Questions on feeding button quail

[CalicoFarm]

I know that the buttons are supposed to have a high protien, about 27-28%. The game bird and turkey starter has that but it is medicated. I can not find any feed that is less than 21% protien that isn't medicated. My question is, will it hurt them to eat the medicated one there entire life, or should I switch them to the 21%? Also, is there anything else that I could feed that would up the protien percentage?

Thanks in advance.

 

[ButtonQuailHeaven]

I would highly recommend not doing the medicated. We did it accidently once and lost some and had egg binding. I would never use it again. The lower protein of 21% is fine as long as you give mealworms, hard boiled eggs and even some ground kitten chow to up the protein.

 

[CalicoFarm]

Quote:
Thanks, at what ratio would you mix the kitten chow and starter?

 

[ButtonQuailHeaven]

I used to do this since I didn't have the higher protein stuff either. I believe I did like 2 to 1 with my crumble being 2 and the kitten chow 1. I just used Purina Kitten Chow. They loved it. I used a coffee grinder dedicated only to their food to grind it up. I still use a coffee grinder to grind up Buttton chick food. Works great!

 

[Tn Gamebirds]

We've always just fed ours the gamebird crumbles.
And never had any problem with it

 

[beakkeeper]

Quote:
Just make sure you don't get the COFFEE coffee grinder and the CHICK FOOD coffee grinder mixed up!

 

[merry hens]

Hi,

I know high protein is always recomended, so this might be a no-no, but I have always fed mine chicken lay crumble (16%) mixed in with finch or parakeet seed and my quail have never had any dietary problems. At my local feed stores all they have is gamebird pellets (the pellets are about as big as the quail themselves) and medicated starter crumble, which I had terrible luck with. Stay away from medicated!

I do supplement their diet with calcium grit, millet sprays, chopped veggies/appropriate table scraps, live earthworms. They are in an outside aviary so I think they eat lots of bugs and spiders on their own too.

Mary

 

[Bettacreek]

Eh, I've been using 24% chick starter crumbles. My babies get supplimented with flightless fruitflies, but the adults don't.

 

[ButtonQuailHeaven]

Quote:
I have fed the pellets in the past and they had no problem eating them. They eat seed whole too so they can eat bigger things than you think. Your other option would be to grind it up some if you are worried about the size of the pellet. The only reason I went to crumble is that is what my feed store now carries. Your birds probably get extra protein themselves being outside but I still would try that gamebird pellet as their lifespan would probably be longer with it.

 

[merry hens]

Okay, I'll have to try it. It just seemed so huge at the feed store. But you are right, they do eat pretty big things whole!

Mary