Chicken feed can make a decent substitute for meat quail. If you choose to go with turkey feed, make sure that it is non-medicated. [1] X Research source Always refer to a qualified nutritionist before you make any substitutions. About 80% of a quail’s diet will consist of grains. Most quail or game bird feeds will consist of: cracked corn, grains (barley, oats, rye, and wheat), millet, milo, oat grouts, popcorn, safflower seed, sunflower kernels, and sunflower seeds. [2] X Research source
If the feed comes in pellet form, try breaking it up into (quail) bite-sized pieces. Make sure that the pieces are consistent, or the quail will just pick out the pieces they like best and leave the rest. This can result in an in-balanced diet. Avoid mashed feed, if you can. If you must use mash feed, make sure that it is not too powdery. The powder can easily get in between the quail’s toes and cause infections. Adult quail will eat about 20 to 25 grams of food a day. [3] X Research source
Make sure that the food trough is level with the quail’s crop area. Try to use linear troughs, with enough space for the quail to eat comfortably without competing for food. Depending on how many quail you have, you may need to empty the troughs as little as two to three times a week, to as often as once a day. Quail can be messy eaters. Consider keeping the feed in a hopper with “anti-spill fingers. “[5] X Research source
Quail are guzzlers. Consider making your own guzzler by digging a shallow hole in the ground, lining it with plastic, and then adding a ramp into the hole. [8] X Research source
Pay special attention to the water during the winter time. Don’t let it freeze. Add a little bit of apple cider vinegar to the water from time to time. This kills parasites and makes the feathers look nicer. [10] X Research source
Use the feed before it expires—usually 3 weeks after the manufacturing date. You may need to use it even sooner if you live some place hot and humid. Throw away stale or foul-smelling feed. This indicates that the feed has either expired or gone moldy. Rats can not only eat all of the quail’s feed, but also contaminate it. [11] X Research source
Consider planting some berry shrubs, such as: blackberry, currant, huckleberry, manzanita, Oregon grapes, salad, serviceberry, and snowberry. [13] X Research source Offer vegetables, such as: broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, peas, lettuce, and turnip greens. Be careful with tomatoes. Quail can eat ripe tomatoes, but they cannot eat any other part of the plant, including the leaves and the stems.
Quail love nuts and seeds. Consider having some nut or seed bearing trees around, such as: ash, cascara, hazelnut, and oak. The quail will eat the nuts and seeds that the trees drop. Quail also love insects, especially chicks. Insects are full of protein, which chicks and egg-laying hens need.
Quail will avoid anything toxic to them unless they are starving. This indicates that you should feed your quail more. There are many plants that are poisonous to quail, but you most likely will not come across them anyway. It is still important to be aware of this, though. Avoid giving quail anything from your garden. The quail will figure out quickly where their food comes from, and may try to feed themselves. This may not be good for your garden.
Use long, straight troughs for brooding chicks. Transition to circular feeders after the chicks are 2 weeks old. Use a smaller bowl for water. Chicks can eat fine crumble until they are 6 to 8 weeks old. A coarser texture, or pellets, are better for older quail. When raising chicks, teach them how to drink by dipping their beaks into the bowl/dish. If they have their mother hen with them, this is not much of a worry as she will show them how to drink.
If you are planning on using the quail for their meat, you do not need to give them a developer feed. Give them a finisher feed instead. If you are going to use your quail for breeding or laying eggs, slowly transition them to the new diet before they hit 10 weeks of age. [16] X Research source
Starter Developer Layer Finisher
Start the quail off with a starter mix from shortly after hatching until 6 weeks of age. Transition to a finisher mix after 6 weeks of age. Continue feeding the finisher diet until the time comes to sell or slaughter the quail.
Start the quail on a starter mix from shortly after hatching until 6 weeks of age. Transition to a developer mix after 6 weeks of age. Continue until 16 weeks of age.
Feed most quail breeds a starter mix from shortly after hatching until 6 weeks of age. Transition to a developer mix after 6 weeks of age. Continue until 20 weeks of age. Finish off with a layer mix at 20 weeks and older. Feed Coturnix (Pharaoh) quail a starter mix from shortly after hatching until 6 weeks of age. Transition to a layer mix after 6 weeks of age. There is no need for a developer mix.
