Your baby quail is all grown up! They’re no longer a tiny newborn but an adolescence-ready, featherless friend that needs to be fed.
Feeding your little bird can seem daunting at first, and there are many things you need for him or her in what they eat.
Rule number one in how to raise baby quail school, is “feed them the right food!
Homemade baby quail food recipes are a great way to provide your little feathered friends with the nutrients they need.
Plus, you can avoid dangerous chemicals and artificial flavors!
In this blog post, we’ll discuss 5 easy homemade baby quail food recipes that will keep them healthy in order for their immune systems to stay strong during birdhood development stages.
5 Homemade Baby Quail Food Recipes
The following recipes are hand-feeding formulas that can be fed to your baby quail up to two times a day.
It is recommended you use non-medicated feeder insects.
These include insects like:
- crickets,
- fireflies,
- worms,
- etc.
This is once they are weaned or coming towards the end of the weaning process, and will help your quails get the nutrients they need.
The following homemade recipes will enable your baby quail to grow quicker and wean sooner, in addition to developing a brighter and more vibrant color.
We suggest providing fresh water and food at all times, and monitoring your chicks for any signs of illness such as weakness, stunted growth or lethargy.
When it comes to the dry ingredients, such as ground oats and wheat, we typically use our eyes when determining quantities because you’ll want to change the recipe based on what you have in your pantry and what your bird prefers.
If you are worried about whethe or not your baby quail will take to the food, don’t be!
They aren’t fussy eaters, and will be ecstatic as long as you give him or her good, complete sources of protein and fats, and avoid foods that it should not eat!
Getting The Ratios Right
Baby quails require a large amount of protein (20%) and fat (15%) within their diets. They also need calcium and phosphorus, but with a 15:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio.
Calcium is very important at all stages of development, especially with the breeding mother, as it aids in eggshell-hardening and muscle contractions such as breathing and embryonic development.
With this in mind, any homemade baby quail food recipes should include calcium sources.
Without further ado, here are our 5 easy, great-tasting, and healthy homemade baby quail food recipes that you can cook up anytime!
1) Ground Oat, Boiled Egg (whole), Cornmeal, Coconut Oil
Cornmeal is ideal for your little bird because it is already ground and provides a tasty alternative to whole grains. Coconut oil, along with the egg yolk, gives your baby quail healthy fats that help them grow.
Boiled eggs have a good amount of protein and fat, and the eggshell is a great calcium source!
The ground oats also provides your little bird with fiber and carbohydrates as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
2) Ground Corn, Ground Oats, Dried Beets & Chia Seeds
In this recipe, the dried beets and chia seeds will give your quail the extra protein, fat, and fiber it needs.
Ground oats provide carbs as well as protein and some fat as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
Ground corn also gives your baby quails carbs along with zinc and niacin.
Dried beets also provide minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
3) Ground Corn, Ground Barley, Poppy Seeds, Whole Egg & Flaxseed Meal
This is one of my favorite homemade baby quail food recipes. In this recipe, the poppy seeds provide your baby quail with calcium as well as potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
The whole egg is hardboiled and provides protein and calcium.
Flaxseed meal is rich in the following:
- Vitamin E,
- manganese,
- copper,
- fiber,
- Omega-3 fatty acids,
- lignans,
- ]antioxidants ,
- hemicellulose ,
- proteins ,
- iron ,
- phosphorous ,
- magnesium,
- zinc,
- and fiber.
Plus it’s a good source of calcium as well!
Ground barley is rich in carbohydrates as well as selenium and phosphorus.
4) Ground Brown Rice, Dried Peas (or raw pea protein), Dried/Ground Sunflower Seeds
The rice in this recipe provides a good source of vitamins and minerals for your baby quail, such as the naturally occurring Vitamin B.
Peas are also included which provide protein while fiber can help keep them feeling full!
Some birds do not like eating raw peas so if yours seems immune then try replacing it with arrowroot powder instead; just remember that all recipes containing ground brown rice will eventually lead to digestive issues unless replaced by another carbohydrate ingredient such quinoa or barley flour.
