Quail are the fastest bird on the farm: by two months they are laying, and over a year they produce well over a hundred eggs of about ten grams each. That metabolism needs concentrated feed. Plain grain will make laying fall quickly.
What a laying quail needs
Guideline values for an adult layer (exact composition depends on the strain and your feed supplier’s advice):
| Parameter | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Crude protein | about 20–22% |
| Calcium | about 2.5–3.5% |
| Feed per bird per day | about 25–35 g |
| Water | always available, clean |
Young birds up to 3–4 weeks need a starter feed with more protein; before laying begins, switch to layer feed.
Ready feed or your own ration
A ready-made quail feed is simpler and safer. A homemade mix means grains, oilseed cake or meal, meat-and-bone or fish meal, chalk and a premix. It has to be calculated by composition, otherwise a protein or calcium shortfall shows up as fewer eggs and thin shells.
Feeding rules
- Feed on a schedule, ideally twice a day, and adjust the amount by what is left.
- Don’t leave feed in the feeder for long: damp feed goes moldy, and mold is dangerous for birds.
- Offer a calcium source separately: fine shell grit or chalk, as in the article on oyster shell and limestone.
- Change feed gradually, over 5–7 days.
- Watch the drinkers: without water, quail stop eating and laying within a day.
What not to feed
- Moldy grain or bread.
- Salty food and table scraps.
- Raw potato and its tops, avocado, chocolate.
- Feed made for other animals: it can contain additives that are dangerous for birds.
How to tell the ration works
Watch three things: laying percentage (how to calculate it), shell quality, and feed use per dozen eggs. If use rises and eggs don’t, look for the cause in composition, mold or disease. Hen norms are covered in how much feed per hen per day — the principle is the same.
Feed in the app
EggPulse tracks feed use per house with eggs right next to it. You see how much feed each egg costs and catch overspending before it eats your profit.
