Caring For Your Quail (Husbandry, Diet & Overcoming Common Problems) (2024)

FAQs

What is quail main diet? ›

Fortunately the list of food items taken by quail is extremely long. Various studies of fall and winter bobwhite food habits show seeds of native or naturalized forbs are those most frequently consumed. Of the various plant classes, the seeds of legumes are eaten in the largest amounts and greatest variety.

The quail should be fed a high quality feed, their water and cage should be clean, and they should have plenty of space in their home.

A few different groups are high on their list of good eating. These include Coleoptera (beetles), Hymenoptera (sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants), Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets), Hemiptera (“true bugs”), Blattodea (roaches), and Arachnida (spiders, and scorpions) are all on the menu.

(Quail Disease)

Ulcerative enteritis is caused by infection with Clostridium colinum. It primarily affects bobwhite quail, but several other bird species can also be infected. Clinical signs include sudden death and hemorrhagic enteritis but are less severe in chickens and game birds other than quail.

Know that some types of foods can be toxic to quail.

This includes avocado, caffeine, chocolate, grape seeds, meat, parsley, rhubarb, the stems and leaves of tomato plants, salty foods and treats, uncooked potatoes, and most citrus fruits. Quail will avoid anything toxic to them unless they are starving.

PREDATOR PROTECTION FOR QUAIL

Quail are small and have small predators, like weasels, so their housing will need to be free from any opening large enough to let them out or predators in. Using wire mesh to fully enclose the pen will help keep the quail contained and safe from predators.

You can also add coffee grounds, which quail love! I don't know why they love it, but they do. I think it's best to use spent grounds that have dried out some from your morning brew.

Quail benefit from ACV similar to chickens. ACV reduces harmful bacteria in their gut and give quail an immunity boost.

If you're scratching your head, thinking about What To Feed Quail For Laying Eggs, remember that calcium and protein are key. Chicken feed might do in a pinch, but for those golden yolks and strong shells, quail-specific feed is the way to go.

platensis extract, of which Geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol are the primary components. In the diet of Japanese quails, it is possible to draw the conclusion that the extract of S. platensis can be utilized as a feed additive and as an alternative to antibiotics.

Why do my quail keep dying? ›

Ulcerative enteritis is one of the most common reasons that quails die young; the big symptoms include dropped wings, a “fluffy” appearance, lethargy, and changes to their coloration.

Do eyeworms cause blindness in an infected quail? They can irritate (i.e., cause inflammation) to the optic nerve and associated glands situated behind the eyes. They can also produce scarring of the cornea. Such pathology likely affects the quail's vision.

Raptors mainly prey on adult quail, but there has also been evidence of raptors targeting quail nests as well. Terhune et al. (2008) documented three cases of three different raptors depredating bobwhite nests (Barred Owl, Cooper's Hawk, and Great-Horned Owl) during incubation at their study sites in Georgia.

Quail are considered omnivores – this means they will eat plant-based food, such as seeds and leafy, green vegetation, as well as animal-based food, such as insects.

Our chicken feeds are not high enough in protein for quail; however, with some creative supplementation, it can become quail-friendly!

Quail is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, iron and macronutrients such as calcium, phosphor, zinc and more. Here are a few prominent health benefits: it contains a host of vitamins, including Vitamin A, D, K and B. Quail eggs and meat are rich in selenium, essential fatty acids and antioxidants.