Medicated wild quail feed approved by FDA

Dallas—The FDA has approved the use of an anthelmintic drug for parasite control in wild quail populations. The FDA concluded that the drug integrated into a medicated feed is both safe and effective in controlling parasites in wild quail in their natural habitat. For instance, eyeworm parasite infection levels in the Rolling Plains region of West Texas have been documented at over 60 percent and cecal worms have been documented at up to 90 percent levels throughout Texas.

The medicated feed crumble integrating the anthelmintic drug will be known as the new retail product QuailGuard®. In labeling instructions, the FDA recommends that the medicated feed be in the form of a crumble and not generally broadcast but offered through strategic feeding stations and/or appropriate feeders.

In addition to parasite control, the formulation has multiple health benefits to quail.

The approval follows nine years of research and application in coordination with the FDA by Dr. Ron Kendall, Ph.D., professor of Environmental Toxicology, Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory at Texas Tech University. Funding for the research was primarily provided by Park Cities Quail Coalition (PCQC) and the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation (RPQRF). The funds were raised by sportsmen who are concerned about the declining huntable populations of wild quail in Texas and beyond.

The majority of royalties from the sale of QuailGuard will go to PCQC and be spent on quail research and education in Texas. QuailGuard, LLC has no paid employees. Joe Crafton volunteers as president.

“This was a momentous project involving over a decade of research and ultimately involving dozens of highly credentialed professionals and has resulted in the publication of 44 scientific research papers so far,” Kendall said. “I am a quail hunter myself and feel passionately that QuailGuard will contribute to quail conservation and sustainability efforts. I would like to thank my colleagues, my contacts at FDA, the volunteers at PCQC, and RPQRF for their financial support as well as other contributors to our effort."

“We are proud to have funded this research with money raised by hunters,” Raymond Morrow, president, Park Cities Quail Coalition Wild, said. “Quail naturally have a high mortality rate. It makes sense that high levels of parasites in their eyes and gut contribute to quail mortality. We hope all grassland birds in this region will benefit from this advancement.”

SOURCE Texas Tech University