UK high protein Quail feed

[SteveUK]

Forgot to say it £9.92 for 7.5kg, dont know if thats a good price or not ?

Hi, great news that you're getting quail. Very exciting for you.

I would use shavings. Dust is too fine and could cause respiratory issues for all concerned.

Give them access to crushed oyster shell for extra calcium. If your only keeping a few as pets. It will be cheaper if buy the stuff meant for aviary birds.

Look into home made no waste quail feeders on YouTube. Quail are messy eaters and will waste as much as they eat. If given the chance.

That food you found sounds fine, but it is expensive. If you only have a few and you don't mind paying those prices. Then all good. Otherwise visit your local farmers store and look at the recommendations in earlier posts. The Turkey starter I recommend is £13 for 20kg and 22% protein.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[SteveUK]

All ppl are so fixed on protein. The recommendations on very high protein are for max. results, but it isn't really healthy for the birds. You should look more that it has correct amounts of calcium, lysin, phophoric etc.

There are 2 very big shops in Germany.

One offering the max. recommendation (29% starter, 20% layer). I was there once. They have 5 big halls as big as a footballfield each. I guess, they have about 30k quails. They are also offering meat and eggs to eat.

The other is offering lower protein in several concentrations (26 to 28% starter and 18 to 19.5% layer) and treat their quails more as pets. Idk how they really keep their quails, but I read somewhere, that they keep their quails in big aviaries.
They don't offer meat or eggs to eat, only hatching eggs.

I hope you relize the difference... the first is producer, the second more caretaker.

As I am something in between, I am ordering at both and mix it

But what I want to say is, that these max. recommendations are more good for humans, not imperative healthy for quails.

Good advice and very informative as always.

Personally I am growing for meat and eggs (as well as the joy of keeping them) so weight at 8 weeks matters to me. So I'm aiming for protein in the high 20's for growers and about 20% for layers/breeders. The quality of the feed I give my quail is important to them and me, as it will move up the food chain.

The point of this thread however is to share information on how and where to buy high protein feed suitable for quail in the UK.

There is a seller on Amazon.co.uk selling quail feed from Germany @28% protein, but postage is £26 for 5kg!

 

[Fenrisulfr]

Yeah ... this is very expensive!

 

[SteveUK]

@Claire A I have also seen some advice saying to add Soy meal to up protein levels. The link below is soy meal @44%. If my calculations are correct a 2 to 1 mix (2 your existing feed to 1 soy meal) would give you 28% protein. You may also wish to enquire about soy meal at your farm shop.

https://www.burnhills.com/equestria...nhills-high-protein-soya-bean-meal-25kg-p4176

 

[Claire A]

@Claire A I have also seen some advice saying to add Soy meal to up protein levels. The link below is soy meal @44%. If my calculations are correct a 2 to 1 mix (2 your existing feed to 1 soy meal) would give you 28% protein. You may also wish to enquire about soy meal at your farm shop.

https://www.burnhills.com/equestria...nhills-high-protein-soya-bean-meal-25kg-p4176

Cheers Steve,

That sounds perfect - I had not even thought about soy meal and I did quite a lot of research.

Getting in the protein for chicks is quite important to me - I notice if I slip (ie problem with my mealworm production), my chicks do not grow as big - or seem as healthy. I like the bigger eggs from my golden giants

I think quail are becoming popular in the UK at the moment. I just sold all the girls I was going to keep and now have a waiting list (I just do as a hobby). My point - with them becoming more popular - I am hoping that the quality of quail feed will be addressed in this country - well we can hope

 

[SteveUK]

Cheers Steve,
That's interesting about me

That sounds perfect - I had not even thought about soy meal and I did quite a lot of research.

Getting in the protein for chicks is quite important to me - I notice if I slip (ie problem with my mealworm production), my chicks do not grow as big - or seem as healthy. I like the bigger eggs from my golden giants

I think quail are becoming popular in the UK at the moment. I just sold all the girls I was going to keep and now have a waiting list (I just do as a hobby). My point - with them becoming more popular - I am hoping that the quality of quail feed will be addressed in this country - well we can hope

.
That's interesting about the meal worms. I was reading a paper today that showed (according to their research) how feeding chicks less than 24% CP not only effects body weight, but also egg production. So what you're saying seems to tally with that.

