Feeding Guide

FEEDING QUAIL

Game & quail pellets can be hard to come by, so most hobby kept quail are fed on chicken/poultry feed of 20-18% protein, which the birds do very well on. Here's a quick guide to determine which feed is appropriate for the birds age -

Hatch to 3/4 weeks - Chick crumb
3/4 weeks to 6 weeks - Grower Pellets
6 weeks onwards - Layer/Breeder pellets or Layer mash

It should be noted that newly hatched quail are tiny, so chick crumb may need to be ground down for the first few days.

The Jumbo varieties of Japanese & Bobwhite quail may need to be reared on diet of 24% protein, such as turkey crumb/pellets to reach their full weight potential.

This is a home-made mix that I give my quail a few times a week -

1 part chick crumb or crushed pellets
1 part millet seed
1 part canary/finch mixed seed
1 part nijer seed
1 part oatmeal
1 part mixed corn
2/3 handfuls dried meal worms

Crushed oyster shell & fine grit should be made available to aid digestion.

Quail should be offered a variety of greens at least 3 times a week. They also enjoy the odd creepy crawly

This is a list of food stuffs that fellow forum members have discovered that their quail enjoy -

Apple
Bean Sprouts (mung beans)
Brown bread
Boiled eggs (crushed with shell)
Beetroot leaves
Brambles
Cucumber
Cabbage
Courgettes
Canary mixed seeds
Cress
Crunchie Nut Cornflakes (crushed)
Dandelions
Daddy Long Legs
Earth worms
Finch mixed seeds
Grass
Grapes
Kale
Midgies
Meal worms
Millet spray
Melon
Pumpkin
Rice (cooked)
Strawberries
Sunflower seeds (hearts)
Tangerines
Wax worms
Woodlice

(spelling will be checked once on own computer )