Egg laying Question

Gator · May 16, 2011

If you was to add MASH to wid birds grain feeders would they produce more eggs per hatch. I know it helps out the chickens here at the house, wondering if you put it in Chukar and Quail feeders if it would up the egg production in them. Anyone out know.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

NMPaul · May 16, 2011

just a guess, but, I would say no. Mash is given to pen raised birds to get them more protein. Birds in the wild should be getting protein from eating bugs.
Nobody else answered Gator, so thought I would weigh in. I am probably wrong.
I think making sure they got good habitat to escape predators and kill some of their predators would make more of a difference.

arrowone4me · May 16, 2011

+ 1 NMPaul. Chicken mash usually has 16% protein, starter mash has 18%. Wild birds get/require more than that. Hell, tumbleweeds are about 33% protein but most creatures won't eat em'.

nickman · May 16, 2011

Besides that, it takes about 10 times as many quail eggs to make breakfast as it does chicken eggs.....that's why there are chickens in the first place.

I know, but...........couldn't help myself!

"whackin' a surly bartender ain't much of a crime"

GotBowAz · May 17, 2011

Ha ha ha LMAO nickman!

Im not sure I have any better answer for Gator here either but I will chime in a little. Chicken lay eggs year around, wild quail and chucker lay maybe twice a year in the spring. Im not sure adding anything to their diet would help produce more eggs but it would be an interesting experiment to find out. Now what if the Quail and Chucker are pen raised? Do they produce eggs year around like a chicken does? If that's the case then I would say yes, mash would probably help increase egg production. Just a thought.

GBA

Gator · May 17, 2011

Nickman LOL

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".

maxxbob1 · May 17, 2011

Paul,
I agree that thinning out the predators would help a lot where I live here in New Mexico (Rio Rancho). We have a few quail here and see a bunch of little ones in the spring, but the neighborhood predators kill almost all the little ones every year. Our neighborhood predators are not house cats or feral cats, the coyotes keep them under control. Our neighborhood predator is the Roadrunner, our state bird. I saw two Roadrunners clean out a whole nest of baby quail in about 2 minutes one day. I've even seen Roadrunners kill & eat baby rabbits. Roadrunners are voracious predators, but you're not supposed to kill the state bird.
-- Bob

HalfAce · May 17, 2011

"Roadrunners are voracious predators, but you're not supposed to kill the state bird."

What we dont know wont hurt us...

GotBowAz · May 18, 2011

There are good and bad with the Road Runners around, yes they are an aggressive meat eating bird which will eat and gobble up quail chicks but they will also kill any snakes you may have around. I have had a few rattle snakes in my back yard over the years. I have 2 Road Runners that's been hanging around for a couple of years now and have not had a snake in my yards since they have been. No quail either though. I kind of like not having the dang rattle snakes at the house. Did you know a the Road Runner really don't say Beep Beep?? LOL. They make a gawd awful raspy noise when trying to locate each other.

GBA