Quail chicks are tiny, fast-growing, and messy. Put them in front of an open dish and they'll walk in it, sit in it, scratch it everywhere, and foul what's left. Chicks eat a high-protein starter feed during their fastest growth, so waste in the brooder adds up quickly.
Here's how to set up a baby quail feeder and waterer that keeps chicks fed, dry, and safe.
Why chicks need a different feeder
- They climb in. An adult-size opening is big enough for a chick to get into the feed.
- They foul it. Chicks standing in feed means droppings in feed.
- They waste the expensive stuff. Chicks need a high-protein game bird starter — 24–30% protein until about 6 weeks. See our feeding guide for details.
The 1" Baby Quail Feed Saver Port
Our 1" Baby Feed Saver Port is sized specifically for quail chicks from hatch to about 3 weeks. It's small enough that chicks can't climb into or sit in the feed, and big enough for tiny beaks to reach in and eat. It's the same design as our adult ports, just scaled down.
Install them in any brooder container, tub, or bin: drill a hole matching the port diameter, press the port in, and follow the included installation instructions. Each set has 8 ports.
When to size up
- Hatch to ~3 weeks: 1" ports.
- 3 weeks through adulthood: 1.5" ports — the Original Feed Saver Port, or a ready-made feeder like the Feeder Tub, which is sized for Coturnix from about 3 weeks on.
- Larger or crested breeds: 2" ports.
Many keepers build a small brooder feeder with 1" ports and a second feeder with 1.5" ports, then swap at around three weeks.
Don't forget water
Drowning is the number-one worry in a quail brooder. Our baby quail Mason jar waterer has a small, shallow trough with no drowning hazard. It screws onto any standard wide-mouth Mason jar, and with a glass jar you can check the water level at a glance without disturbing the chicks. When they're grown, move up to the adult waterer with its wider trough.
Brooder tip: if chicks kick bedding into the feeder or waterer, set it on a small board for a raised, solid base.
Hatching your own?
Get the brooder set up before the eggs pip. Our day-by-day incubation guide and beginner's hatching guide walk you through it. Starting from scratch? See what goes in a quail starter kit.
