Quail toys?

[JaeG]

They love sprouted alfalfa and sprouted sunflower seeds. She shouldn't take long to realise they are delicious and young ones I've given sprouts to seem to instinctively know what they are and eat them with gusto.

 

[Nuchi]

If you want to grow some things that are forgiving.
For container/pot:
*Seeding types of mint
*"Miners lettuce"
*"Corn salad"
*Prolific tomatoes like "Currant" types
*purslane
*Small prolific hot peppers like "bird eye chili" the hotter the better

In ground:
*Non staining verities of mulberry(not that the others are bad just problematic) like "pink" or "white"
*Crab apples(again not like others are bad)
*Peas I grow "Austrian Winter peas" but that's because I live in the Mojave and they tolerate everything from cold to hot.
*Fig, some produce twice a year with a long enough season
*Amaranth Seed, Leaf, or dual purpose types all give lots of use some even produce over 1 Million seeds.

It gets hard to name more without knowing the general area you live but most of the things named have verities that can be grown throughout most the world. Some can be weedy as well if not cared for, so if yard weeds are a concern I would do more research but if not I know even more things as well. Also bright or dark colors reds and blacks being the most appealing to birds. They also cant taste the heat in peppers as peppers evolved to be ate by birds that can spread the seeds and not mammals that digest them. in fact Adding cayenne pepper powder to there food is a tasty beneficial treat.

You could also look into raising Black Soldier Flies as they are extremely benofichal and there is no risk of them getting into your food in your house. Mealworms can be entirely fed waste styrofoam as well as there normal things.

Also if it interest you Guild planting or companion planting(basically the same thing) allows you to grow more well taking some of the work load off of you and puts it on plants that work together for example Sunflower or corn with peas planted at the base and squash between the rows wait for the corn/sunflower to sprout before planting the others this is known as three sisters.

After that getting into what I do /study for a living there is many others more permanent types including plants of all forms. Like for example oak and carrots like each other, oak likes pine, blue berry likes pine, and grape kinda likes to live in the middle of all of this then add necrophone mycorrhiza mushroom to this and you got the start of a mini ecosystem that does not need man once established.

Sorry kinda got lost getting into these things as they are of great interest to me. I could rant all day about the ins and outs.

 

[Roomi the quail]

There are “foot” toys for birds.
Things like little balls, foraging toys, etc.

http://www.healthybird.net/catalog/...dex&cPath=18&zenid=qc22uco2vkh1r9irt16f6424j2

Hmm...quails don't really use their feet as much as parrots do, I noticed. Still foot toys are a great suggestion!

 

[Roomi the quail]

They love sprouted alfalfa and sprouted sunflower seeds. She shouldn't take long to realise they are delicious and young ones I've given sprouts to seem to instinctively know what they are and eat them with gusto.

Most of people here advised me to grow a little garden so I planted some seeds in 1.5ft square pot in the terrace today. There weren't much seeds to choose from in my local store, so I guess she would have to do with lettuce and beanstalks though. Thx anyway

 

[Roomi the quail]

If you want to grow some things that are forgiving.
For container/pot:
*Seeding types of mint
*"Miners lettuce"
*"Corn salad"
*Prolific tomatoes like "Currant" types
*purslane
*Small prolific hot peppers like "bird eye chili" the hotter the better

In ground:
*Non staining verities of mulberry(not that the others are bad just problematic) like "pink" or "white"
*Crab apples(again not like others are bad)
*Peas I grow "Austrian Winter peas" but that's because I live in the Mojave and they tolerate everything from cold to hot.
*Fig, some produce twice a year with a long enough season
*Amaranth Seed, Leaf, or dual purpose types all give lots of use some even produce over 1 Million seeds.

It gets hard to name more without knowing the general area you live but most of the things named have verities that can be grown throughout most the world. Some can be weedy as well if not cared for, so if yard weeds are a concern I would do more research but if not I know even more things as well. Also bright or dark colors reds and blacks being the most appealing to birds. They also cant taste the heat in peppers as peppers evolved to be ate by birds that can spread the seeds and not mammals that digest them. in fact Adding cayenne pepper powder to there food is a tasty beneficial treat.

