What kind of food for quails should you prepare yourself in normal home conditions so that they not only lay eggs well, but also gain weight? This primarily concerns quail breeders who want their small enterprise to be profitable and make a profit.

For example, if chickens are common birds on our farmsteads, then quails are just entering our farms. You will learn what to feed quails at home and how to do it correctly by reading this article.

Feeding quails at different periods of their growth

1. From the first to the seventh day the most important period in a quail's life. This is the time when the formation of all the organs of the chicken occurs, so it is important that all the ingredients of the diet are selected correctly and in the required proportions. In the 1st period, quails need to be fed 5 times a day. The main product at this time should be hard-boiled eggs and crushed together with the shell. You can take chicken ones, you can also take quail ones. From the second day, according to recipes tested by many poultry farmers, it is recommended to add cottage cheese - two grams per head per day. From the third day, the egg-curd recipe should be supplemented with juicy chopped greens. From the 4th day after hatching, it is recommended to reduce eggs in the diet, but increase the proportion of cottage cheese.
2. This period begins on the fourteenth day and lasts 4 weeks. At this time, young animals need to be fed 4 times a day with special feed, which contains about 25% crude protein per 100 grams, or according to the recipe that will be presented later in the article. The required calorie content of the feed is 280 calories.
3. This period is from the fifth to sixth week after the quail is born. At this time, grown chicks can be switched to food prepared according to a recipe for adult birds. In this case, you need to pay attention to the fact that the crude protein content should be reduced to 16%.

Diet for quails in the table:

Feeding quails in the first days

During the first week of life, as mentioned earlier, the diet is based on crushed eggs, which for convenience are crumbled onto a fine mesh, and if there is none, then a grater may be suitable. As you know, eggs are the best source of protein that a growing body needs.

When feeding quails, eggs can be mixed with combined feeds based on finely crushed corn.

From the second day, you can add not only cottage cheese, but fish to the quail food. From the third day, fresh, well-chopped greens will be useful for young animals. Nettle is especially useful. But before serving it needs to be scalded so that the quails do not get burned. Next, it is added to the egg-feed mixture.

It is also useful if, when preparing a recipe for food for small quails, yeast feed is included. This is primarily bread that is added to the feed mixture. For proper development, a young body requires minerals in its diet from the first days. As a result, the cage in which the young are kept should contain containers containing crushed chalk, shells or eggshells.

When creating a recipe, you need to know that chickens are extremely susceptible to sudden changes in diet, as a result of which the food changes gradually. Those. New ingredients are added to the usual ones and the content of the old ones is reduced. Up to a week of age, chicks need about four grams of food per day. Taking this norm as a basis, food still needs to be given to them in excess. If the food has not been eaten within two hours, it must be removed and replaced with fresh food. But seven-day-old chicks need to be fed five times a day.

Make sure that the food given is at the same temperature as in the room where the chicks are kept.

We should not forget that at this time the quails should always have an abundance of clean water, which should be given to them 1-2 hours after birth. At this time, they still cannot drink on their own. Many chickens need to be trained to do this. This is done as follows. The quail is taken in the hand by the back, the head is lightly fixed with the fingers and it is brought to the water. Usually one time is enough for the chick to learn to drink.

It is preferable that watering of young animals at home is carried out using vacuum and nipple drinkers. This is not only convenient, but also prevents water spills.

Under no circumstances should you put sand in your chicks’ first week of life. During this period, young animals, still poorly versed in feed, can peck at it and die.

Video “How to feed quails at home”
This video talks in detail about feeding quails at home.

Feeding quails from the second week

Already from the second week, young animals can be given ready-made feed little by little. For quails two weeks old, you can feed turkey feed. The feed should be based on corn or wheat. In addition to this, the diet for quails should contain a lot of:

• squirrel;
• vitamin;
• minerals.

At this time, a bowl with fine gravel should be placed in the cage in which the growing quails are kept. Quails of this age are already fed four times a day.

When the young birds reach thirty days of age, they need to be gradually transferred to feed for adult birds. The amount of protein at this time needs to be reduced, because its excess can initiate early puberty, which can subsequently lead to a decrease in product quality. In this case, more feed needs to be given.

Month-old quails feed 3 times a day.

Already 3-week-old quails can be placed in a cage with sand for bathing.

Do not forget about the water that is poured into special trough drinkers. Make sure that the water is only fresh at all times; to do this, replace it at least twice a day. From time to time, to prevent infections, give manganese solution.

Seasonal feeding

When keeping quails at home, proper and rational feeding is of paramount importance. Quails need to be fed systematically 3-4 times a day at the same time. Make sure your children always eat enough. This is especially important when feeding young animals, since they grow quickly and interruptions in feeding can negatively affect their well-being.

Important! Young quail can scatter food, so there is no need to fill the feeders to the very brim. It is better if they have sides that are curved into the middle.

Feeding in winter

With the onset of cold weather, feeding at home is carried out not only with combined feeds. It is desirable that the birds receive in abundance:

• sprouted oats;
• wheat;
• millet;
• green onion feathers.

These products are additional sources of vitamins and minerals.

In the absence of fresh grass, quails can be given dried grass:

• nettle;
• clover;
• alfalfa.

