Nutrition Guide

1. Essential Nutrients

• Water, protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins are required for growth and health.
• Proper nutrition supports bone formation, feather development, and immune function.

2. Water

• Most important nutrient.
• Quail drink about twice as much water as feed; up to four times more in hot weather.
• Clean, high‑quality water is essential.

3. Protein

• Needed for feathers, muscle, blood, hormones, and immunity.
• Quail require 20 amino acids; 10 must come from the diet.
• Common sources: soybean meal, corn gluten meal, meat & bone meal, poultry by‑product meal.

4. Carbohydrates

• Provide energy through sugars and starches.
• Avoid grains with anti‑nutritional factors (e.g., tannins in some sorghum).
• Millet is highly preferred by bobwhite quail.

5. Fats

• High‑energy nutrient and needed for vitamin absorption.
• Fat can become rancid; antioxidants are recommended.

6. Minerals

• Macro: calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium.
• Micro: manganese, zinc, iron, copper, iodine, molybdenum, selenium.
• Deficiencies cause bone issues, poor feathers, anemia, and reduced egg production.

7. Vitamins

• Needed in small amounts for growth and reproduction.
• Fat‑soluble: A, D, E, K.
• Water‑soluble: B‑complex, choline, vitamin C.

8. Diet Formulation

• Quail double their weight every four days early in life.
• Heat reduces feed intake by up to 20%, affecting feathering and growth.
• Starter feed should contain 28–30% protein.
• Typical feeding sequence:
  • 0–6 weeks: 30% protein
  • 7–12 weeks: 26% protein
  • Final weeks: 22% protein

9. Pre‑Mix

• Farm mixing is possible but requires equipment.
• Use a commercial premix to ensure proper vitamins and minerals.

10. Non‑Nutrient Additives

• Approved for bobwhite:
  • BMD 50 (growth & feed efficiency)
  • Coban‑60 (coccidiosis prevention)
• Probiotics like PrimaLac reduce mortality and improve growth.

11. Ingredient Quality

• Use feed within 3–4 weeks to avoid vitamin loss.
• High moisture grains can develop mold and mycotoxins.
• Aflatoxin above 20 ppb requires switching grain sources.

12. Summary

• Proper nutrition is essential for high‑quality flight birds.
• Feed is the largest production cost.
• Under‑ or over‑feeding nutrients leads to poor feathering, disease, and weak flight.

⬅ Return