Feeding larger whole prey items

[Odonata]

So my last order with Hare Today had a substitution that I approved without having really thought about it. I had ordered a bunch of stuff to include some day old quail and week old quail (was not really sure how big they would be, was thinking similar to day old chickens). The day old quail are really too small and my Tegu chucks them down like gummy bears. He eats day old chickens, extra large mice, and smaller rats, all whole.

They were out of day old and week old quail and asked if I wanted to substitute 2 week old quail for the same price (nice of them!). The two week old quail seem huge, big feet, tons of feathers. Obviously I don't want to waste them so figure I can chop them up. Any recommendations on this? Was figuring I would chop off and discard the feet, then chop the head off and section the body, not sure on the wings they have a lot of feathers and I wonder if there is much nutritional value there.

 

[dragonmetalhead]

Wings and feet are really only good for the calcium in the bones, as there's not much actual flesh on them. I'd give your tegu the head, brains are a nice treat.

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

Im kind of surprised they are as large as you are describing. I raise coturnix quail for feeders which are a large breed and my 2-3week old babies are about the same size, if not smaller that day old chicken chicks. I wonder if they truely gave you 2 week olds....

 

[Odonata]

For reference this is the size of the day old chicks and 2 week old quail from Hare Today. The quail is a little larger than the image implies, these are frozen and its head is crammed into its chest.

 

[laurarfl]

Wow, those are bigger than I would expect. Since the feet and even the little bitty wings do have calcium, I'd feed them if you chop them off. Anything you cut, save, freeze, and you can feed at another meal if needed.

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

is that a day of chicken chick or a quail chick? regardless theres no way thats a 2week quail. my 2 week quail arent even the size of day old chicken chicks

 

[Odonata]

On the plate is a day old chicken chick and supposedly a 2 week old quail. The quail are big, so I have been cutting the heads off and sectioning the body into thirds and they seem to go down. It is just a little messy.

 

[SnakeCharmr728]

lol then that is an adult quail. they messed up.