Kerala, India
Feeding these small chicks is relatively straightforward. I typically commence with Turkey Starter which is medicated with Amprol to manage coccidiosis. A non-medicated Turkey Starter formulation does not exist. Actually, it’s not such a poor idea to have a medicated feed to begin with because during the first few weeks, they walk, play, and defecate in their food and water constantly. The medication prevents them from becoming ill. Turkey starter crumble is too large for the small quail chicks to consume, so for the first couple of weeks, I grind the feed by placing two cups at a time in a food blender. The food is then positioned in a dish fashioned from the bottom of a two-litre milk carton. They’ll rapidly learn where the food is located if you lightly tap on the food with your finger. It’s crucial to teach them where the food is during the first couple of days because after three days, they’ll be frightened of you and your finger and flee to the opposite end of the box whenever you approach.
To supply water, obtain a plastic quail base from specialized game bird suppliers. These have a narrow drinking slot to prevent the chicks from entering and drowning. Alternatively, you may use a shallow dish or something similar and fill it full of marbles or small stones. The disadvantage in doing this is that the birds will defecate in the water which means additional work for you as the water will require changing frequently. After approximately four weeks, I begin introducing a quality flight conditioner feed in the food dish at a ratio of 1 part Flight Conditioner to three parts Turkey Starter. Seven days following that, I increase that to two parts Flight Conditioner to two parts Turkey Starter so that after four weeks they’re off the medicated feed and are eating from the same troughs utilized by the adults.
After the chicks have reached four weeks of age, I transfer them into a cage of the same size and dimension as that used for adults. In early spring, I relocate the lights to this cage also and leave them there until I start observing that the birds no longer use them as a source of heat. At six weeks of age, you will begin noticing small eggs in the bottom of the cage. Two weeks following that, the eggs are more uniform in size and you can expect one daily and in some cases, as many as 250 annually. You can commence setting eggs from those birds in your incubator after the birds are approximately eight weeks old.
How To Feed Quail
Feeding quail is one of the most critical aspects of raising quail, besides housing quail. Understanding what to feed your quail and how to feed the quail is essential for maintaining your quail’s health. In this quail husbandry guide, we’ll discuss methods of feeding quail; what to feed your quail; how much to feed quail; and what constitutes healthy quail feed ingredients.
One of the most fundamental elements to understand regarding the practice of feeding quail is that you should not attempt to supplement mixed quail feed too heavily. Commercially mixed quail feed, available from specialized poultry feed suppliers, are carefully formulated to provide your quail with the proper mix of nutrients and vitamins to keep your quail healthy. Supplementing quail feed with grains, scratch and other food items may alter the amount of nutrients your quail are consuming.
Before we begin teaching you how to feed quail, you need to know the reasons for which you are raising quail. Quail are fed differently depending upon their purpose. For example, quail breeds raised for meat and consumption are fed quite differently from quail that are being raised for quail breeding or quail eggs. Each type of quail require different types of feed depending largely upon their purpose to the quail farmer.
How to Feed Your Quail Based Upon the Age of the Quail:
No matter the type of quail species, feed baby quail and young quail a quail starter diet. Starter diet is essential for young baby quail because the growing birds need an extraordinary amount of protein as they develop. Starter quail feed has this, as well as other vitamins and nutrients that baby quail require. Feed baby quail the starter feed up to the age of 8 weeks.
Once your baby quail are 8 weeks old, switch what you’re feeding quail to a purpose-specific quail feed. If you are raising quail for meat, you should transition the quail to what is known as a finisher diet. This essentially helps nourish the quail until they are old enough to be processed, prepared and consumed. If you are raising quail for quail eggs or to breed quail, switch the quail feed to a developer quail food. Then, when the quail start to lay quail eggs, start feeding the quail a layer-specific quail feed.