You could also look into raising Black Soldier Flies as they are extremely benofichal and there is no risk of them getting into your food in your house. Mealworms can be entirely fed waste styrofoam as well as there normal things.

Also if it interest you Guild planting or companion planting(basically the same thing) allows you to grow more well taking some of the work load off of you and puts it on plants that work together for example Sunflower or corn with peas planted at the base and squash between the rows wait for the corn/sunflower to sprout before planting the others this is known as three sisters.

After that getting into what I do /study for a living there is many others more permanent types including plants of all forms. Like for example oak and carrots like each other, oak likes pine, blue berry likes pine, and grape kinda likes to live in the middle of all of this then add necrophone mycorrhiza mushroom to this and you got the start of a mini ecosystem that does not need man once established.

Sorry kinda got lost getting into these things as they are of great interest to me. I could rant all day about the ins and outs.

Wow..! So much knowledge and energy you have put into my problem - I really appreciate it! As for me, I didn't know 'hot' things were OK with birds so I shooed my quail off when she nibbled at peppermints, worried that it would be too hot...
Being in South Korea, gardening is a bit of a challenge because we have four distinct seasons including all-raining summer(up to 40 degree C and above in some areas) AND windy, snowy winter(about -15 degree C or below), with mostly dry spring and autumn in between. I think my gardening abilities only allow me to keep the most boring plants alive, so it's just lettuce, some beans and mints for now. Do wish if I could grow my own variety garden though.

 

[Nuchi]

The thing that binds to our tongues that makes peppers hot is much like the stuff known as "Grape Flavor" basically the stuff that contains nothing natural not to be confused with the real thing. If you put something with Grape Flavor over food you don't want birds eating and as long as its on it they will stop at an inspecting pecks because its firey hot to them.

That area is out of my common knowledge but I would love working with that, it gets way colder there but its way hotter here... like 49C on the worst days.

Might surprise you how much of that would actually grow as I picked mainly things with very wide tolerances. It might surprise you what you could grow. When looking up new zoning I often times use PFAF.org as they have a really depthy search feature with loads of info though I wouldn't trust intrinsically.

Most of this will grow but I dont know about your soil conditions so some things might be hit and miss but most should work for your general area. USDA hardiness is somewhere in zone 7b or 6a I picked 6 to be safe.

*Hawthorn, many types to pick from Mayhaw I believe is thornless
*Crab Apples
*Staghorn Sumac
*Currant Tomatoes
*Pine pretty much all you can harvest pollen and seed just only a few produce seeds bigger then millet.
*Figs given mulch it will likely die each year and come back from root acting like a bush/shrub which is best for wind anyways.
*Rye/Rye Grass
*types of edible clover can be grown for many other reasons then every time you mow the clippings can be fed but I think that would an overload for so little. Long clippings can be dangerous.
*Persimmon
*Fennel
*Minors lettuce is a weed planted in shade where it does not dry out and its sun exposure is low in the summer it will feed you as well with its tasty tinder soft leaves.

I realize as I type this I don't know the space you have, I am sorry if I am recommending things that are impossible. Its kinda my job and passion so I kinda act like everyone has the time and space to make there own little ecosystem.

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

You don't have to go through all the fuss of growing plants and sprouting seeds. You can just clip fresh greens like lettuce, parsley, cilantro, bok choy to the side of her cage. They love to tear off bits and eat them. Live plants in her cage will only get torn to bits.

An alternative to live bugs is dried mealworms. I get mine at Wal Mart. They love them and the worms contain a lot of protein. I feed them to my chickens as well.

They like things hanging from the top of their cage, like small budgie toys and mirrors. Just make sure they can't get beaks or claws caught in the toy. My chicks started playing with the probe from the thermometer within a couple of days of hatching. I gave them a strip of braided palm leaves clipped to the top of their brooder, and they loved to pick at it. You can buy rolls of braided palm leaves in some bird and pet stores.

You can hang silk plants upside down from the top of their cage. Or, put them in the corners of the cage for a hiding place. They like to lay their eggs behind plants which makes them easier to find.