It will be a good day when we can walk into our local suppliers and get a bag of 28% cp quail feed off the shelf. I read somewhere today about a German company now selling it's quail feed in the US. Makes no sense we can't buy it here! Maybe the company @Fenrisulfr was talking about! We'll have to get him to put a word in for us.

That's great news about you having such a good market for your birds. I haven't sold any quail yet, but when my bantams go to their new homes I get a kick out of how excited people are. Plus the last lot I sold went a good way to paying for my new incubator So that helps also.

 

[Fenrisulfr]

I am 100% sure, that what you found on Amazon UK is the one I called Care-Taker.

But the other shop is probably more you are searching for.
On their page it is written, that they are shipping to the UK. But idk if this was before Brexit (and isn't updated) and how much is the shipping.

I send you the links via private message, as I don't like advertizing public.

A pitty the UK left the EU. Would be much easier to get stuff to the UK without Brexit ☹

 

[Newbird88]

Which do you think is more important for fresh hatched quail, protein or being acs free because I can find either but not both!

Heygates superstarter is 27% + acs readily available.
Allen and paige turkey starter crumb is 22% + no acs readily available.
Marriages organic turkey starter crumb is 24% + no acs but I can't find it available anywhere.
Hi Peak organic chick crumb is 24% + no acs but minimum order is 25 bags!

Not sure what to do. Acs is a thiamine blocker to prevent coccidiosis but thiamine deficiency in quail is bad news. I'm not sure whether to get a small amount of superstarter for the first few weeks of rapid growth then change to acs free. I know the avatec acs has a 5 day withdrawal period for eggs and meat so not sure I want to feed that to my birds.

 

[Claire A]

.
That's interesting about the meal worms. I was reading a paper today that showed (according to their research) how feeding chicks less than 24% CP not only effects body weight, but also egg production. So what you're saying seems to tally with that.

It will be a good day when we can walk into our local suppliers and get a bag of 28% cp quail feed off the shelf. I read somewhere today about a German company now selling it's quail feed in the US. Makes no sense we can't buy it here! Maybe the company @Fenrisulfr was talking about! We'll have to get him to put a word in for us.

That's great news about you having such a good market for your birds. I haven't sold any quail yet, but when my bantams go to their new homes I get a kick out of how excited people are. Plus the last lot I sold went a good way to paying for my new incubator So that helps also.

Hi Steve,

Have your birds been suffering in the heat? just spent two days creating lots more shade for them. Many had their beaks open and seemed to be puffing If only they would use the shelters or the covered bit, but no - they want to be out in the open. Had to bring some into the house.

Bantams are so sweet - I have lavender pekin's - I adore them but boy are they noisy.

I inquired about soymeal and have a bag on order. Only slightly cheaper than your link when accounting postage. I am looking at alternatives as the farm shops supplier has to order it in special - so guessing this is the added cost.

It would be much easier to just get a bag off the shelf. Apparently you could get a higher protein grower from Haygate - but they changed it all into one quail feed

Oh, no doubt low protein affects the size and laying of quail. Strangely adult birds do not seem to have a problem with 20% - but then they are out in a large enclosure and likely making it up in insects. Thought of making a maggot bucket in there - but I am worried about the smell.

 

[Claire A]

Which do you think is more important for fresh hatched quail, protein or being acs free because I can find either but not both!

Heygates superstarter is 27% + acs readily available.
Allen and paige turkey starter crumb is 22% + no acs readily available.
Marriages organic turkey starter crumb is 24% + no acs but I can't find it available anywhere.
Hi Peak organic chick crumb is 24% + no acs but minimum order is 25 bags!

Not sure what to do. Acs is a thiamine blocker to prevent coccidiosis but thiamine deficiency in quail is bad news. I'm not sure whether to get a small amount of superstarter for the first few weeks of rapid growth then change to acs free. I know the avatec acs has a 5 day withdrawal period for eggs and meat so not sure I want to feed that to my birds.

Wow-what a dilemma. Has to be acs free no question about this.

If you have only a few chicks at a time - you could go to your local fishing shop and get some maggots. This will help protein and you will have very friendly, very happy chicks

Steve had an excellent idea with the soy meal - this could be the best way forward if you have large hatches.

All the problems you are finding is very common, unfortunately I wish there was an easier answer for you.