These are the main points of feeding quails in winter.

Feeding in summer

With the arrival of warmer weather, you can diversify the recipe for quail feed with green food; for example, quail eat very well:

• spinach;
• green salads;
• clover flowers;
• nettle;
• alfalfa;
• beet leaves;
• cabbage.

They improve the digestibility of feed. Before giving green food to quails, it must be thoroughly chopped.

Earthworms are excellent as animal food.

How to determine the wrong diet

The only way to check whether a recipe for quail is correct or incorrect is by systematic weighing. For example, at 2 months of age, a young chick should already weigh about 100 grams, and a meat breed chick should weigh about 160 grams. If the bird is feeding correctly, then a layer of subcutaneous fat on the breast should be palpable.

Recipes and feeding rates

In certain cases, certain recipes and standards are drawn up for feeding quails. First of all, it depends on what type of quail you keep for eggs or meat.

Feed for laying hens

Feed for quail laying hens should have a balance of all the necessary nutrients. When compiling a recipe, keep in mind that in order for the quail to brood well, there must be a sufficient amount of the following:

• protein;
• fats;
• carbohydrates;
• vitamins;
• microelements.

Only by providing such feeding conditions can one expect good egg production.

The diet for laying quails should contain a lot of crude protein - more than 25%. This condition must be observed, because egg production depends on it. When laying eggs, it is recommended to additionally add crushed eggshells to the combined feed. One hen needs 25-30 grams per day. stern. Typically, female quails lay eggs for up to 11 months, then they are slaughtered.

Important! If there is insufficient grain, the quail will stop laying eggs altogether.

Fattening quails for meat

Fattened for meat:

• males;
• females with defects at one month of age;
• females whose egg-laying period has ended;
• individuals that were raised specifically for slaughter.

The feed recipe for quails raised for meat is not introduced immediately, otherwise the bird may get sick or die.

Quails that are fattened for meat must be kept in special cages. The walls should be solid and the place should be shaded.

Males are separated from females. When fattening at home, the recipe is the same as when feeding adults, but the percentage of corn and fat in the feed should be increased.

Another recipe calls for 80% broiler combination feed and 20% peas (the peas need to be pre-cooked for about half an hour).

Video “Broilers can also lay eggs well”

This video shows that quail broilers can start laying eggs early.

The transition to feeding according to the new recipe must be carried out within 4 days. On the first day, quails are given 50% of the old food and 50% of the new one. Thus, gradually reducing old feeds, replace them with new ones. The fattening period lasts up to a month. In the final seven days, the usual weight of feed (approximately 30 g) is increased by approximately 8%. If the recipe is compiled correctly, then at the time of slaughter the quail should weigh 160 grams. and more. There should be a good layer of subcutaneous fat on the chest.

Important! During this period, the bird must be given chopped carrots so that the flesh takes on a better appearance.

During this period, the following products should be excluded from the menu:

• fish;
• garlic;
• needles.

These products can significantly degrade the color, taste and smell of meat.

Maintenance of the parent flock

Proper maintenance and fattening of the parent flock have a significant impact on the quality of eggs for subsequent placement in the incubator.

The formation of the herd begins on the 7th day after the birth of quails. Individuals of approximately the same weight and quality data are selected. The selected individuals should not have any defects in build or diseases.

The feed recipe for the parent flock is prepared as for an ordinary adult bird. You can also use prepared food for quails with your own hands. The daily food intake for a female is 30 grams, and for a male up to 18 grams.

Homemade quail food must be complete and contain all the necessary components.

Herbal ingredients

Before giving to quails, this product must be washed and chopped, preferably on a grater rather than with a knife. It is given fresh and boiled.

Carrots are rich in carotene, which is beneficial for quails and promotes the formation of vitamin A, which is of great importance for the growth of birds.

In addition to vitamin B, cabbage is rich in calcium and amino acids necessary for the quail body. This set is exceptionally useful for fletching. In turn, cabbage reduces egg pecking.

Potatoes, which contain a high percentage of starch, are necessary to replenish energy reserves. You can only give it boiled. It is perfectly absorbed by the quail body.

Mineral supplements

Chalk plays an important role in the diet of quails, as it is the main source of replenishing the body's need for calcium. You can only give feed.

Shells and eggshells are also used to replenish calcium in the body of quails. Before giving, the shell is washed, dried and ground. The shells must be boiled before serving.

Yeast contains not only vitamin B, but also such important acids as nicotinic and pantothenic. In addition, they are a source of easily digestible protein.

Animal products

When preparing a recipe, the following products are required:

• cottage cheese;
• fermented milk;
• return

They are also rich in easily digestible protein.

Egg whites, adored by quails, contain a lot of protein.

In turn, vitamin supplements must be added to the combined feed for quails of the parent flock. Such as:

• greenery;
• grass meal;
• cake

In addition to vitamins, the cake contains fats, protein, phosphorus and lysine.

At first glance, compiling recipes for feeding quails at home is difficult. But if you figure it out and use high-calorie compounds, you can, without spending a lot of money, achieve high-quality meat and eggs and at the same time make a good profit.

