How to feed quail at home at different stages of growing?
When caring for a bird, it is important to know how to feed the quail at home. The diet for babies, grown-up quails and females differs in ingredients. Experts give advice on how to properly prepare food, how many times to feed animals.
Features of the development of quails
Quail is a cholesterol-free source of dietary meat and eggs. Birds develop quickly, by two months an adult meat breed weighs 160, an ordinary laying hen is about 100 g. Fat is felt on the chest of birds. Feeding quails at different stages of development differs in diet and frequency.
- first week after hatching;
- the next 2-4 weeks of the quail's life;
- adolescence 35-42 days;
Seven week old birds are considered adult and are fed to improve the quality of the parent flock. Part of the brood, females after hatching and quails older than 11 months are fattened for meat.
We will figure out how to feed quails at home at each stage of keeping.
Feeding chicks
The chickens have hatched, and the first food will be hard-boiled eggs, crushed together with the shell. On the second day, the menu includes 2 g of cottage cheese for each head. On the third day, finely chopped greens are added to the feeder. Further, the amount of cottage cheese in the mash is gradually increased and the egg is reduced. Every day during the week, the menu changes towards a decrease in the addition of eggs. The frequency of food intake is 5 times a day. Sour milk is used for drinking.
The second period, the chicks should gradually move to compound feed, which contains up to 26% protein with a caloric value of 280 units. The babies are fed 4 times. Preparation for adult life of young stock is the transition to the main food for quails. But in order for the female to lay eggs and stay healthy, vitamin supplements must be increased during this period. The content of vitamins E and A in the feed increases by 50%, the protein content is reduced to 15% in order to delay egg-laying in the early period of maturation of the female. You need to know that eggs are not formed without adding grain to the feed.
How to feed adult quails
The diet is different, which is developed taking into account the need:
- laying hens;
- male quails;
- parent stock;
- fattening for meat.
Feed consumption per 100 females per month 90 kg. During this time, egg production will be 2,000 eggs. How to feed the quails so that they run well? For females, complex mixtures are used, of two or three components. A feed balanced in proteins, fats and carbohydrates should contain eggshells for the shell set. The amount of protein rises to 25%.
The daily feed requirement is 25-30 grams. When using conventional feed for quails, it is necessary to enrich it with cottage cheese, fish or soy.
With an increase in the protein content above the norm, it is possible to obtain eggs with two yolks. You cannot overfeed the bird, it will become fat and stop laying eggs. One head should consume 90 kg of PK-1 compound feed per year. The use of greens and cereal sprouts is encouraged.
Homemade food with a high protein and moisture content is consumed fresh. Poisoning with spoiled food or excess salt is fatal.
The recipe for do-it-yourself quail feed includes crushed grain mixture:
- wheat - 1 kg;
- barley - 100 g;
- corn - 400 g;
- bone meal - 5 g;
- vegetable oil - 3 g.
Mineral supplements are represented by shell rock, chalk and salt, 5 grams of each ingredient. Protein supplement - cottage cheese, boiled fish, minced meat. The composition includes greens and eggshells.
Other do-it-yourself quail food recipes can consist of compound feed enriched with additives or mixtures:
- Corn is an energy product, it is used in composition with 40% bone meal or boiled fish.
- Oats must first be cleaned of films, it contains trace elements and vitamins, and is similar in action to millet.
- Wheat increases and maintains the productivity of layers.
- Legumes contain protein, fat, amino acids.
- Fish meal and bone meal are protein supplements.
- Dairy products in the form of cottage cheese and yogurt, boiled eggs provide protein.
- Vegetables in the form of finely chopped root vegetables and herbs. Potatoes boiled is added.
- Give mineral additives in the form of chalk, shell rock, gravel, egg shells.
The use of ready-made mixtures simplifies the care of birds. Self-made feed should be given fresh, avoiding acidification.
Male quails prefer to peck small weed seeds, millet and even poppy seeds. They need protein in the form of larvae, greens. Compound feed for male parrots will suit quails' taste. The drinking bowl should always have clean water.
The ration of the parent stock is rich and varied. The best quails are selected from young stock starting from the fifth week. Complete herd feed includes quality compound feed with the additives listed above. By the way, there will be an addition of baker's yeast, cake and herbal flour.
If the herd is being prepared for slaughter, how to feed the quail at home? Youngsters, hens of birds and individuals of "advanced" age should be fattened for meat. For them, a special diet is applied with the inclusion of broiler feed. The content of corn is increased, boiled peas are used.
During the fattening period, eating carrots gives the meat a richer color. Smelling products should not be added to the menu at the fattening stage to make the meat fragrant.
The birds are divided according to gender, placed in darkened cramped cages, and gradually change the diet within 4 days. Fattening lasts 4 weeks, with a gradual increase in daily consumption up to 30 grams. By the end of the term, the individual should weigh 160 grams.
The quail herd provides dietary products in the form of eggs, meat and is renewed annually. You can even keep quails in an apartment, in a cage.