Quails eat a variety of foods. They do, however, eat a lot of seeds and grains. About 80% of their diet consists of grains and seeds. Insects, such as bugs, flies, and other insects, make up the remaining 20%.
And they’re fruit-loving birds, as well. Some of the most common fruits that you’ll notice quails eating include apples and pear.
Nevertheless, do quail eat sunflower seeds? We’ll take a closer look at this.
Do Quails Eat Sunflower Seeds
Yes, quails eat sunflower seeds. Sunflowers have seeds that are used to feed birds generally. They are great for quails to consume.
Quail feed contains a large number of sunflower seeds. Safflower, grass, and ragweed seeds are also eaten by quails.
Quails, like humans, also have a preference for certain foods. As a result, they don’t settle for just any kind of seeds. In general, they prefer slick, fuzzy, or hard seed varieties of seed.
Interestingly, sunflower seeds have tremendous health benefits for quail, which is why they’re so popular.
How do sunflowers affect quails’ health? Continue reading this article to find out more about sunflower seed and its benefits to quails.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Sunflower Seeds For Quails
Sunflower seeds are one of the healthiest foods to give to birds. They are made from sunflower plants.
They are loaded with loads of vitamins and minerals which include calcium, Vitamin B, iron, and potassium.
They are also a wonderful source of proteins. And, they’re known to be rich in healthy fats as well.
Some healthy fats found in sunflower are polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fat. All of which are important for keeping quails healthy.
Let’s see how these nutrients improve the health of quails.
Related: Here is an article I wrote on using chicken coops for quails
1. They contain Vitamins
Vitamins typically boost the immune system and assist the body in fighting infection.
As a result, you can be confident that your quails will be able to withstand certain diseases by eating sunflower.
Sunflower seeds also contain zinc and selenium, which help to boost their immunity.
2. Healthy Fats
The presence of these good fats helps to improve quails’ heart condition.
3. Proteins
Quails rely heavily on the proteins present in sunflower seeds. They require a sufficient amount of protein to grow and remain healthy.
Proteins also increase their energy level.
4. Iron
Iron is another component contained in sunflower seeds. It is required for blood formation. Iron, interestingly, benefits nerves, immunity, and bone health as well.
5. Copper
Sunflower seeds contain copper as well. They help with iron absorption. They also collaborate with the iron content to produce blood for quails.
6. Potassium
Potassium help quails with fluid balance, muscle contraction, and nerve signals.
They are also beneficial to the heart of the quail.
How Often Should I Feed Them Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds should be fed to quails regularly. It should, however, not be done excessively. You can always feed them other meals such as insects, veggies, and fruits.
Surprisingly, seeds are not always readily available. However, this can help you manage how frequently you feed them sunflower seeds.
The food of quails fluctuates during the year. This is because, as you are aware, most meals are not always available.
Certain foods are only available when they are in season, seeds inclusive.
Seeds are typically accessible to quails throughout the spring and summer. At this time of year, quails are most likely to be found eating seeds.
Quails can also find insects to eat at this time.
In the late fall, summer, and winter, however, they turn to green vegetables. Seeds and insects are scarce during this time of the year.
Quails, in essence, eat what they see at any given time of year.
Also check out this article on feeding quails orange treats
How Do You Feed Quails Sunflower Seeds
When feeding quails, grains and seeds should be fed first. Vegetables and fruits can come afterward.
You can also feed them commercial diets alongside the fruits and vegetables.
Also, when feeding quails, keep in mind their age and the purpose of their rearing.
It is important to know the type of feeds required for their age and the purpose of rearing.
Also, depending on their age, each quail would require a different proportion of feeds.
However, when feeding them sunflower seeds, ensure that they are;
- Provided with quality sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds can get rotten. You have to ensure you’re not feeding quails rotten seeds. The health of quails can be endangered by lowering the nutritional value of the food they eat.