This video shows how to feed quails to increase egg production.

Recently, more and more people with suburban areas are interested in breeding quails. These poultry are unpretentious and do not require special care, their maintenance does not cause much trouble, and most importantly, they produce nutritious and healthy eggs and high-quality meat. In this article we will look at what to feed quails so that the birds are healthy, grow well and lay eggs.

Newly hatched chicks are fed hard-boiled chicken eggs, crushed together with the shell. On the second day, 2 g of grated cottage cheese is introduced into the diet of each newborn baby. After the chicks reach the age of three days, the quail menu is replenished with fresh herbs (onions, dandelion leaves, yarrow), which must be chopped.

For the diet of chicks aged seven days, the number of eggs is reduced to a minimum and the amount of cottage cheese is increased. In addition to cottage cheese, at the end of the first week the chicks can be fed grated carrots and millet. The quail will be fed with curdled milk. Small quails are fed 5-6 times a day; the chicks should eat as much as they want.

The diet of two-week-old quail chicks should already consist of feed with a high protein content (up to 26%) with an energy value of 280 Kcal. In addition, you can give gravel and ground shells to two-week-old babies to improve the functioning of the digestive system. Small quails aged 2 weeks to a month should be fed 4 times a day. Their drinking bowl should always be filled with fresh water, which must be changed regularly.

From 4 weeks of age, the chicks are gradually transferred to adult food and a new diet is established: now the quails should be fed three times a day.

If you adhere to such a feeding pattern, each chick will be healthy and will be able to serve its owner.

What to feed adults

Beginner breeders often have a question about what to feed quails at home. There are two options here: either purchase commercially produced feed, or prepare it yourself.

In any case, the menu for adult quails should include:

• grain and legumes are the main component of quail feed;
• products of plant origin are the main source of vitamins for birds;
• food of animal origin (fish, fish oil, blood of a slaughtered bird, ant pupae, minced meat or fish, eggs from chickens, cottage cheese, maggots, worms) - a source of proteins;
• minerals (gravel, feed chalk, table salt, ground sea and river shells, shells).

Let's take a closer look at some products and find out what is preferable to feed quails.

Cereals

Corn, oats, and wheat form the basis of quail feed. Their consumption should be about 40% of the daily diet. They are a source of energy for birds as they contain a lot of carbohydrates. Oats must be sifted and hulled. Wheat can only be used in the form of cereals.

Vegetables

Beets are an excellent source of vitamins. It can be given to birds either raw or boiled. It must be washed, peeled and grated on a fine grater.

Carrots are a very important product in the diet of birds, because they contain a large amount of carotene, which is necessary for their growth and development.

Potatoes are well digested by birds and replenish their energy reserves. It needs to be boiled and crushed.

Seashells, chalk, shell

These foods are high in calcium. Before use, shells, sea or river, must be washed, dried and ground, and the shells must be boiled and ground into powder.

Chalk for feeding should only be feed chalk. It is ground into powder and added to the bird's main food.

Cottage cheese, egg white and skim milk

These products are sources of protein, which is vital for poultry. Cottage cheese is mixed with food or given in its pure form.

Boiled egg whites are crushed into small pieces and given during the main feeding of the birds. Separate drinking bowls will be required for return.

Fresh herbs

This is an essential component of the bird's diet. In the warm season, you can give birds finely chopped nettles, green onions, alfalfa, and dandelion leaves. For the winter, you should prepare a dried mixture of herbs.

If the birds' diet is not sufficiently balanced, the food can be enriched with various vitamin supplements and premixes. If you prepare the food yourself at home, all components must be thoroughly ground and ensure that large particles and husks from oats and onions do not get into the mash, which could cause the bird to choke.

The approximate composition and proportions of a homemade mash made at home for an adult bird may look like this: 60 g of cereals, 35 g of minced meat, 4 g of ground shells and chopped nettles.

What else can you feed quails at home? Of course, ready-made industrially produced feed. The most common feeds:

1. PC-5 contains corn, wheat, meal, rapeseed oil, beet molasses, corn gluten and various additives. This feed is also called starter feed: it can be given to chicks immediately after hatching.
2. PC-1 and PC-2 are the most popular feeds that can be given to quails from the age of one month.
3. PK-2,2, PK-6 and PK-4 - food for adult birds. The grain content in these feeds is 60%, proteins - 30%, mineral components - 5%.

Calculate the required amount of feed in advance. For example, for 100 females, feed consumption is 2.5–3 kg daily, therefore, it is necessary to stock up on 90 kg of feed for a month.

Approximate feeding standards for quails

Let's look at the approximate daily feeding norms for quails depending on their age. These data are calculated in grams per quail per day.

