Interest in natural quail keeping is on the rise. We want our coveys fed wholesome and nourishing real foods, similar to what wild quail would consume. Here’s a handy list of whole grains and natural seeds that your backyard quail can eat!
This article contains Amazon affiliate links to the whole grains & seeds shown in my images.
Whole Wheat Berries
Quail can and do eat whole wheat berries! I happen to feed mine hard white wheat berries but red or white is perfectly fine to use. You can purchase them in 1 pound bags, 5 pound bags or bulk 25 pound bags. Einkorn wheat berries are an option, too. Wheat is a grass so anything the quail do not eat will fall to the ground and sprout. Quail do eat wheat grass so it is likely to be consumed one way or another!
Whole Oats
Whole oats from a feed store are different than old fashioned rolled oats from the grocery store. The whole grain oat seed is a little long and may or may not be eaten by some of the individuals in your covey. Many keepers find it easier to sprout whole oats into oat grass for their covey to eat.
Rolled Oats and Quick Oats
Quail will eat old fashioned rolled oats and quick oats from the grocery store. They seem to prefer the smaller sized quick oats, which is what I use in some of my homemade quail feed blends.
Sunflower Seeds
Quail enjoy eating sunflower seeds, whether Black Oil or Grey Striped. But most of the seeds are too large to swallow whole. They need to be cracked (broken into smaller bits) or fed as raw shelled and unsalted kernels. You can also sprout sunflower seeds for your quail, which they love and will relish eating the entire green and root!
Safflower Seeds
Small, hard, bright white safflower seeds are often found in premium quality wild bird seed mixes. They are one of the largest seeds that quail (both wild and domestic) can swallow whole. Sprouting safflower seeds is also an option. When safflower seeds are soaked their white shells turn charcoal gray, which can make them difficult to identify when wet. If feeding this seed, make sure your covey has access to play sand or chick grit to aid digestion.
White Millet
White millet is one of quail’s favorite seeds. When offered a bird seed blend, Coturnix quail will immediately eat the white millet first. If you give your covey sprays of millet, they may not understand how to access the seeds. You’ll need to hand-strip the millet spray into a dish with the partially empty spray to teach them to pick out the seeds themselves. Millet can be fed dry, cooked, or sprouted. Organic millet is available.
Red Milo or Sorghum Seed
Sorghum seed goes by a number of names. It is called sorghum or grain sorghum by those who grow it but in the bird seed industry it is called red milo or milo for short. All four names are the same grain. These earthy, reddish-brown ball shaped seeds are found in most bird seed blends. Quail will eat them dry, cooked, or sprouted.
Quinoa
Quail absolutely love quinoa! You can feed it dry, cooked, or sprouted. All three types will be devoured quickly! Our homemade scratch mix includes this high protein grain.
Cracked Corn
Quail eat corn but it must be cracked into smaller pieces that they can swallow. Commercial feed uses corn as one of the primary ingredients. Historically, corn meal was used with other ingredients to make a daily wet mash feed for quail chicks. Non-GMO and Organic cracked corn is an option.
Barley
Whole barley can be purchased from some feed stores while pearled barley is available in grocery stores. Because barley is believed to cause bird and poultry droppings to become slightly sticky, I only use small amounts of pearled barley in my quail scratch blends. A 1 pound box from the grocery store will last over a month for a small covey.
Nyjer Seed
Nyjer, sometimes called thistle seed, comes from the African yellow daisy plant. These thin, tiny black seeds are high in fat and often found in finch and bunting bird seed blends. Because of their expense and ability to make quail feed fat percentages too high, I don’t feed nyjer seeds by themselves but I also don’t fret if a finch blend I want to use includes some. Quail will eat them.
Bird Seed
Quail can eat bird seed blends! Common wild bird seed contains white millet, red milo/sorghum, black oil sunflower seeds and whole corn. The quail won’t be able to swallow the whole corn pieces and most of the black oil sunflower seeds since they are too big. Wild Finch blends with their smaller seeds, and predominantly white millet based mix, are a better option. I occasionally sprout wild bird seed for my covey.
Calculating Percent Protein and Fat in Seeds and Whole Grains
Seeds and grains will vary in their protein and fat percentages from field to field and season to season because of growing conditions. Below is a chart showing the best averages for each seed and grain that are commonly used to craft homemade natural quail feeds:
You Might Also Enjoy Reading:
How to Feed Quail when Commercial Feed is Gone
Homemade Herb Blend for Quail Dust Bath Bowls
Great Depression Era Natural Quail Keeping
Leave a Reply