# Whole quail (w/feathers)



## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

Before I go ahead and order a dozen whole quail with my rat/mouse order (for the snakes)...

Has anyone tried feeding quail before with the feathers still attached? I'm kind of worried I'll buy all these quail and then the dogs won't even eat them. Sophie and Gracie normally eat anything (with Bambi being slightly pickier but still not bad) but, well, they haven't had anything like these before. My snakes can't/shouldn't eat them. I'd also rather not butcher these, ha.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

The feathers are harmless to feed. Its whether the dog will eat them or not. Some will and some wont. Just give it a shot and see...if they don't eat them oh well...?


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

I just got a BUNCH of free chucker, duck and pheasant from a hunter...I plan on trying to offer them to the boys whole...then if they dont eat them as is Ill skin them!


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

DaneMama said:


> The feathers are harmless to feed. Its whether the dog will eat them or not. Some will and some wont. Just give it a shot and see...if they don't eat them oh well...?


I know they _can_ eat them, I'm just wondering how many dogs actually will. Maybe I wasn't clear in my post but I'm not sure if most dogs will even touch birds that still have feathers. I don't want to have to pluck them myself but don't care if the dogs don't eat the feathers...I just want them to eat the quail without prep .



Scarlett_O' said:


> I just got a BUNCH of free chucker, duck and pheasant from a hunter...I plan on trying to offer them to the boys whole...then if they dont eat them as is Ill skin them!


Wow, nice, let me know how it goes!


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

swolek said:


> Wow, nice, let me know how it goes!


Will do!:biggrin: Rhett got offered one when we got home...he carried it around for a good 20 min before coming into the kitchen with me and leaving it at my feet and looking for some "real meat"!LOL (Im thinking if I thaw them and slice at them though that he will see that he CAN eat it!:biggrin: :thumb

Oh...and coming from a hunting family, no need for plucking....just skin them! They wont have much fat anyways for nutrition...and you can add that into their diet via something else!:wink:


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

Scarlett_O' said:


> Will do!:biggrin: Rhett got offered one when we got home...he carried it around for a good 20 min before coming into the kitchen with me and leaving it at my feet and looking for some "real meat"!LOL (Im thinking if I thaw them and slice at them though that he will see that he CAN eat it!:biggrin: :thumb
> 
> Oh...and coming from a hunting family, no need for plucking....just skin them! They wont have much fat anyways for nutrition...and you can add that into their diet via something else!:wink:


Is it hard to skin them? If I'm going to have to do so much prep work I might as well pay extra to get skinned ones from the store, lol.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I remember watching my Grandma pluck feathers from chickens in the kitchen. I guess I looked kind of grossed out by it because she told me that you have to to what you have to do to eat (she was real old school). It involved a pot of boiling water, lots of heat, and her sweating! 

I decided at that point that grocery store chickens were the way to go! Skinning them has to be easier then what I saw with her plucking feathers out of them.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I would say it's rare for a dog to happily eat whole birds with feathers attached. One out of six of ours will...


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## swolek (Mar 31, 2011)

DaneMama said:


> I would say it's rare for a dog to happily eat whole birds with feathers attached. One out of six of ours will...


Ok, thanks, that's more what I was wondering about .


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## Nani (Apr 14, 2010)

Mine won't, my kitties on the other hand will devour the whole quail I buy for them. It's really easy to skin them. I got my kitties to eat them by ripping open the skin to expose the flesh. Now they know what to do and I just have to give the whole bird. 

My dogs make a really weird face and refuse to even look at the said feathered "dinner". They will eat whole prey without fur or feathers but only if they have been fasted for a day. I gots me some picky dogs!!


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## monkeys23 (Dec 8, 2010)

Both mine will eat feathers on birds... but thats just what they've caught out in the pasture so maybe its more fun if they are hunting their own food.


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

My dog eats the feathers that fall off the parrot, does that count? He eats the little down feathers, but it's the big tail and wing feathers that he runs away with like a new toy. He'll shake it and chew it and shred it...and eat the bottom half. I don't know if that would translate to him eating feathered poultry though :tongue:


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## DanTheMan (Apr 28, 2021)

swolek said:


> Before I go ahead and order a dozen whole quail with my rat/mouse order (for the snakes)...
> 
> Has anyone tried feeding quail before with the feathers still attached? I'm kind of worried I'll buy all these quail and then the dogs won't even eat them. Sophie and Gracie normally eat anything (with Bambi being slightly pickier but still not bad) but, well, they haven't had anything like these before. My snakes can't/shouldn't eat them. I'd also rather not butcher these, ha.


Hey there! I have a wolf dog and a German Shepherd, they both get whole quail with feathers and all. They love them! But I would buy a couple and see how they like them. Don't just buy one, buy like 3 and see if they will continuously eat them. If they do then you'll know. That's what I did anyways and that's all my dogs eat plus some other supplements. Good luck hope I could help!


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