Quail Questions?

[Crazydoglady99]

Give it a try!!!

Everyone is good at different things, so if formulating feed is easy for you -then do it!!
(Edit to say I formulate the food for all my pets, Its something I really enjoy doing! But I can totally appreciate it's not for everyone)

They luuuuurrrrvvvveeee mashed boiled eggs, and mealworms

 

[Sara L]

So what do you think of this...

1kg Porridge Oats - 75p - Protein 3.4%

100g Sesame Seeds - 85p - Protein 3.7%

500g Green Split Peas - 64p - Protein 9.3%

360g Shredded Wheat - £1 - Protein 3.5%

150g Sunflower Seeds - £1 - Protein 3.9%

200g Redskin Peanuts - 75p - Protein 4.9%


TOTAL:

Price: £4.99

Protein: 28.7%

I will mix it together and crush it into crumbs. I will also feed mealworms, veg and egg. I wasn't sure how to work out the protein thing so I may have got it completely wrong lol.

What do you think?

Protein percentage doesn't add up like that. The highest protein you would end up with is the 9.3 from the peas. Quail need somewhere between 23-30%. Look up a thread about calculating the protein and making your own feed, there's others who have tried this route before you that have done most of the legwork.

 

[Crazydoglady99]

**puts flame suit on**

Just double check your oats. I use rolled oats (quick oats) and they are 12-13% protein. Roughly the same as eggs.

When looking at protein levels, use the "per 100gm" to compare all of them. You might not be actually feeding 100gm, but at least you are looking/comparing on the same scale.

The protein percentage in hemp powder is 40-50%
Insects vary anywhere between 30-70% (variation lies in whether they are fresh, dried, powdered etc)

Powdered milk is the 20-ish %, it can clump to any moisture (beaks/feet), so bit of pain.

I guess I'm trying to give you ideas of things you can use to boost the food.

I personally wouldn't count the protein levels in fruit & veg, as they are also high in water.

Perhaps see if you can get your hands on some seed mix (such as canary or budgie), the mix can vary from 16-25%, so do check that as well. But its perfect for grinding up small now, and soaking & sprouting later when quails are fully grown.

I remember, (as if it was yesterday) getting my bantam chookies (they are 9years old now), and formulating my own food for them. At the time, it consisted of soya beans, soaked, cooked, coarsly chopped and then oven dried. I used to make them homemade (almost brick like) bread, that had hidden all sorts of weird stuff in the times have changed

 

[Birds Buns and Pigs]

Also

**puts flame suit on**

Just double check your oats. I use rolled oats (quick oats) and they are 12-13% protein. Roughly the same as eggs.

When looking at protein levels, use the "per 100gm" to compare all of them. You might not be actually feeding 100gm, but at least you are looking/comparing on the same scale.

The protein percentage in hemp powder is 40-50%
Insects vary anywhere between 30-70% (variation lies in whether they are fresh, dried, powdered etc)

Powdered milk is the 20-ish %, it can clump to any moisture (beaks/feet), so bit of pain.

I guess I'm trying to give you ideas of things you can use to boost the food.

I personally wouldn't count the protein levels in fruit & veg, as they are also high in water.

Perhaps see if you can get your hands on some seed mix (such as canary or budgie), the mix can vary from 16-25%, so do check that as well. But its perfect for grinding up small now, and soaking & sprouting later when quails are fully grown.

I remember, (as if it was yesterday) getting my bantam chookies (they are 9years old now), and formulating my own food for them. At the time, it consisted of soya beans, soaked, cooked, coarsly chopped and then oven dried. I used to make them homemade (almost brick like) bread, that had hidden all sorts of weird stuff in the times have changed

Hi, thanks for that

So I'm my recipe if I swapped Shredded Wheat for budgie seed, would that boost the protein enough?

 

[Crazydoglady99]

I think just double check the protein values..
This is what I get here in Aus

Sesame seeds 18%.

Green split peas 25%
(are you going to cook and mash them? Or grind them? Usually they are dried and very hard!)

Shredded wheat 11%

Sunflower seeds 21%
(but over 50%fat, so go easy on those!)

Redskin peanuts 26%

I think you'd be a-ok as long as you had some insects (because not all proteins are created equal bla bla), and also because egg laying birds require extra calcium (which insect exoskeletons are abundant).

Just miscalculation on the original formula I think.

Edit- to answer the actual question..
For me, the bird type seed gives a bit of variety. But you'd have to weigh ip the cost/purchase quantity etc etc

 

[Birds Buns and Pigs]

I think just double check the protein values..
This is what I get here in Aus

Sesame seeds 18%.

Green split peas 25%
(are you going to cook and mash them? Or grind them? Usually they are dried and very hard!)

Shredded wheat 11%

Sunflower seeds 21%
(but over 50%fat, so go easy on those!)

Redskin peanuts 26%

I think you'd be a-ok as long as you had some insects (because not all proteins are created equal bla bla), and also because egg laying birds require extra calcium (which insect exoskeletons are abundant).

Just miscalculation on the original formula I think.

Edit- to answer the actual question..
For me, the bird type seed gives a bit of variety. But you'd have to weigh ip the cost/purchase quantity etc etc

Thanks, I obviously went wrong somewhere when I was working them out. So I will mix up those ingredients and crush/grind it up. Then I will also give them some dried mealworms and boiled egg
Thanks again

 

[Crazydoglady99]

happens to all of us

Good luck!! Hope your eggs hatch

 

[Birds Buns and Pigs]

So all my eggs are very close together in my homemade incubator, I'm really worried now, What if it does hatch and the chick can't get out because of the other eggs being so close?!

 

[pecksandkisses]

At this point, if they're due tomorrow, you'd better just wait and see. They should be on lockdown, meaning that you shouldn't open the incubator unless absolutely necessary, because fluctuating humidity and temperature may affect your hatch rate. If you notice that they are having difficulty, check back again with us and we can try and advise you. Best of luck! Also keep in mind that the process from pipping to hatch may take several hours, and up to a day.
(Edit: Maybe send some pictures so we can get an idea of how close together they are.)

 

[Birds Buns and Pigs]

Today Is hatching day. Its quite hard to see in the box as its got a red lid, I can't see any eggs moving. Is this normal? How likely is it they will hatch today? (if any do)