Button quail as veiled food source

[Eric Adrignola]

I know chameleons will eat tons of vertebrates in the wild - melleri feast on brevs quite a bit, for example.

It's just not really worth it, moneywise, most of the time. Crickets and other insects are leaded with more than enough nutrients, and usually cost a lot less. They're certainly not bad for chameleons, as others may argue, but it's generalyl more effecient, cost wise, to feed insects.

The problem most encountered (aside from vitamin/mineral imbalances) is too much food.

My brother fed fuzzies to my male veileds years ago. These were smaller veileds - under 16 inches. They digested everything. Birds woudl be much eaiser, due to their hollow bones. The main problem is that birds and mice are more expensive than crickets for the nutirients you get.

 

[FaunaBgirl]

Well, I'd like to bulk up my cham and having some quial eggs coming in from just owning a few quail sounds pretty cost efficient to me. And even if it proves out not to be, my guy cham is worth it. Thanks everyone I'll let you know what happens. 6 days till hatch day.

 

[gregdabender]

patiently waiting for a video of a cham eatting one of these....

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Ok, ok... it might be cheap enough to justify it after all. I didn't realize how cheap they can be produced.

They're still too cute to kill though.

 

[Julirs]

Baby birds when just hatched look like little worms with beaks, but give them a few hours and they are the cutest fluffy little things around. I couldn't do it. Silkworms work just fine for me!

 

[Dyesub Dave]

....Nutritionally speaking. Crickets are better than worms. I always feed them crickets first. ....

Well I'm not sure that I agree with you there! Every chart that I've ever seen comparing Silkworms to Crickets show the Silkworms to have much higher protein and calcium content. I would rather feed silkworms to my chams than crickets but unless I'm hatching my own silkies it's far too expensive.

I think it would be hard to feed little birds to my reptiles but I already feed mice to my snakes. Like somebody else mentioned it's kind of a mind over matter thing. In the words of Dennis Leary .... 'That's the problem ... we only want to save the CUTE animals!!' LOLOL

Good Luck with your button quail.

Dyesub Dave.

 

[FaunaBgirl]

Like I said... I won't be able to watch, much less record it. Sorry. And who knows... maybe I won't be able to actually feed the little git to my guy as it is. I have a heart, and a stomach. Might be too upsetting. We'll see in 5 days and counting down.

 

[Heika]

Like I said... I won't be able to watch, much less record it. Sorry. And who knows... maybe I won't be able to actually feed the little git to my guy as it is. I have a heart, and a stomach. Might be too upsetting. We'll see in 5 days and counting down.

How many are you hatching out? Just one?

 

[FaunaBgirl]

Just one? lol Now that's funny. I'm hatching 8 and not expecting a full hatch rate. I will keep the first few as they will be the strongest birds and feed the later hatches to the chams. I'm wondering now if I should try to give one to my male Jacdson? The original idea was for my veiled. Remember now, I'm the one who tried to feed him fish. LOL

 

[reyesjoshuacruz]

Or to control a nasty hummingbird or anole infestation...

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, oh man, not in an evil way but did that make anyone else crack up. im pretty sure there were humorus undertones in that statement, cause can humming birds infest? and even if they can, they are desired no? same with anoles? hahah anyways i was cracking up

 

[Heika]

I'm wondering now if I should try to give one to my male Jacdson? The original idea was for my veiled. Remember now, I'm the one who tried to feed him fish. LOL

I fed them to my johnstons.

 

[FaunaBgirl]

I fed them to my johnstons.

Can I see a picture of one of your Johnstons?

And GUESS WHAT? The button quail hatched 2 days early. I was caught off guard, and have been marveling over the little "heatwave" miracles...with their little personalities full bore right away. Like I can feed one to my cham? NOT!!! lol But if one breaks a leg or looks like it's going downhill, I will feed it then.
I'll get more eggs and try again. But not with this 5 out of 8 that hatched.

 

[SoCaliSon]

I ate a raw quail egg in my oyster shooter I took last night... mmmmm sooo goooood.

 

[Heika]

I used to boil the quail eggs and pickle them..

Pictures.. I have been off about pictures for a while. I need to find my camera, which is currently in one of the 40 or so boxes I haven't unpacked yet. When I do, I will post some new pics.

 

[FaunaBgirl]

Day after the quail eating: My cham's appetite is full on raging. He's been eating all day in abundance. The quail really stimulated him. And he's still very lovey, calling me over for intense pettings. I think he wants another quail.

 

[camothe]

I think it is funny that a cham will try to eat a bird. For some reason I can't picture that happening...

 

[pssh]

Old thread. They eat them in the wild. If it fits in the mouth, it will be rated most times.

 

[camothe]

Old thread. They eat them in the wild. If it fits in the mouth, it will be rated most times.

Yeah. I noticed it was old when I saw the last post was in 2008.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Lots of reptile owners steer clear from feeding chicks (even refused them when I had 50 chicks up for grabs - thought they'd be good for snakes) due to the parasites, salmonella and fuzz from the chicks. Luckily all my chicks found good farm homes instead.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

I think it is funny that a cham will try to eat a bird. For some reason I can't picture that happening...

Then don't u-tube it for the picture. Or you'll have it burned in your memory.