Birds 1–5 days old

Cereals - 5

Wheat bran - 4

Fresh greens - 3

Cottage cheese - 2

Boiled egg - 3

Birds aged 6–10 days

Cereals - 8

Wheat bran - 5

Dry remains of animal origin - 1

Fresh greens - 10

Cottage cheese - 10

Shell - 0.5

Birds aged 11–20 days

Cereals - 20

Wheat bran - 5

Dry residues of animal origin - 3

Fresh greens - 15

Cottage cheese - 10

Shell - 0.7

Bone meal - 0.5

Birds aged 21–30 days

Cereals - 30

Wheat bran - 10

Dry residues of animal origin - 7

Fresh greens - 20

Shell - 1.7

Bone meal - 0.5

Birds aged 31–40 days

Cereals - 50

Wheat bran - 10

Dry residues of animal origin - 10

Fresh greens - 30

Shell - 2

Bone meal - 1

Birds aged 41–50 days

Cereals - 60

Wheat bran - 10

Dry residues of animal origin - 14

Fresh greens - 10

Shell - 2.7

Bone meal - 1

Birds aged 51–60 days

Cereals - 80

Wheat bran - 15

Dry residues of animal origin - 15

Fresh greens - 40

Shell - 2.5

Bone meal - 1.5

Birds aged 61–90 days

Cereals - 115

Wheat bran - 15

Fresh greens - 40

Shell - 2.2

Bone meal - 2.5

Birds aged 91–120 days

Cereals - 145

Wheat bran - 25

Dry residues of animal origin - 20

Fresh greens - 100

Shell - 2.2

Bone meal - 2.5

The above table gives an idea of ​​how to feed adult quails, now we will consider in detail how to feed laying quails, quails for fattening for meat and birds from the parent flock, so that they better perform the functions assigned to them.

Diet of females

What to feed quails, what should be the food for laying quails? This is one of the most important points, because most often quails are bred specifically for eggs, so it is so important to know how to organize the feeding process correctly so that the quails lay eggs well.

Feed for laying quails should consist of 25% proteins. If the protein standard is reduced, laying hens will have a reduced egg production, and the eggs they lay will be small. If there is an excess of protein, eggs with two yolks appear, unsuitable for hatching chickens.

If laying hens eat regular feed, it is necessary to diversify their diet with protein products, for example, cottage cheese, bread at the rate of 2 g per head. If you feed laying hens with a grain mixture, then the norm of additionally introduced protein products should be already 12 g.

It is very important not to overfeed the hen so that she does not become fat and lay a large number of eggs, so when feeding, you should strictly adhere to the dosage.

Fattening for meat

As quails for fattening, they take males at the age of 1 month, one-month-old females with physical defects, laying hens that have already stopped laying eggs, and specially raised young animals. The birds are placed in special cages and transferred to a new diet.

For a new diet, you can use a mixture consisting of 80% feed for broiler birds and 30% peas boiled for half an hour. In this case, it is necessary to exclude onions, fish, garlic, and pine needles from the poultry menu. These products worsen the taste of meat.

The transition to a new feeding of quails must be done correctly, otherwise the bird may get sick and even die. The optimal period for switching to a new menu is 4 days. On the first day, you should give the bird a mixture consisting of 50% old food and 50% new food. Over the next days, the proportion of old food must be reduced, and the share of new food must be increased.

The duration of fattening is up to 4 weeks. A week before slaughter, the usual weight of feed (approximately 30 g) should be increased by 8%.

Feeding quails for the parent flock

Let's look at how to feed quails from the parent flock. The formation of a parent flock begins when the quails reach 4–6 weeks of age.

For feeding these quails at home, regular feed for adult birds is suitable. You can prepare it yourself, taking into account the recommendations given above, or you can purchase a ready-made mixture.

The main condition in feeding such birds is compliance with all proportions in accordance with their age.

Feeding depending on the time of year

In winter and autumn, when there is no fresh greenery, it is necessary to give the birds sprouted oats or onions. It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of preparing a mixture of different herbs (clover, nettle, alfalfa) in the summer, which should be dried so that you can then add it to bird feed.

In summer, fresh greens can be given in large quantities, since birds readily eat them. In addition, greens are very useful for quails. But it is very important to grind it first; it is best to use a blender for this purpose.

Now regarding drinking. In summer, water for quails must be changed every day, otherwise it may spoil. In winter, drinkers can be renewed once every 2-3 days.

If you follow the above nutritional plans, you can easily raise healthy quail offspring, which in the future will delight you with tasty meat and nutritious eggs. You can see the feeding features more clearly in the video.

Keeping quails today is considered a very profitable and profitable business. The reason for this demand is that birds start laying eggs early and also have a better egg to body weight ratio. Quail also requires a small amount of feed. But in order to get maximum productivity, it is important not only to follow the rules for their maintenance, but also for feeding. And for this, every farmer is obliged to correctly prepare a diet for these birds.

Rules for feeding quails at home

Industrial compound feed is considered the best food for the animals presented. But, as practice shows, such food contains protein in small quantities, so people resort to preparing compound feed with their own hands.

But it is not advisable to give one compound feed, because it contains a small amount of crude protein. Sometimes there is simply no feed.

Read about breeding and feeding at home.

Period No. 1

For chicks aged 7 days (first period), boiled and finely chopped chicken eggs can be given. They need to be combined and ground with the shell. The second day involves adding zero-fat cottage cheese to the eggs. It should also be ground through a sieve. Already on the 3-4th day it is allowed to include greens in the diet. At the same time, the dose of eggs and cottage cheese increases every day.

You will find photos of dominant breed chickens.

