Quail Feed Cost Calculator

What does it cost to feed quail?

A Coturnix quail eats about 25 grams (0.9 oz) of feed per day. That is one-fifth of what a standard chicken eats. A flock of 12 Coturnix costs roughly the same to feed as 2 to 3 chickens, which is the single fact that surprises most people coming to quail from chickens.

The economics of quail protein per dollar of feed are excellent. Because the birds are tiny and mature fast, the feed-to-output ratio is hard to beat in a backyard setting. The calculator above takes the daily intake figure for your species and life stage, multiplies by flock size, and converts it into monthly pounds, bags per year, and cost in your currency.

A note on where these figures come from. We built this because the existing online estimates for quail feed cost are vague and usually copied from chicken figures. The intake numbers here are calibrated against gamebird feeding guidance. If you weigh your own feed and your numbers differ, the contact page is at the top of the site.

Quail feed cost by flock size

These figures use the calculator's own model: adult Coturnix at about 25 grams per day, fed gamebird crumble at $22 per 50 lb bag. Change the species, life stage, or bag price in the tool above and your numbers move with them.

Real costs land close to this in practice. Keeper logs at 2026 feed prices commonly report a small laying flock running near $100 a year, which matches the per-bird math above. Feed waste is the main thing that pushes a real bill higher, so a no-spill feeder pays for itself quickly.

Why quail need gamebird feed, not chicken feed

Quail require 24 to 28 percent protein. Chicken layer feed has 16 to 18 percent. That gap is not a minor preference, it is the difference between a thriving flock and a struggling one.

Quail on low-protein feed show reduced laying, slower growth, and higher disease susceptibility. The symptoms creep in slowly enough that keepers often blame everything except the feed. Many farm stores do not stock gamebird crumble, so it is worth ordering in bulk online or finding a local feed mill that carries it.

Turkey starter at 24 percent protein is an acceptable substitute. Chicken starter at 20 percent protein is better than layer feed but still below ideal. If you can only find chicken feed, starter beats layer, but neither is the right long-term answer for a laying quail flock.

Quail vs chicken feed economics

The numbers favor quail at almost every turn:

• 12 Coturnix quail cost roughly $8 to $11 per month to feed, versus $20 to $30 for 6 chickens.
• Quail eggs are smaller but more numerous per dollar of feed.
• Quail reach laying age at 7 weeks versus 18 to 22 weeks for chickens.
• Break-even on a quail setup happens much faster than chickens because both the feed bill and the time-to-first-egg are dramatically shorter.

Common mistakes

1. Using chicken layer feed. The low protein causes real health and production issues over time.
2. Not accounting for chick starter. It is expensive per ounce but consumed in tiny amounts for only about three weeks.
3. Buying small bags. The 50 lb size is significantly cheaper per ounce for quail just as it is for chickens.
4. Overfeeding worry. Quail self-regulate well, so always-available feed is fine. They do not gorge themselves.

Where to go next

Feed cost is one input into the bigger picture:

• The Quail Cage Size Calculator tells you how many birds your space can hold, which sets your total feed bill.
• The Quail Egg Production Calculator takes your monthly feed cost and turns it into a net-savings and break-even figure.
• The Feed Consumption Calculator shows how the same spend compares for a flock of chickens.
• The First-Year Cost Calculator rolls feed into the full cost of getting started.