Question about Purina Game Bird Startina

[StaticChaos]

For those of you who feed the Startina, do you feed it throughout the entire Quail life cycle or only during the first 6 weeks like is recommended on the bag? I noticed that the other varieties of Purina Game Bird feed have much lower protein amounts (Flight Conditioner = 19%, Layena = 20%, and Maintenance is 12.5%). I currently feed the DuMor Starter 24% for all life stages but was considering paying a few bucks more a bag and going to the Startena. Opinions? Thanks.

 

[dc3085]

For those of you who feed the Startina, do you feed it throughout the entire Quail life cycle or only during the first 6 weeks like is recommended on the bag? I noticed that the other varieties of Purina Game Bird feed have much lower protein amounts (Flight Conditioner = 19%, Layena = 20%, and Maintenance is 12.5%). I currently feed the DuMor Starter 24% for all life stages but was considering paying a few bucks more a bag and going to the Startena. Opinions? Thanks.

I feed it the first 6-8 weeks then I mix it 50/50 with purina flight conditioner since those are the two they usually have on the shelf.

 

[TwoCrows]

It is really up to you. I feed what ever I can get around here....sometimes that is 20% protein and sometimes that is 28% protein. But it is best to keep the protein somewhere between 24% and 28%. I like to feed the Dumor 24% as you are when I can get it. Unless you are a breeder of quail, raising them for meat, or need them to be popping out those eggs quickly, keeping the protein down to a dull roar will keep them from over producing eggs and help to prevent egg binding and calcium deficiencies.

However they will do fine and stay healthy on as low as 20% protein. I do not believe that quail need 30% protein as some feeds are. Especially the males who have nowhere to burn off all this high protein. Can cause gout over time.

 

[USAmma]

I have been feeding it to them since I got them in October, but after reading here, I am going to cut them down to 25% soon. I bought a bag of 20% and a bag of 30% and will mix half and half. My girls are giving me an egg a day (at least) and I don't want to go any lower than 25% as long as they are at that rate of production. They are very healthy and make nice big eggs.

 

[StaticChaos]

After posting this question, I contacted a very large and well known quail breeder and it was suggested to me to go with a feed that has around 30% protein for the first 6 weeks and reduce it to around 24% protein after that. According to him, too much protein after 6 weeks, especially in the summer, can cause them to fatten up and not be as good of producers. So I think I will pick up some Startena for my upcoming chicks for the first 6 weeks and switch to the DuMor 24% that I have been using for chicks older than 6 weeks.