- Provided with plenty of water. Lots and lots of water should be made available to quails. Water is very beneficial to quails’ health. There’s no limit to how much you should feed them water.
- Keep the quail’s feed trough clean and dry. This is to prevent your sunflower seeds from getting bad. Keeping your trough dry will prevent mold from forming. Molds can degrade the quality of the quail feed. It could also cause harm to the quail who consumes it.
- Ensure that your quails are eating the appropriate amount of sunflower seeds Ensure you are not overfeeding your quails. Give them sunflower seeds in moderation to prevent health challenges that can arise from consuming excess sunflower seeds.
- Also ensure that your quail are eating the appropriate amount of food for their age.
Quails can be given seeds, grains, vegetables, and fruits, not just seeds. The aim is to have balanced diets for your quails.
However, quails should not be given raw potatoes, caffeine, chocolate, citrus fruits, and meat.
They can, however, eat a variety of foods, including hazelnut, oat, rice, corn, cake, and paste.
Can Quails Eat Too Many Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are high in healthy fats. It also has a strong amount of fiber, protein, iron, vitamin E, and various B vitamins.
This makes them an excellent addition to your quail’s diet.
But just like every other food, it has to be taken in moderation. The aim is to give your quail a balanced diet hence giving one type of food in excess is not healthy.
Consuming excess sunflower seeds comes with negative consequences like unhealthy weight gain and excessive sodium intake. And this can cause total health deterioration.
Do Quails Eat Sunflower Seeds In A Shell
Yes, quails eat sunflower seeds in their shells. There’s no need to worry over this as it is quite a harmless practice.
Sunflowers come in two varieties black oil and striped oil. The black oil seeds (also known as “oilers”) have very thin shells.
Their shells are simple to crack open by almost all seed-eating birds.
The kernels within the shell have high-fat content. This makes them particularly desirable to most winter birds.
Let’s take a look at the striped sunflower seeds. The shell of striped sunflower seeds is thicker than the black oil shell.
Both the seed and the shells are nutritious and healthy to consume.
Baby quails, on the other hand, should have their seeds shattered. They may not be able to eat a whole seed. And, they may be unable to crack it themselves.
Do Quails Crack Open Sunflower Seeds
Quails crack open sunflower seeds before eating them. But sometimes they may eat it whole.
Most birds may not have the patience to crack the seeds open.
However, eating the seeds whole is absolutely fine as well. They won’t get sick if they do this.
However, for baby quails, you may have to help them crack their seeds open.
What Things Should You Be Aware Of While Giving Them Sunflowers Seeds
Sunflower seeds are very beneficial to your quails but there are certain things to watch out for when feeding them to quails.
When giving quails sunflower seeds make sure you do so moderately. Excess of it can cause damage to quails’ health. As often as you can, substitute sunflower seeds with other feeds.
Also, ensure you are not giving your quails rotten sunflower seeds. Here’s how you can tell if a sunflower seed is bad.
First, the seeds will have a sour taste. This is the simplest way to tell if it has gone bad. They may lose their taste.
Before feeding sunflower seeds to your quails, you may need to take a bite. They would have a sour taste if they are bad.
You can, however, refrigerate them to help them last longer. However, keep them out of direct sunlight and in dry places.
Summary
Quails feed on sunflower seeds a lot. They also feed on sunflower shells. They both make good feeds for quails. They also have a lot of health benefits.
Quails consume fruits and vegetables as well. Their feeds, on the other hand, contain a higher proportion of grains and seeds.
However, they should be a limit to their intake of sunflower seeds.
In as much as they love this seed, they can have other seeds like safflower, grass, and ragweed seeds.
This is important to maintain a healthy quail’s diet.
As much as possible, substitute seeds for vegetables, fruits, or grain. You can as well include proteins like flies or other insects in their food.
It aids in the balance of their diet. And, it also keeps them healthy.
It is also important to feed quails the proper proportion of feeds at a given time. The quantity of their feed is determined by their age and breed purpose.
