Quick Look

I never started raising quail because I wanted to feed dogs.
One tiny Chihuahua changed the direction of my life in ways I never expected.
His story is personal—not scientific proof.
Research shows quail is a novel protein for many dogs and may be useful in veterinarian-supervised elimination diets.
Sometimes our own animals inspire us to ask better questions and learn more.

There are a handful of animals that quietly change the direction of your life. Most people assume Bryant's Roost exists because I love quail, and while that's certainly true, the story actually starts with a tiny teacup Chihuahua named Tank Horacio Bryant. Around our house, he was simply Tank, and I don't think he ever realized how much he would teach me.

Tank came from what I would now consider a poor breeding situation, and from the beginning it felt like he was fighting an uphill battle. His allergies were relentless. His feet were almost always red from licking, his skin stayed irritated, and scratching was simply part of his daily routine. Ear infections and eye infections became so common that they almost felt normal, and every now and then he'd struggle to breathe well enough that it would scare us. If you've ever loved an animal with chronic health problems, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You stop asking, "Is he getting better?" and start hoping today will simply be one of the good days.

Like most pet owners, we listened to our veterinarians and tried everything they recommended. We bought the expensive food because we wanted to believe it would help. We used the medicated shampoos, ear drops, antibiotics, and prescription medications. We kept him inside where it was cool, limited his time in the grass, and adjusted our routines around what seemed to make him more comfortable. Every time something offered even a little improvement, we'd think maybe we'd finally found the answer. Unfortunately, nothing ever seemed to last.

Then COVID turned everyone's lives upside down, and ours was no exception. Around that same time, he suffered a heart attack. I still remember sitting in the specialty hospital listening to the cardiologist explain that his heart disease was terminal. We went home believing we were simply trying to make him comfortable for whatever time he had left. Later, one of the veterinarians admitted they honestly didn't think he would survive the ride home.

As if that wasn't enough, the prescription food he'd been eating suddenly became difficult to find. At that point I wasn't trying to become a canine nutritionist. I wasn't researching homemade diets or reading veterinary journals. I was simply a dog owner standing in the kitchen trying to figure out what I could feed a dog I loved. Like most farmers, I looked around at what I had available instead of what I wished I had.

What I had was quail.

Tank 2012-2025

His heart was too big for this world

Not because I thought quail had some special healing power. Not because someone told me it was the best thing for dogs with allergies. Honestly, I chose it because we had more quail than chicken. I started cooking meals with quail, quail eggs, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, apples, a little peanut butter, oregano, and bone meal I made from our own quail. There were no expensive supplements or fancy top dressings. I wasn't trying to follow a trend. I was simply trying to give a sick little dog the best quality of life I could.

I wish I could tell you I knew exactly what I was doing.

I didn't.

I wasn't balancing vitamins or minerals. I wasn't calculating protein percentages or researching amino acids. I was simply trying to make a dying dog comfortable.

Then something happened that I couldn't ignore.

Within a relatively short period of time, his skin began to calm down. The constant scratching slowed. His feet no longer stayed bright red from licking. His ear infections became less frequent, and so did the eye infections. He seemed comfortable again. Not cured. Not perfect. Comfortable. If you've ever cared for an animal with chronic health problems, you know that comfort is sometimes the greatest gift you can hope for.

Was it the quail?

I honestly don't know.

Was it because quail was a novel protein that his immune system had never been exposed to before?

Maybe.

Was there another ingredient in his previous food that was causing the problem?

Maybe.

Could it have been a combination of several things?

Absolutely.

One dog's story is not scientific proof, and I never want to present it that way.

What I can tell you is that every time we went back to the cardiologist, they seemed just as surprised as we were.

"We don't know how he's still here."

That became a familiar sentence.

Then they'd smile and say something I'll never forget.

"Whatever you're doing... keep doing it."

The little dog they didn't expect to survive the ride home lived another four years.