Period No. 2

This period describes the nutrition of quails at the age of 2-4 weeks. It is necessary to use feed containing 25% crude protein. The number of feedings is 4 times a day.

Period No. 3

This time already covers the entire further life of the birds, that is, the food is designed for adults. From the 5th week you can use feed mixtures and reduce the level of crude protein to 15%. You can prepare the feed mixture yourself. You can use the following recipe:

• any grain crops (millet, oatmeal, barley) – 60 g;
• protein products (fish meal, cottage cheese) – 36 g;
• mineral supplements (shells, chalk) – 4 g.

Find out why chickens eat their eggs and what to do about it.

In addition to the fact that you need to know basic foods, it is important to have information about the number of meals. Like every laying hen, the quail has its own specific schedule. The process of feeding birds should occur 3-4 times a day. Moreover, feeding occurs at the same time. It is necessary to create a schedule so that the time between feedings is equal.

The maximum amount of feed should be given to birds at night. Digestion of grain is slow, so the feeder can be filled with grain mixtures. Thanks to this, the quail will be satisfying until the morning.

Required Products

The main task of a poultry farmer who decides to keep a quail is proper feeding. The egg production of the bird will depend on this. A balanced diet involves the use of grains, animal products, minerals and vitamins.

Compound feed

What feed should I feed? Despite the fact that it is necessary to feed quails with industrial compound feed, many poultry farmers use home-made feed. The reason is that the finished products contain insufficient protein. In addition, preparing compound feed at home is very quick and easy.

What is the best feed to use for laying hens is indicated.

It is enough to observe the following proportions:

• corn – 28.5%;
• wheat – 28.5%;
• 10% premix – 8%;
• sunflower cake – 10%;
• soybean meal – 10%;
• meat and bone meal – 5%;
• feed yeast – 5%;
• peas – 3%;
• Sunflower oil – 1%;
• chalk – 1%.

It is important to take into account the fact that such feed spoils much faster. Therefore, you don’t need to cook in large quantities, otherwise you will simply waste food and waste your budget.

What the Loman Brown chicken breed looks like will help you understand.

Cereals

If protein does not enter the bird’s body in the required quantity, then this has a bad effect on egg production and the quality of the birds themselves. As a result of this, they take on small sizes, and they are also pecked by the birds themselves. If the amount of protein exceeds the norm by 2 times, then this contributes to the formation of an egg with two yolks. These eggs are not suitable for incubation.

The basis of nutrition should be the following grains:

1. Corn. It should make up 40% of the total daily diet. This product has high energy value. The composition contains a large amount of starch and carbohydrates. Corn is a source of energy for quail. However, its composition contains a small amount of amino acids. It is not advisable to use food based on this cereal; it is also necessary to use products of animal origin.
2. Oats. Its composition contains many B vitamins. Before feeding quails, it is necessary to sift it and peel it from the shells. If this is not done, the quail’s digestive system will become clogged.
3. Wheat. This cereal is indispensable for the daily diet of laying hens. It is wheat that allows for excellent bird productivity. But when using this cereal, it is necessary to give it not in the form of flour, but in the form of cereals. If you give flour, a sticky mass appears that sticks to the beak.
4. Legumes. Foods such as soybeans, peas and lentils are high in amino acids that corn is deficient in. In addition, legumes contain vegetable protein and fat.
5. Rice. This product has great energy value. It is useful to give it to laying hens, as egg production increases.
6. Meal and cake. These products are obtained from soybean seeds using the method of squeezing oil out of them. These ingredients contain vitamins B, E, lysine and amino acids.

Vitamins

In order for the quails’ body to be saturated with the necessary amount of vitamins, it is necessary to introduce leftover vegetables into their food. At the same time, observe an important condition: all products should not be rotten. It is allowed to feed the following vegetables:

1. Carrot. It contains carotene. The bird's body requires it to produce vitamin A. The vegetable also contains vitamins B and B2.
2. Beet. The composition of the vegetable suggests the presence of sugar necessary for poultry. There are also vitamins B, BB and a small amount of CC.
3. Cabbage. This product contains many different vitamins. When eating cabbage, the bird’s body is replenished with vitamins C, A, and B. The vegetable also takes part in reducing the percentage of egg pecking. Its composition is rich in amino acids.
4. Boiled potatoes. It contains starch (80%). The root vegetable also boasts the presence of B vitamins.

1. Feed chalk– contains calcium.
2. Salt– a source of the most important minerals, because it contains sodium and chlorine.
3. Shells It is necessary to eat quails, but before giving them they must be thoroughly washed and ground. This ingredient should only be given in powder form. If a sharp piece of shell comes across, it will lead to the death of the bird.
4. Egg shell. It is used in feed for laying hens as a temporary supplement.

Video

This video will tell you how to properly feed quails.

Quail is a very valuable bird today. Keeping and feeding her is completely easy. But this must be done carefully and thoughtfully. Only high-quality care and nutrition will allow the bird to become strong and healthy, and this will lead to increased egg production. You will also be interested to know these birds.

Many people are interested in the issue of quail breeding. More and more people live in the private sector or have summer cottages. Despite the fact that breeding quails does not require much space, a cage with them on you can't put a balcony, and you won’t keep it in the apartment.