 

[Roomi the quail]

The thing that binds to our tongues that makes peppers hot is much like the stuff known as "Grape Flavor" basically the stuff that contains nothing natural not to be confused with the real thing. If you put something with Grape Flavor over food you don't want birds eating and as long as its on it they will stop at an inspecting pecks because its firey hot to them.

That area is out of my common knowledge but I would love working with that, it gets way colder there but its way hotter here... like 49C on the worst days.

Might surprise you how much of that would actually grow as I picked mainly things with very wide tolerances. It might surprise you what you could grow. When looking up new zoning I often times use PFAF.org as they have a really depthy search feature with loads of info though I wouldn't trust intrinsically.

Most of this will grow but I dont know about your soil conditions so some things might be hit and miss but most should work for your general area. USDA hardiness is somewhere in zone 7b or 6a I picked 6 to be safe.

*Hawthorn, many types to pick from Mayhaw I believe is thornless
*Crab Apples
*Staghorn Sumac
*Currant Tomatoes
*Pine pretty much all you can harvest pollen and seed just only a few produce seeds bigger then millet.
*Figs given mulch it will likely die each year and come back from root acting like a bush/shrub which is best for wind anyways.
*Rye/Rye Grass
*types of edible clover can be grown for many other reasons then every time you mow the clippings can be fed but I think that would an overload for so little. Long clippings can be dangerous.
*Persimmon
*Fennel
*Minors lettuce is a weed planted in shade where it does not dry out and its sun exposure is low in the summer it will feed you as well with its tasty tinder soft leaves.

I realize as I type this I don't know the space you have, I am sorry if I am recommending things that are impossible. Its kinda my job and passion so I kinda act like everyone has the time and space to make there own little ecosystem.

Grape flavor... That's probably why she wouldn't want to pec at my grape jellos, and usually she would want everything I eat, despite my shooing her away. Thx for your reply again!

 

[Roomi the quail]

You don't have to go through all the fuss of growing plants and sprouting seeds. You can just clip fresh greens like lettuce, parsley, cilantro, bok choy to the side of her cage. They love to tear off bits and eat them. Live plants in her cage will only get torn to bits.

An alternative to live bugs is dried mealworms. I get mine at Wal Mart. They love them and the worms contain a lot of protein. I feed them to my chickens as well.

They like things hanging from the top of their cage, like small budgie toys and mirrors. Just make sure they can't get beaks or claws caught in the toy. My chicks started playing with the probe from the thermometer within a couple of days of hatching. I gave them a strip of braided palm leaves clipped to the top of their brooder, and they loved to pick at it. You can buy rolls of braided palm leaves in some bird and pet stores.

You can hang silk plants upside down from the top of their cage. Or, put them in the corners of the cage for a hiding place. They like to lay their eggs behind plants which makes them easier to find.

Actually I ordered dried mealworms and crikets when she was 2 weeks old but she would just throw them away. I tried chopping them up and mixing them into the crumbles but whenever she finds the bug bits she will just throw it away from her meal bowl. I guess she's a picky quail. She will eat dried bean powder and fishmeal enthusiastically, so there's that for protein. Hanging things is a great idea however. I'll try hanging fluffy ball in the air, cause she seems to have lost interest in it lately!

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

Actually I ordered dried mealworms and crikets when she was 2 weeks old but she would just throw them away. I tried chopping them up and mixing them into the crumbles but whenever she finds the bug bits she will just throw it away from her meal bowl. I guess she's a picky quail. She will eat dried bean powder and fishmeal enthusiastically, so there's that for protein. Hanging things is a great idea however. I'll try hanging fluffy ball in the air, cause she seems to have lost interest in it lately!

My little guys ignored mealworms as well. Once they were about 3 weeks I tried again and now they go nuts for them. I started by mixing them in with chopped greens, which they love. One of my adult males does a comical dance when I give him greens with mealworms. He picks up just one worm and dances around his dish in circles making a purring call before starting to eat. I often throw a handful of seeds on top of their greens dish or on their bedding and they enjoy scratching and pecking at them. For a protein boost I give them small fish food pellets mixed with their crumbles.