His heart disease never went away. Eventually it claimed his life, just as they predicted it would. But instead of saying goodbye that day, we were given four more years together. Four years of mornings, four years of routines, four years of memories I never expected we'd have.

That little dog is the reason I started paying attention to canine nutrition.

Not because I thought I'd discovered a miracle.

Because I had questions.

As Bryant's Roost grew and Poultry Nerds became part of my life, asking questions turned into reading research papers. Those papers led me to veterinary nutritionists and veterinary dermatologists who have spent their careers studying food allergies in dogs.

One of the first things I learned was the term novel protein.

A novel protein is simply a protein source a dog has not eaten before. Because the immune system hasn't been repeatedly exposed to it, veterinarians often use novel proteins during elimination diet trials to help determine whether food allergies are contributing to skin or digestive problems. For many dogs, quail qualifies because it isn't a common ingredient in commercial dog food.

That doesn't mean quail is hypoallergenic. It doesn't mean quail cures allergies. It doesn't even mean quail is the right answer for every dog.

It simply means that, under a veterinarian's guidance, quail may be an appropriate protein to consider when trying to identify a food allergy.

That distinction matters.

There's a lot of marketing in the pet industry, and it's easy to make claims that sound good but aren't supported by research. I never want Bryant's Roost to be that kind of business. If the science supports something, I'll tell you. If it doesn't, I'll tell you that too.

Homemade Quail Dogfood

I cooked the quail, carrots, sweet potato, etc and freeze dried it to preserve it because he only ate a few tablespoons at a time.

So where does that leave us?

With one little Chihuahua who changed my life. He didn't prove quail cures allergies. He didn't rewrite veterinary medicine. He simply made me curious enough to keep learning.

Today, when someone tells me they're buying quail because their dog struggles with food sensitivities, I don't promise miracles. I encourage them to work with their veterinarian, understand what a novel protein really is, and make decisions based on both good science and careful observation.

Sometimes our animals become our greatest teachers.

Mine just happened to weigh a few pounds, have a stubborn heart, and leave behind a lesson I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

Jennifer's Thoughts

If you've followed Bryant's Roost for very long, you know I love research. I also love real life, and sometimes those two things don't perfectly line up. My experience with one little dog isn't a clinical trial, and I don't want anyone to read it that way. What it did do was send me down a path of asking questions, reading studies, and learning from veterinary specialists. That's the same approach I take with poultry, incubation, and every other topic I write about. I don't want to sell hype. I want to understand the "why." If that journey helps someone else and maybe helps another family enjoy a little more time with a dog they love, then I think it's worth sharing.

If you're exploring quail as a protein source for your dog, these are the same quail we raise on our farm. Whether you're feeding reptiles, birds of prey, or discussing a novel protein with your veterinarian, we're proud to provide healthy, humanely raised quail.

Quail Starter Box---now with free shipping!

$99.99

This is everything you need to get started with incubating quail. Each box will contain

36 mixed hatching eggs
One thermometer to keep in your incubator for accuracy..
One piece of grip liner for a good hatching surface
12” Brooder heat plate to keep the new babies warm
pair of quail egg scissors for when you get your own eggs
5 egg cartons to store your homegrown eggs in

I have free ebooks on incubating and brooding quail.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Tank's story is one family's experience, not scientific proof. Current research does not show that quail cures food allergies. However, quail is considered a novel protein for many dogs and may be recommended by veterinarians during elimination diet trials.
A novel protein is a protein source your dog has not eaten before. Because the immune system hasn't been repeatedly exposed to it, veterinarians sometimes use novel proteins to help diagnose food allergies.
Yes. Any protein can eventually become an allergen if a dog's immune system becomes sensitized to it.
Homemade diets can be appropriate in some situations, but they should be formulated with your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to ensure they meet your dog's nutritional needs.
Many dogs can eat quail eggs as part of a balanced diet, but they should not replace a complete and balanced feeding plan.