5) Ground Oats, Soy Protein, Flaxseed & Alfalfa Meal
In this recipe, the soy protein provides female baby quails with calcium and omega-3 fatty acids while it helps to aid in plucking in male birds. It also assists to reduce aggressive behavior such as biting and fighting.
The ground oats provide carbohydrates that will eventually be turned into glucose within your bird’s body.
The flaxseed provides Vitamin E, manganese, copper, fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, antioxidants , hemicellulose , proteins , iron , phosphorous , magnesium, zinc, and fiber. Alfalfa meal is also rich in calcium.
How to Make the Formula (Step-by-Step Instructions)
We recommend that you only use one of these at a time and see how your baby quail likes them. All of these recipes make for a complete and balanced meal.
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until it is a fine crumble
- Add some water to the mixture if needed. If your quail mix needs moistening, use hot water.
- Include some cuttlebone for them to gnaw on as well as their regular bird seed mix
- Sprinkle this mix into their housing whenever they need feeding or
- Place them in a high-speed blender for 30-60 seconds until you have a smooth (not thick and sticky) consistency.
- Feed your baby bird!
We also recommend adding some bird vitamin drops to your homemade formula for a vitamin boost. This should be added to the individual feed and not the entire batch, so you can manage how much you are giving your quail at any given feed.
If you have quite a busy schedule, it can be quite time-consuming to make your own baby bird feed. No worries, we’ve got you covered. This high-fat, nutrient-dense hand-feed formula will do just as well.
How To Feed The Formula To Your Baby Quail
The baby bird feeding syringes are the “least messy” way to feed your little one. These curved tips make it easy for you, as they’ll go right into their mouth!
You can also use a spoon if need be but there might not always remain enough space between two teeth where I’ve seen fit put all my efforts into getting just once piece inside so that’s why using this method may take longer than expected (though not necessarily bad!).
How To Preserve The Formula
If you have used any wet ingredients, you will need to seal the leftover formula in an airtight container and store it in the fridge.
Although you may not mind leaving some out for them to finish later on, this is not recommended due to the high risk of bacterial growth; also make sure they eat any leftovers before you leave again!
If all dry ingredients were used, you can place any excess formula in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to six months.
Cheapest Way to Feed Quail Chicks
If you decide that homemade formula prep life just isn’t for you, it’s okay; you have options!
FAQ
Can Baby Quail Eat Baby Food?
No. Baby quails cannot eat baby food.
What Do Baby Quails Eat?
Older baby quails can safely eat seed, insects and grasshoppers. When they are old enough to leave the nest they learn to feed themselves by foraging with their parents in nearby grasslands away from predators where the parents can defend them better. A wild quail diet consists of seeds, green plants, and insects.
Can I Make My Own Baby Bird Food?
Yes, you can easily make your own baby bird food by following these instructions on how to prepare homemade quail food. But before you do, please be aware of the potential hazards involved with this if you are not extremely careful about cleanliness and contamination.
Can Baby Quail Eat Dog Food?
Again, no. Some pet stores will try to recommend dog food as an alternative because it is cheaper; however, dog food lacks the proper nutrition and ingredients that quail need for proper growth.
Do Baby Quails Need To Be Hand-Fed?
Newborn quails who do not have their mother to feed them do need to be hand-fed their formula.
This is just to ensure that they are getting the nutrients and energy that their bodies need to grow and develop properly.
What Do I Do If My Quail Is Not Eating?
Quails tend to be fussy eaters, so there is a chance that they will not want to eat any of your homemade formula or hand-feeds right away. Don’t worry! If you follow these hand-feeding tips, your baby quail should be eating before you know it!
Do Baby Quails Need Vitamin Drops?
If you’re making your own quail food (such as the 5 easy homemade recipes listed above), then vitamin drops are completely optional. It’s always a good idea to toss some in for good measure, but you can always talk to your veterinarian for more information.
how long can baby quail go without food
Baby quails, also known as chicks, can typically survive without food for up to 24-48 hours after hatching, as they absorb nutrients from the yolk sac that remains attached to their body.
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