Finch Seed For Baby Quail??

[sixshooter60]

I know there was a thread on here somewhere that quaillady talked about feeding finch seed to her quail but i cant find it.. i was wanting to know if you only feed it to you adults or can you give it to the babies in the brooder as a treat . also another question is how do you know what a good finch seed is . i was looking at the feedstore and there was several different kinds that said finch seed and had different ingredients . so maybe someone can help me out with this so i know which one is the best and if its ok to give to babies in the brooder... thanks

 

[The Critter Place]

Quote:
Hi Sixshooter,
Baby Quail really need the Game Bird Starter. The protein is crutial for their little growing bodies.
Quaillady doesn't feed seed until they are of breeding age. She didn't specify an age, But I would think it would be around 6-8 weeks.

Here is some info I found from a conversation her and I had...
Finch mixes are going to vary so the best thing to do is just find a good one, with good mix of seeds. At the bottom of what I quaoted, is a list of seeds that are good for the quail. Find a mix as close to that as possible.

I feed all biddies on the quail side, Gamebird starter unmedicated 30% purina. Same with buttons. I give them the powder of the oyster shell as well.

For breeders, I mix 50% GBS and 50% finch seeds. The oyster shells go in the dust baths for the coturnix/bobwhites/valley quail. For the button quail, the oyster shell gets mixed in to the equine pine pellets.

Now , right now I've just been using a good quality finch mix from the feed store, but not sure of what seeds are in it.

Somewhere in these posts is some info she shared on the nutrition of the seeds and i'll see if I can find it.. or maybe she'll be by before then.

Edited to add what I found.

For those interested:

Red millet: high in protein, potassium, magnesium, and niacin
Canary grass seed: high in the eight essential amino acids, phosphorus, ash, and protein
White proso millet: high in protein, potassium, magnesium, and niacin
Niger thistle seed: high in protein, essential fats (contains essential trace minerals as well)
Rapeseed: contains essential fatty acids (omega 6 and omega 3)

A great table of the Amino acids table is here: http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/amino-acids-summary.htm​

 

[TwoCrows]

X2 on Critters answer!

There is nothing wrong with finch seeds as a treat. Much of the wild bird seeds quail do love. But it is not advised to feed babies anything but game bird starter until they are at least 6 weeks old or older. Every bite they take needs to be of very high quality. Quail are different from other poultry and not only grow fast, but need huge amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals.

When they are ready for some treats however, you can mix up wild finch seeds, parakeet seeds, sunflower chips and they really love millet sprays. Good luck with your babies!

 

[sixshooter60]

thanks for the info folks .. im still learning..

 

[The Critter Place]

We all are! We never stop learning... and this is a great place to learn.

What kind of Quail do you have?

 

[sixshooter60]

Quote:
i am hatching a&ms and pharoahs .. a friend is giving the eggs as he has all he wants... this is my first attemp at raising quail so i do need all the help i can get..so far they do seem quite hardy when they hatch.. got the brooder in the living room . its one of those clear totes so i can see them while sitting in the recliner its better than watching tv..lol...and man they do grow fast for sure the first hatch i had 11 eggs and only 4 made it to lockdown as they didnt seem to be fertile . only two hatched and they are two weeks old now and already almost fully feathered out.. a chicken would still look like a baby chck at that age..lol... think im going to like raising them..
i

 

[Stellar]

Congrats on your babies!

I feed straight up gamebird starter to chicks with some oystershell (the powered part sifted through.)

They sure are better than watching tv! I agree with that. Have fun with them.

 

[joe125]

Oh yes, congrats on your hatch, and as far as coturnix (Any Strain) goes. Straight up GBS from hatch to dispatch is perfectly fine!
If you want to give them treats and such, then finch seed isn't all that bad, if fed in moderation. Just do so with adult birds...4+ weeks for coturnix.

 

[Stellar]

Quote:

 

[sixshooter60]

Thanks folks for the help .. you folks are a world of help and wisdom.. Im sitting here now watching these little guys in the clear brooder and its so funny . oh hey i got another question.. i have been looking around and cant seem to find a feeder that is suitable for these little fuzzballs.. i have the little round ones that have a solid top and just the eating holes these are the ones that you dont screw a jar on these are made for baby chicks and the holes are big enough for baby quail to get in if i dont keep it full to the rim..and it sets a little high for them to reach .i have found several inside the feeder at one time..they dont seem to panic they just crawl in and eat..lol although i would prefer them not to get inside the feeder as its not all that sanitary as they poop anywhere the urge hits them.. is there some kind of feeders designed for baby quail like the little waterers thats they cant fall into.. i havent been able to find any local so thought maybe some of you folks might know of something or have made something that works better... thanks