See Above: One of my favourite options for quail and so easy to obtain, because they are so prolific, is a nest of ants, if possible complete with eggs. Here is one of my quail enjoying a feast of the same, including the much prized flying-ant eggs.
What, Why & When?
In my experience, problems can occur with purchased hatching eggs, where I have no knowledge of what the adults have been fed. For example, chronic deficiency, particularly of the water-soluble B Complex Vitamins, selenium and L-methionine has often been my experience in quail chicks, where due to lack of available eggs, I have been forced to buy from large industrial hatcheries. One of the major problems with deficiency in quail however, as with humans, is that the body is such a superb machine that it can carry on functioning even with insufficient 'fuel'. Thus the effects of deficiency can build up in the body without symptoms until the final and catastrophic failure. My position is that if we know what to look for and/or what to expect then we can avoid arriving at this point and having to subject both ourselves and our quail to the stress and often the trauma that accompanies it. No one enjoys being ill and a previously happy and active quail suddenly disabled by paralysis, lack of vision, unable to eat or drink etc.,. is no exception.
What I learned about deficiency by raising quail
It is sadly a reflection of human appreciation of the critical importance of their own food intake that makes it difficult for them to recognise how important food is in the diet of their poultry and how speedily debilitating and in fact fatal such deficiencies can become. As an aside, everything I learned by observing quail chicks aided me in the resolution of an undiagnosed and almost fatal condition in my father, which turned out to be (among other nutritional and toxicity issues) mainly chronic B12 (cobalamin) deficiency.
- Vitamins D, E, K₂, and the B complex vitamins (including the big DNA hitters B₁₂ Cobalamin and Vitamin B₉ Folate)
- Omega-3 fats
- Trace minerals like copper, zinc, iron and chromium
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) which is an antioxidant with the ability to protect the cells from the damage of oxidative stress, which is one of the major risk factors for neurogenerative conditions.
- Purines - needed for cell function; to produce energy and molecular synthesis
Having a supply of raw organic beef liver is something I have in stock, we eat it and I buy it and freeze it. We and our poultry are on a 100% organic diet but if you are not, then at least the liver you feed must be organic because this organ is both a big storage unit and an integral part of the waste system. Thus, the panoply of pesticides, antibiotic residues et al, which are the stock-in-trade of the conventional farmer, pass through it and are stored there, making non-organic offal a nightmare. Organic beef liver is not expensive, the taste is strong and most of my friends here turn their noses up at. For my quail I often serve it up in water or mixed with some scrambled egg.
Even if you have to pay more than my 3 Euros a kilo, to my mind it is a very cheap cure-all. If you do not have access to organic liver then use one of your own organic eggs, hard boiled, which is also a fantastic medicinal though less nutrient-rich per serving than liver!
With quail, because of their high basal metabolism, certain nutritional deficiencies, such as those associated with curled toe paralysis are quick to manifest themselves, thus easy to spot if you know what to look for and curable often within less than 24 hours! Another nervous system condition, however, this time known as 'Star Gazing' is caused by a deficiency primarily in thiamine (B₁) has a slower onset but to avoid this, a simple inclusion of sunflower seeds, which are rich in this vitamin, can be included in the diet. Remember all these foods should be organically grown, otherwise you risk the inclusion of pesticide residues, which in turn as toxins will inhibit the uptake of mineral and vitamins, apart from causing harm in themselves! There will be an article on B₁ deficiency and 'Star Gazing' coming shortly to this site!
Here's a sobering thought that can be applied to human health too and although I've already outlined this in my article on Torticollis but it's worth repeating deficiency in any of the 13 vitamins listed below can induce neurological illness. The full list is as follows:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B₁ Thiamine
- Vitamin B₂ Riboflavin
- Vitamin B₃ Niacin
- Vitamin B₅ Pantothenic Acid
- Vitamin B₆ Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate
- Vitamin B₇ Biotin
- Vitamin B₉ Folate
- Vitamin B₁₂ Cobalamin
- Vitamin C
- Choline (mineral/vitamin often grouped with the B complex vitamins)
- Vitamin D₃
- Vitamin E
The bottom line however, is that your bird when given a choice of foodstuffs or even better left to forage in a large space or supervised free-ranging, knows more about its optimum diet than we humans ever will. Certain elements that the bird consumes to maintain a healthy gut are not even edible, so not something we may even be familiar with even as a concept. However, the above article will serve hopefully to aid you to remedy conditions caused by insufficient diets in the past life of your quail or that of its parent.
Thanks for dropping by and do feel free to share experiences or ask for further information in the comment section. If you have enjoyed this piece and found it useful think about sharing it with your family and friends, on social media and also maybe about joining this blog and/or subscribing to my Youtube, Odysee or BitChute Channel or even supporting us on Patreon or
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Until next time, all the very best from sunny Normandie!
Sue
