Is whole quail considered balanced?

[clary7]

I raise and breed coturnix quail, so I was thinking, why not just feed my cats whole prey (not alive though, I find that a bit cruel) specifically quail, instead of buying separate ingredients and spending hours grinding it all together? But my question is, for a cat, is a whole quail considered a balanced diet? I just want to make sure the ratios in a quail are proper for a cat before I start feeding them this. I had heard that mice have the perfect ratios, so I'm curious about quail.

And if so, how many quail do I need to be feeding one 8 pound cat per day?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Would your vet know of a nutritionist?

 

[iPappy]

I don't feed quail, so I'm unsure of if it's a complete diet on its own or not. I would add in some additional proteins, as well as eggs to fill in any nutritional gaps IMO but I see no reason why quail can't be the main protein source of their diet.
And yes, I agree--don't feed live animals. Very cruel.

This is from Hare-Today.com website, information on their whole quail:
Cats typically do well with poultry as quail is a natural prey.
Dogs prefer red meats, but poultry is good for rotation.
Quail is also a natural whole prey food source for ferrets, snakes, lizards and predatory birds.
• Novel protein which can be helpful for animals with sensitivities and/or allergies.
• Incorporating whole prey adds benefits from jaw exercise to teeth cleaning.
• Whole Carcass fiber has shown to be beneficial in diets, but high fiber may lead to lower amounts of pancreatic enzymes. Whole Carcass ground products should be fed with a balance of dressed proteins.