🦆🐦 The Best Feed for Quails and Ducks: Happy Birds, Healthy Eggs!

If you’ve welcomed quails or ducks into your backyard flock, you already know they’re bundles of personality wrapped in feathers. But here’s the secret to keeping them thriving: their feed matters… a lot.

Quails and ducks might both be poultry, but they’re not identical in their nutritional needs. Think of them as cousins at a family BBQ: they’ll eat some of the same foods, but they definitely order different sides! 🍗🥗

Let’s break down what each needs, what to avoid, and the best feed choices to keep them happy, healthy, and laying plenty of eggs.

🐦 Feeding Quails: Tiny Birds with Big Appetites

Quails are small but mighty when it comes to nutrition. Their little bodies burn energy fast, especially if they’re laying.

What Quails Need:

• High Protein (24–26% for layers, 20–22% for meat birds) 🥩
  Helps with fast growth and strong egg production.

• Calcium 🥛
  Keeps eggshells strong (but not too much—too much calcium can harm non-laying quails).

• Small-sized feed 🌾
  Their tiny beaks need fine crumbles rather than big pellets.

Quail Feed Options:

✔️ Game Bird Starter – perfect for young quail chicks.
✔️ Game Bird Layer Feed – for adults, with extra calcium for eggs.
✔️ Supplement with greens, insects, or mealworms as treats.

⚠️ Avoid medicated chick starter (often made for chickens). Quails don’t tolerate some additives well.

🦆 Feeding Ducks: Messy but Mighty

Ducks are hardy birds, but they’re also… well… eating machines. They’ll happily scoop up anything, so it’s your job to make sure that “anything” is actually good for them.

What Ducks Need:

• Protein 🥩 – around 18–20% for growers and layers.

• Niacin (Vitamin B3) 💊 – ducks need more than chickens for strong legs and healthy growth.

• Grains + Greens 🌾🥬 – ducks love grains, veggies, and leafy greens to supplement their diet.

Duck Feed Options:

✔️ Waterfowl or Duck-Specific Feed – best choice if you can find it.
✔️ Non-medicated Chick Starter + Brewer’s Yeast – works great for ducklings to give them extra niacin.
✔️ For adults, a layer feed with extra calcium supports strong shells.

💡 Pro tip: Add a pan of chopped greens or peas to their water. Ducks love dabbling, and it gives them enrichment and nutrition.

🥬 Snacks Both Quails & Ducks Love

If you want to spoil them (responsibly!), here are safe snacks for both:

• Mealworms 🪱

• Lettuce or spinach 🥬

• Peas (frozen or fresh) 🟢

• Grains like millet or oats 🌾

• Herbs (oregano, parsley, mint) 🌿

🚫 What NOT to Feed Them

Some foods are big no-nos:

• Avocado 🥑

• Chocolate 🍫

• Caffeine ☕

• Salty or moldy foods 🚫

• Onions or garlic in large amounts

🌟 Final Cluck (and Quack)

Feeding your quails and ducks the right diet keeps them healthy, productive, and a joy to have around.

• Quails thrive on protein-rich, finely milled feed with balanced calcium.

• Ducks need plenty of niacin, waterfowl-friendly pellets, and greens to dabble in.

Happy, well-fed birds = more delicious eggs, healthier flocks, and fewer vet visits. Win-win!