Wild Game Bird food for California Quail ???

[Carl Porter]

Does any one know what type of feed to use to keep CA quail or Gambles quail. I want to make food plots on my property in Lucerne Valley, CA to attract and keep pen raised quail and native quail here. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[slider]

Milo is real good along with Brown millet and black oil sunflowers.

[Carl Porter]

Is there a place you know of to buy these type seeds. Not much farming down here in So CA so I have no idea how or were to buy seed.
CArl

[slider]

Try your local feed store and if they do not have them try a search on the internet and if all else fails go to your local pet store and by the packaged seed they sell for wildbirds (milo,blackoil sunflowers,millit ) just plant it and get you a bag of finch seed and plant it..

[wildergamebirds]

  Slider, that's good advice (bird feed)  I have used it at times, when I would find it on clearance.  Usually at Wal-Mart.  Watch the thistle seed, it's usually sterile (with good reason) It's pretty hard to get rid of them once they are well established.

[Carl Porter]

Thanks guys. I have heard about Milo, Black Sunflower and has anyone ever planted ragweed for cover and feed? I will look at the bird feed at the local feed store.
Carl

[cv]

Another option might be to contact Quail unlimted. They'll help you with natural food plots. http://www.qu.org/content/about_us/chapterlinks.cfm There's several chapters around you. I could be wrong but I don't think much of that will grow on its own due to your soil and rainfall conditions.



 

[wildergamebirds]

  I think they will grow, OK for your purposes.  Won't produce a bumper crop without irrigation, but scraggly, mixed plant cover is good for insects, which are more important to game bird chicks than the grain.  I'm not sure about your area, but in the Lower Midwest, all you have to do to get a good crop of ragweed is cultivate, or burn from mid spring through August.  Check to see what sprouts up in wildfire areas, you might even be able to get some things started this fall, if you get any rain.

  I bet Lespodeza will grow for you, now, especially if you have a water tank on a tractor, or ATV, to keep the ground moist (spray about sundown).  It's all work, especially if you're fighting the growing season.

[Carl Porter]

I can water, I have a well. So anything I plant I can irrigate. Not much comes up here in the high desert after a fire. 7" of rain a year and clay soil are my problem. But with water we can grow pretty good.

[wildergamebirds]

Sorry, for some reason, I thought you were near San Diego.

  I'm sure ragweed will grow, even there.  Let me know if you find a source for bagged seed.  You may want to trey a little buffalo grass, Sudan grass, and Indian grass.  Contact your county extension office, or equivalent about weeds and grasses with plenty of seeds that will grow there.  Then back to Q.U., or Quail Forever.

[Carl Porter]

I will try Quail forever. QU  is mostly about Bobwhite and very rarely have info on western Quail.

[wildergamebirds]

QU  is mostly about Bobwhite and very rarely have info on western Quail.

  I'm sure that's true at the National level, since the Bobwhite is the most popular game bird in North America.  They would go where the money is, rather than where needed.  Surely there are local chapters in Arizona, Nevada, and California that have research knowledge.

  80%-90% of all I know, about California Valley Quail, I've learned in the last year, or so, and most of that, here.  I have observed a few in the wild, and hunted Scaled Quail, both in areas that held Bobwhites.  Judging by what I saw, I believe they all eat pretty much the same. The key would likely be whatever you can grow that leaves plenty of bare ground for the chicks to travel, freely.  Anyone who knows better (and there should be many), will jump in to correct me.

[cv]

imo, in addition to what ever else you all can come up with. the best attraction would be a watering hole or some kind of free range fresh water source with thick brushy cover no more than 30 ft. away.

[CharlieHorse]

Watch the thistle seed, it's usually sterile

Yes, it's been heated while being processed, plus it has to be stratified to grow.

[Carl Porter]

I do have plenty of cover and can put a water source anywhere on the property. My idea was to have some cover and food for the open areas. But i have plenty of sage cover. I need food plots and cover.