All that remains is a decent outbuilding, which will be a home for such birds.

What to feed quails at home

Quails are considered an unpretentious bird that requires very little space to keep them. The benefits from them are significant: the meat is very valuable and healthy, High Quality; I The eggs that adults lay are no less healthy than meat. Breeding such a bird is very profitable.

Before starting this profitable business, you need to study in detail everything related to life, conditions of detention and feeding this bird. This is very important, since it will determine how the bird lays eggs, what kind of shell the eggs have, and the condition of the bird itself.

It is clear that experience in caring for quail comes with age. Let's take a closer look at how and what to feed the bird so that it has stable egg production and weight gain.

At home quail are kept in cages. On farms, they are combined into a parent flock; for this purpose, birds are selected based on weight and health. This is done already on the seventh day after their birth, such selection affects the quality of eggs for incubation.

The farms are equipped with automated equipment, thanks to which a special dispenser so much feed is given out, as they should by age. Not only food, but also water is automatically distributed, and the cells are heated or cooled. The eggs are collected in special compartments equipped with visors that protect them from pecking.

Water

For chicks that have just been born, water is very important, and in large quantities. Before how to fill a drinking bowl, it needs to be boiled and cooled to room temperature, add a drop of potassium permanganate. The correct solution should turn out pale pink. Drinkers are filled with this water.

Chicks need water within an hour after birth. They just don’t know how to drink on their own yet. A person must teach the chick to drink. You need to take it carefully by the back, supporting the head and bring it to the drinking bowl. If conventional trough drinkers are installed, the water in them should be changed twice a day. To avoid water splashing, install vacuum drinkers.

Feeding quail chicks

There are two types of food: industrial and prepared independently at home. Depending on the age of the quail, its food changes. Even chicks need to eat different food, the composition of which must be carefully monitored.

From the first days of life to chicks required every day high-calorie and fortified food.

1. During the first day, the chicks are given boiled chicken and quail eggs with shells.
2. On the second day, pureed low-fat cottage cheese is added in an amount of 2 grams per chick.
3. The third and fourth days are similar: greens appear in the diet: lettuce, dandelion, young grass and nettle. But from this day on, they begin to reduce the amount of boiled eggs.
4. Week-old chicks are given mixed feed containing crude protein and curdled milk. 4 grams per day is enough for him.

Two-week-old babies should receive food 4 times a day. The main diet is compound feed with 25% protein content.

For chicks who are a month old and older, compound feed remains relevant specifically for chicks. But from the third week you need to introduce millet, mix in cabbage, clover, alfalfa, spinach and other greens. Feeding quail in winter excludes greens, and instead use sprouted oats, wheat, onions, corn and millet.

From the fifth week, feed for chicks is replaced with feed for adults. It already contains 15% crude protein.

If there is no ready-made food for quail or you didn't have time to buy it, you can do it yourself. You need to take 250 grams of feed for chicks and add 150 grams of cereal to it. Cereals can be oatmeal, barley or wheat, but must be finely ground.

If there is no feed left at home for the chicks, then the recipe for preparing the feed will be as follows:

• 240 g of a mixture of different cereals (rice, egg, wheat, oatmeal and millet);
• 144 g of cottage cheese or fish flour and dry skim milk;
• 16 g chalk or shells.

In addition to feed, it is recommended to add dry gravel once a week. You should also boil potatoes and give fresh vegetables such as turnips, beets and carrots. Quail eat grated apples well. It is impossible to limit chicks in food. Quails feed every two hours. It is necessary to keep the cages clean so that no infection occurs.

Feed preparation

It doesn’t take much time to prepare high-quality feed for feeding. But you need to remember the main thing: such food is not stored for long. Therefore, it needs to be prepared in small portions, but regularly.

Let's take a closer look at some recipes:

1. Grain with vegetables and fruits. The grain crop needs to be washed and cooked together with vegetables for about 40 minutes (depending on the grinding). The finished porridge is crushed until smooth, so that there are no large pieces left that could lead to the death of the bird.
2. Wheat, barley, corn. Proportions: 1 kg of wheat, 0.5 cups of barley, 2 cups of corn. A teaspoon of bone meal and half a teaspoon of unrefined vegetable oil are added to the resulting mass. For taste add shells, chalk and salt one teaspoon at a time. The mixture can be given to birds either dry or diluted with water.
3. Millet, corn, peas and cottage cheese. The proportions of all ingredients should be taken equally, half a glass. Mix everything, add a teaspoon of chalk and meat and bone or fish meal - one and a half tablespoons.
4. Oatmeal, cottage cheese, millet and minced fish - all in equal quantities: mix.
5. Millet and semolina - one glass each and mix. Add 5 eggs, grated beets and cabbage - 100 grams each; boiled potatoes – 50 grams. Stir and add 0.5 tbsp. cottage cheese, meat and bone meal and yeast - one and a half tablespoons each. For taste, use vegetable oil and chalk - a teaspoon each.

Feed composition

Every day while feeding, quails should receive a balanced feed, which includes grains, minerals and vitamins, and animal products. Experts recommend adding yeast products (bread) to your diet. You can’t change your diet suddenly; new foods need to be introduced into the diet gradually, reducing the dose of the old ones. Before feeding the bird, the food must be warmed to room temperature.

