Strong and Healthy Coturnix Quail: Calcium Requirements
Inside: Quail need calcium added to their diet when they start laying odd eggs. Have you found shell-less eggs? Add calcium.
You go out to your quail cage and there is an egg waiting for you. You're excited and pick it up. But it's so soft you have to be careful not to break it open in your hand. Your quail need more calcium.
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Strong and Healthy Coturnix Quail: Calcium Requirements
I didn't think about the amount of calcium that our quail might need outside of their feed until we had a couple of eggs laid without much of an outer shell. They were soft or broken in their coop. The first one I am going to mention
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Crushed Up Eggshells
This is the fastest, most accessible way to get more calcium into our quail. Eggshells are readily available in our home.
I bake my eggshells on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Low temperature for about 10-15 minutes. I use a coffee grinder to crush them up finely once cooled.
I sprinkle the ground-up eggshell over their wild game feed, which they quickly eat up as a treat. It isn't something I give them all the time, just when I get a soft, or shell-less, egg.
Oyster Shells or Limestone
Feed your laying chickens oyster shells or limestone. Simply put the oyster shell or limestone in a separate container and allow birds access to free choice. Your girls will take what they need.
It does come in larger bags but you aren't going to be buying it often as it's going to go a long way.
Fresh Vegetables
Fresh vegetables can be a great source of calcium for your Coturnix quail. Now your birds might not gobble them down like chickens or turkeys but they will peck away at them.
- broccoli
- brussels sprouts
- collards
- kale
- Swiss chard
In providing your birds will a variety of vegetables you might not ever see more than the odd egg that is soft or shell-less. It's about providing them with what they need.
There are a number of ways to supplement your quail's diet naturally including adding fresh and dried herbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you give a bird too much calcium? An excess of either calcium or phosphorus can lead to problems. Young, growing birds fed high-calcium diets can develop kidney problems leading to kidney failure and mineralization.
What should you not feed quail? This includes avocado, caffeine, chocolate, grape seeds, meat, parsley, rhubarb, the stems and leaves of tomato plants, salty foods and treats, uncooked potatoes, and most citrus fruits. Learn more about what not to feed them here.
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How To on Raising Healthy Quail
