How to Feed Quail Chicken Feed

Birds all have wings and beaks and, as far as domesticated fowl are concerned, have largely the same nutritional needs. Quail may be fed a diet of chicken food but, because of certain nutritional requirements, other offerings should be provided for younger or sick birds. Quail are resilient, yet can be overtaken and succomb quickly to disease when exposed.

Things You'll Need

  • Turkey starter
  • Chicken feed
  • Laying mash or crumbles of preference
  • Oyster or egg shells
  • Eggs
  • Red, powdered drink mix
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase a traditional chicken feeder. Use a small feeder, as quails are smaller than other meat or egg birds. This keeps extra food from spoiling before the birds empty the feeder.

    • 2

      Survey your flock and feed appropriately. Commercial feeds are made for quail and other game birds, though chicken feed may be sued in their absence. Quail chicks, however, require a higher protein diet (28 to 30 percent) than chickens. Instead of subsituting chick starter for baby quails, use turkey starter to meet their nutritional needs for the first six to eight weeks. Grind the turkey starter into a fine powdery mash for day-old chicks.

    • 3

      Separate laying hens and use commercial chicken feed. Some feeds come with calcium supplements. These complete feeds come in the form of crumbles or mash. If your hens' eggs are brittle, add more calcium to their diet. This can be done by feeding them store-bought, crushed oyster shells or egg shells from your own kitchen.

    • 4

      Separate sick birds and feed them boiled eggs with the shell. After hard-boiling an egg, chop it up and offer it on a plate. You can also feed healthy quails boiled eggs as a treat.