Feeding quails at home does not exclude grain crops. Let's take a closer look at which of them can be given to quails:

1. Corn. It should be 40% in the daily diet. It contains a large amount of starch and carbohydrates.
2. Oats. It is imperative to remove impurities and sift. Rich in B vitamins.
3. Wheat. Only cereals are used. Adding it to the diet increases the yield.
4. Legumes: soybeans, beans, peas, lentils. These are sources of amino acids, vegetable fat and protein.
5. Rice. Adding to the diet of young animals increases egg production.
6. Meal and cake. They are made from sunflower seeds and soybeans. Rich in vitamins B, E, amino acids, fats, proteins, phosphorus and lysine.

Vegetables you can give to quails

1. Carrot. It is rich in vitamins A, B, B2 and carotene.
2. Beet. It is a natural source of glucose, fructose and sucrose, vitamins B, BB and C. It can be given both fresh and boiled. Before giving a raw vegetable, it must be thoroughly washed and dried, and only then grated.
3. Cabbage. Vitamins A, B, C, calcium and amino acids. Adding it to food reduces the incidence of egg pecking.
4. Potato. A source of starch, rich in B vitamins. Birds consume this vegetable only when boiled.

Mineral supplements

They improve digestion and strengthen egg shells. They can be given to quails from the first days of their life. Recommended Supplements:

• chalk as a source of calcium;
• salt as a source of sodium and chlorine;
• eggshells - need to be boiled before use. Used as temporary feeding;
• yeast as a source of nicotinic and pantothenic acid, protein and vitamin B;
• sea ​​and river shells - improve digestion. Before adding them to food, you need to wash, dry and grind to a powder.

What to feed laying quails at home

In order for laying hens to lay eggs well, a mixture is made of feedstuffs PK6, PK5, PK2 and dietary supplements. Dietary supplements should include vitamins “A” and “E”, which are recommended for young chickens.

The most inexpensive is a three-component mixture consisting of equal parts of corn, soybeans and flour (meat and bone or alfalfa). To provide quails with the necessary amount of vitamins, worms, maggots and finely chopped kitchen scraps are added to the diet.

It is very convenient, and for quails - varied and nutritious, in the summer, put weeds with ripened seeds in the cage.

Food for males

You can add weed seeds, millet, sorghum, soris, insect larvae and the insects themselves to the food of adult birds. The male's diet should consist of boiled fish, boiled eggs and greens. Recommendations for feeding males:

1. Rye should not be present in the diet;
2. Legumes must be boiled or crushed like cereal before serving;
3. Poppy should be in the diet at the rate of 5-7 grams per head.

Industrial feed should be excluded from the diet of males a month before the start of the breeding season. During their period, it is recommended to feed them parrot and canary food.

Quail for meat

Suitable for fattening poultry for meat:

• males and culled females one month old (meaning birds with physical defects);
• females that have stopped laying eggs
• young individuals that are raised specifically for this purpose.

The selected birds are placed in cages with solid walls and placed in a shaded place. There is only one condition - females must be in different cages with males. For fattening, the diet and food standards are taken as for an adult bird, the norm of corn and fats is increased. The diet can be composed as a percentage: 80 - broiler feed and 20 - boiled peas (you need to cook the peas for at least 30 minutes).

It will take only 4 days to transfer quails to a different diet painlessly. This must be done gradually so that the bird does not develop various diseases and die.

Quails are fattened for one month. A week before the end of the fattening period, their daily dose of feed is increased by 8%. In addition, it is recommended to feed carrots, which improve the appearance of the meat. But fish, onions, garlic and pine needles should be excluded from the diet so as not to spoil the color, taste and smell of meat.

Store purchased food strictly according to the instructions. If for some reason the food has spoiled, then you just need to throw it away. Do not try to experiment by giving such a product to quails - the bird may die.

If you make your own food, make sure there are no large particles in it. Garlic and onion peels are dangerous for quails. The bird may choke and die, or the esophagus may become blocked.

To prevent quail food from being scattered, you need to properly construct a feeder– the sides must be bent inward. In addition, it is not advisable to fill it full of food.

Natural food additives, such as cottage cheese, herbs, vegetables and fruits, minced meat and fish, eggshells, must be added to industrial feed. Eliminate the appearance of sand in the cage with chicks in first seven days. It can damage the bird's internal organs. If there is little grain in the feed for laying hens, they may simply stop laying eggs. An excess of grain gives excess weight, but reduces egg production.

Attention, TODAY only!

Proper maintenance and feeding diet are the main components of successful quail rearing. Their development, weight gain, and egg production depend on what food the birds are given. Quails themselves are not very demanding in food, but still the food must be of high quality, fresh and free of harmful impurities.

In this material you will learn what quails eat, how to properly feed laying quails, what to feed small quails and other important nuances of creating the right diet.

