Quail Feed Preservation

Quail Feed Preservation

Quail Feed Preservation

Feed  represents  almost  70%  of  the  cost  of  rearing  quail.  It  is  mainly composed of grains such as maize, sorghum or millet. Adult quail eat around  14-18  g  per  day  (up  to  20-25  g/day depending  on  the  laying rate and nutritional quality of the feed). The food must always be fresh.
To  achieve  this,  store  it  in  a  well-sealed  container  in  a  cool  and  dry place, protected from rodents, dust mites and other pests. Wild birdscan  transmit  disease  to  the  farm.  Feed  stored  for  more  than  2  or 3 months is subject to vitamin loss and can become rancid, especially in hot climates.
Quail need high-protein feed:
•    Protein content should be 25-28% for starter feed (as well as 1%calcium  and  0.5%  phosphorus),  22%  for  fattening  and  24%  for laying hens. The feed must be finely ground. If possible, use starter
feeds for turkey chicks, as they usually contain 25-28% protein. If youuse  chicken  starter  feed  containing  only  20-22%  protein,  the  quail chicks will grow more slowly. Alternatively, it is possible to use pullet feed.
•    From  5  weeks  of  age,  add  ground  shells  or  limestone.  Laying  hens need 3% calcium. If it is very hot the quail will eat less, so increase this to 3.5% calcium for laying hens. In addition, provide a little fruit and vegetables (lettuce, apple, cabbage,banana, papaya, courgette, carrot), especially on family farms. If they are used to it, the quail will also appreciate leftovers of rice or cooked pasta,  though  the  quantity  should  be  limited.  These  leftovers  should not be left in the cages too long as they will rot quickly, meaning thatthe feeders will have to be thoroughly cleaned.
•    With a good overall protein content, and lysine in particular, soya meal has  much  lower  calcium  and  phosphorus  values,  although  it  is  six times as rich in potassium. It also gives the meat a very good flavour.To increase the protein and energy levels of the feed, add insects such as termites, fly larvae or pupae, or mealworms.To produce fly larvae or pupae:
•    Place a lure of animal excrement or entrails in an open bowl to attractflies to lay their eggs.
•    After  24-36  hours  the  eggs  become  larvae  and  4  or  5  days  later, pupae.
•    Give them to the quail as they are. Dry them in the sun or roast themto avoid putrefaction.
•    The larvae contain more than 50% protein and almost 5,500 kcal perkilo  of  dry  matter  compared  to  more  than  70%  protein  and  almost 4,500 kcal for the pupae.You  can  enrich  starter  feed  for  baby  chicks  with  10%  pupae  or  15% larvae to achieve a protein rate more suitable for quail chicks.Adult quail need at least 1.5-2.5 cm of space at the feeder. They must begiven plenty to eat, but not so much that it is wasted.An  insufficient  amount  of  feed  is  one  of  the  causes  of  violence  among the  birds.  If  it  is  impossible  to  isolate  a  violent  bird,  the  feed  dose  can be temporarily increased as soon as signs of aggression appear. Do notuse this method more than two or three times as the quail will becomeaccustomed to it, which will create a vicious circle of aggressive behaviour.If the purpose of rearing the quail is to sell the eggs for use in remedies,use feed made from organically grown grain (without chemical fertilisersor pesticides) and do not give the birds antibiotics.To improve efficiency, only half fill the feeders as quail become very agitated when feeding. If the containers are completely filled, half of the food will be ejected.

Water

Particularly during the first week, make sure that the small chicks do not
drown  in  water  troughs.  To  prevent  this,  half  fill  the  troughs  with  small 
pebbles or marbles that will be removed in the second week. Keep at least
0.6 cm of space per quail at the water trough. Use nipple drinkers for
adult quail (one nipple for five quail).
It is important to maintain a supply of clean water at all times. The drinkers
should therefore be cleaned at least once a day.
Change  the  water  if  it  has  feed  in  it.  It  must  not  be  too  warm,  as  this 
causes pathogenic agents to multiply.
If possible, add a drop of methylene blue to the water once a week. This
will noticeably reduce respiratory diseases among the quail while purifying
the  water,  as  it  is  an  antiseptic  with  mild  fungicidal  and  bactericidal 
properties.
It is sensible to clean and disinfect the drinkers and feeders every week to
prevent diseases. In a bucket of hot water, add a little detergent and scrub
them with a stiff brush. Then add a little sodium hydrochlorite (bleach) to
a bucket of hot water and scrub again. Finally, rinse them and check they
are operating correctly before replacing them.
White vinegar is also a very good disinfectant that kills germs; use it, even
diluted  with  water,  on  equipment  like  the  drinkers  and  feeders  at  least 
once a month, or when the quail show signs of illness