is much lower.

19% protein is very low for quail chicks. They need something in the 28-30% protein range. I hope someone from the UK chimes in with a suitable feed that they've managed to find.

Here is an article to help you with what to look for in your feed.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/what-to-feed-your-quail.79205/

 

[Esc_Quaily]

19% protein is very low for quail chicks. They need something in the 28-30% protein range. I hope someone from the UK chimes in with a suitable feed that they've managed to find.

Here is an article to help you with what to look for in your feed.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/what-to-feed-your-quail.79205/

I was shocked too at the low protein levels in UK crumb. I'd greatly appreciate someone mentioning where they get highly nutritious feed in UK. Apparently the feed sent is what the breeder feeds their own chicks and she has no issues. I've read UK keepers grind up sunflower seeds to increase protein. I didn't have any but I do have hemp seeds (for my land snails) so I ground up some of those to top-up their protein.

 

[Nabiki]

I did a little research, and here are some brands that I found. They don't list all of the nutrition information, but the protein levels are better. The Duffield's has a decent methionine level as well.

https://www.masseyharpers.co.uk/poultry-feed/turkey-feeds/harpers-turkey-starter-crumb

https://www.duffields.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/turkey-leaflet-final.pdf

https://www.wynnstay.co.uk/turkey-starter-crumbs-20kg.html

 

[kattabelly]

I have no experience with quail but I'm in the UK and quite near you iirc.

Turkey feed is higher protein - East Coast Viners do a starter crumb that's 25%. Places that only stock it seasonally should be getting it in around now. I can't remember how big the crumbs are, but if they weren't manageable for quail chicks I imagine you could either pulse them in a blender or serve them as wet mash? Various places online will sell either game bird or specifically quail starter feed but if you don't have anywhere locally stocking those brands or willing to order in, it might get expensive if you're in a highland & islands delivery surcharge area...