Compound feed for quails: types and description

• PC-1 and PC-2. Ingredients: chalk, salt, wheat, corn. To add protein, soybean meal, bone meal or fish meal are added. Feeding standards: 27 grams per head.
• PC-5. Ingredients: soybean or sunflower meal, as well as corn, fishmeal, wheat. Chalk, phosphates, and salt are used as mineral additives. As a percentage, this feed contains 60% grain, 5% minerals, 35% protein. The daily norm for one head of this feed is approximately 30 grams.
• Compound feed of the PK-4 and PK-6 brands is used to feed adult birds. The composition includes 60% of grain crops, in particular barley, wheat, corn, as well as 30% of protein - lysine, fish meal, meal and 5% of minerals (phosphates, salt, chalk). Bran and wheat flour can also be added.

It is important to properly store protein-rich feed. Relevant information must be provided by the manufacturer. Spoiled feed can cause death among livestock.

Experienced poultry farmers themselves develop diets and feeding recipes. We will give some tips for beginners and tell you how to prepare the best poultry feed with your own hands.

In order for quails to lay eggs well or gain weight, they need to be given well-balanced nutritious food. You can make do with ready-made mixtures, in which all the components are contained in the required proportions, or you can prepare the feed yourself.

Composition of food for quails: what to feed

• Oats. This crop is rich in vitamin B and microelements, so it is advisable to include oats in the diet as a basis. Before feeding, it must be peeled and sifted.
• Corn. An irreplaceable source of energy. This culture should be given together with meat and bone or fish meal, since corn contains few amino acids and a lot of starch.
• Legumes. Rich in amino acids, vegetable fats and proteins. Main: lentils, soybeans, peas, etc.
• Wheat must be included in the diet.
• The required amount of protein is contained in meat and bone and fish meal. These two components must either be alternated or mixed.
• If possible, cottage cheese, a valuable source of protein, will not be amiss in the food.
• Vegetables. Especially useful in winter (boiled potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage).
• Food for quails should contain minerals, sources - shell, chalk, crushed eggshells, gravel.

Feeding quails from day 1

Many visitors ask: how to feed quails after hatching. There are two main diet options for chicks:

1. On the first day, daily quails are fed boiled crushed eggs. On the second day, add cottage cheese (2 grams per chick). On the third day, finely chopped fresh herbs are introduced, preferably dandelion, onions or young nettles. From the fourth day, the volume of boiled eggs should be reduced and a little more cottage cheese added. Week-old quails can be given boiled fish, boiled millet, and finely grated carrots.
2. In the first days of life, it is better to start feeding quails with ready-made mixed feed, they are also called starter feed. For laying hens, the optimal feed is PK-2, for birds raised for meat - PK-5.

Important! Before each feeding, the feeders must be emptied of remaining feed to prevent fermentation and protect the young animals from developing digestive problems.

From the first day, chicks need to have free access to drink. Until 3 days of age, water must be boiled and a small amount of potassium permanganate (a couple of crystals) added to it. Up to 5 days of the chicks’ life, the water must also be boiled, but by the end of the first week potassium permanganate can no longer be added.

Advice! To avoid vitamin deficiency, after 5-6 days of quail life, you can start feeding them with Chiktonik.

What to feed week-old quails

From 14 to 28 days of life for chicks, ready-made feed containing 24-26% protein is considered optimal. At this age, quails especially need proteins, so if possible, it is advisable to saturate the food with protein products, for example, cottage cheese or boiled fish. To provide vitamins, you can add fresh chopped herbs. From day 14, it is recommended to include gravel and small shells in the diet to improve food digestion.

Another question that often interests novice poultry farmers: what kind of grass can be fed to quails? You can feed leaves of cabbage, lettuce, spinach, as well as beet tops, clover, nettles, green onions, parsley, legume stems, and alfalfa. The greens must first be chopped and added to the mash.

Feeding quails after 1 month

At the age of 30 to 42 days, the bird is transferred to an “adult” diet. During this period of life they are fed three times a day. When developing a feeding recipe, you should increase the volume of grain and reduce the amount of feed to 15%. The fact is that at this age, excess protein can lead to premature puberty. For quails fattened for meat, the optimal feed is PK-6.

What to feed laying hens for better egg production

For laying hens, it is necessary to develop a complete, well-balanced diet that will contain the required amount of microelements, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

The amount of protein in feed for laying hens should be about 26%. This requirement is mandatory to improve the quality of eggs and increase egg production. Do not forget to add crushed eggshells to the food to saturate the body with calcium. One head needs 25-30 grams of feed per day.

Grain is a must in the diet; if it is absent, the bird may simply stop laying eggs.

How to fatten quails for meat

Poultry should be fattened for meat gradually, since after a sudden transition to a different diet and volume, problems with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract may arise. Usually the transfer is made within four days. Feeding rates are the same as for adult birds, but more fat and corn must be included in the diet.

A simple and effective recipe for fattening for meat: 80% feed for broiler quails and 20% peas, boiled for 30 minutes.

Quails are fed for a month. The last 7 days increase the daily requirement by about 8%. By this age, with the right diet, the weight of one individual should be at least 160 grams.

To improve the taste of meat, remove fish, garlic, onions from the diet and add chopped carrots.

How to feed quails at home video

That's all. We hope you found this information helpful and that you get great results from raising quail.