what type of feed do newly hatched quail eat?

[areeb]

im starting up on jumbo coturnix for my first time and i need to know what the newly hatched quail eat and also what they need as adults. what i thought is that it should be a type of gamebird feed unmedicated but i'm not sure.

 

[Sycamore27]

You are exactly right, baby quail should be fed a game bird starter preferably with a protein content of 26-30%.
Adult quail can be kept on the same feed, which may be convinent if you are somewhat small scale and will be breeding and thus feeding adults and babies at all times. Some have reported fewer eggs with higher end protein for their adults so if you do intend to use the same feed it might be better to go for around 26%.
If you want to feed a separate food to your adults a game bird grower or maintence diet is best, with protein levels between 22-26%. If you can only get 20% you can get by with that, in some areas game bird food seems to be hard to locate.
Provide your hens with a calcium supplement when they begin laying, or even before, but if you have roos as well don't mix it into the food as it will not be good for the males kidneys to be supplemented with calcium long term.

Good luck with your new babies! Hope we get to see some pictures once you have them.
Cheers,
Jessie

 

[goagain]

I agree with the high % protein. 30 is best if you can get it. I raised a batch on 24% and a batch on 30%. Out of the same hatch and the difference in how fast they matured was very marked. The 30% birds were several days ahead and at butcher time about two weeks ahead of the 24% birds with both being on free feed the entire period. The few cents more in cost for higher protein feed was worth it. There was one flaw in the test, the feed came from two different companies. One tip though, you may need to grind or sift the feed for the first week or so. The new hatches can't handle the large pieces of crumbles and they will waste big pieces looking for small pieces they cans swallow. I use an old coffee grinder and ground up the crumbles and sift them through a strainer into a different feed container for the chicks and give the big pieces to the adults. Good luck with your birds

 

[speedy2020]

I agree with the high % protein. 30 is best if you can get it. I raised a batch on 24% and a batch on 30%. Out of the same hatch and the difference in how fast they matured was very marked. The 30% birds were several days ahead and at butcher time about two weeks ahead of the 24% birds with both being on free feed the entire period. The few cents more in cost for higher protein feed was worth it. There was one flaw in the test, the feed came from two different companies. One tip though, you may need to grind or sift the feed for the first week or so. The new hatches can't handle the large pieces of crumbles and they will waste big pieces looking for small pieces they cans swallow. I use an old coffee grinder and ground up the crumbles and sift them through a strainer into a different feed container for the chicks and give the big pieces to the adults. Good luck with your birds

Just put some in the bag, take a round jar and run over couple time will ground the feed. There is no need to clean the coffee grinder.

 

[goagain]

Oh I heartily agree, just mentioning that they will need smaller pieces. There's more than one way to skin a cat, I just happen to have an old coffee grinder that we weren't using for anything else, plus I can make lot of chick feed quickly in one sitting. I used to do things like using a jar, pestle and morter etc. But now I would buy a a cheap coffee grinder if mine gives out because I raise about 75 or so every two or three weeks during peak season, sure cuts the hand work on my arthritis. Just depends on volume, wouldn't you agree.

 

[Sycamore27]

I just used my blender, filled it about a third full so it would get everything the proper size without too much powdery stuff in the bottom.
But then I don't care about washing the jar between that and smoothies, not afraid of a little feed dust if anything stays caught in the blades after I wash and rinse-run it. If I were hatching lots of chicks and my food processor hadn't stopped working after my last move I would just use that.

Cheers,
Jessie

 

[crazyfarmer]

I have been useing a Mortar and Pestle to grind my baby food. Saves your blender

 

[buttonquailtx]

I bought a cheap little coffee grinder at Walmart for around $10. It makes quick work of the turkey starter.

 

[areeb]

I'll make sure to posts pictures when they hatch!

 

[areeb]

i do agree