Protein supplementation

[SandraMort]

What are some good, inexpensive protein boosts for coturnix? I was planning bsf but haven't had the money to get them started. Mealworms look easy but take a long time before you have enough to start feeding the birds.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1384 says you can give meat and fish meal, so does this mean I can get scraps of meat from a butcher and grind it up to give them? A chicken would devour it, but I don't know much about quail yet.

 

[joe125]

The best protein supplement for coturnix is...28-30% Game bird starter!!!
Feed from hatch to dispatch! No other protein supplements will be needed.

 

[SandraMort]

I'm looking for ways to cut costs. If I can get cheap protein elsewhere, then maybe I can use a less expensive feed, or perhaps less of it.

 

[joe125]

I guess it depends on what you want from your birds, how much you want to pay, how much work, and several other variables, that I'm unwilling or unable throw into the mix.

Hi, I'm Joe. I pay $17 per 50 pounds of high quality GBS and I don't have to grind up costly cat feed, or grow meal worms.

Can you create a complete GBS for less than the 2 major MFG.? Most likely not!

I'm open for suggestions, as long as it doesn't require grinding up costly cat feed, or raising meal worms.

 

[Hoppelchen]

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Some guys have all the luck

I live in the UK where gamebird starter, turkey starter and turkey grower pellets is only sold during a few months in spring, and sadly so, is only stashable for 3 month after manufacture.

So, a protein supplement to beef up the chick crumbs and the layer's mash would be great.

That all said, so far I'm actually doing a lot better on this chicken feed than I feared I would -- maybe my birds are not as heavy as they could be, but well, I just hatch an extra batch to make up for the loss.

 

[Stellar]

Mealworms save on feed costs...I give my birds a cup of mealworms per pen Tuesday and Sunday (there are high levels of fat in mealworms so that is why those days and just works for me) and they go nuts! I have a dust bath in each pen with oyster shell, sand, and mealworms....HEAVEN for Coturnix

 

[SandraMort]

That's how I'm feeling. If I need to process three for dinner instead of two, so what? I'm doing this to save money.

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