Why aren't my quail laying??
#7076404
12/06/20 12:15 PM
12/06/20 12:15 PM
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T-Rex
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"Free quail", the Craigslist ad said. So, I drove a couple hours to pick up (9) five week old quail. the guy lived in a small apartment, and said he hatched and brooded them as a hobby, but, couldn't keep them.
I brought them home, set them up in a nice coop. At about ten weeks i got a couple eggs. Probably half a dozen over a week or two. Then, nothing
I pulled the excess males, upped their protein, maintained 15 hours of light, and moved them into spot with less disturbances.
It's been 6-8 weeks, and not another single egg. What's up? Have I forgotten something important, like reading them a story and singing them a lullaby every night?
Man who mistake shillelagh for fairy wand; see pixie dust, also.
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: T-Rex]
#7076434
12/06/20 01:08 PM
12/06/20 01:08 PM
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I was debating on a thread asking to encourage laying, or recipe for Christmas dinner.
Man who mistake shillelagh for fairy wand; see pixie dust, also.
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: T-Rex]
#7076436
12/06/20 01:14 PM
12/06/20 01:14 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
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elkaholic
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Play some smooth jazz in the coop. Maybe the females want a little wooing.
Millions of trees die every year to print environmentalist publications
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: elkaholic]
#7076438
12/06/20 01:17 PM
12/06/20 01:17 PM
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Play some smooth jazz in the coop. Maybe the females want a little wooing. I just want eggs. I could care less if they are fertile.
Man who mistake shillelagh for fairy wand; see pixie dust, also.
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: T-Rex]
#7076441
12/06/20 01:18 PM
12/06/20 01:18 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,240 West Michigan
Getting There
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Are they outside? I kept mine outside and never had any trouble, how cold it where you are keeping them?
To Old U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: T-Rex]
#7076456
12/06/20 01:25 PM
12/06/20 01:25 PM
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They are Jumbo Corturnix. They are outside in a wire hutch. with straw bales on three sides and half straw floor. Currently the temps range from 20°F either side of freezing. Their water sits on top of a coffee can with a light bulb in it for heat.
When I got them, they were taken right out of his brooder, so not old birds
Man who mistake shillelagh for fairy wand; see pixie dust, also.
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: T-Rex]
#7076462
12/06/20 01:31 PM
12/06/20 01:31 PM
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No way anything is getting into the hutch. There is also no evidence they may be eating them.
Man who mistake shillelagh for fairy wand; see pixie dust, also.
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: T-Rex]
#7076467
12/06/20 01:40 PM
12/06/20 01:40 PM
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...feed them 25% protein and clean water... I started them with 18% poultry crumble. When I got concerned about them not laying I stepped up to a gamebird crumble. I forgot the protein, probably not 25, but, was considerably higher than the layer mix. At this stage of the game, the only thing on a high protein diet is going to me.
Man who mistake shillelagh for fairy wand; see pixie dust, also.
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: T-Rex]
#7076487
12/06/20 02:09 PM
12/06/20 02:09 PM
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,240 West Michigan
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I used 26% turkey starter, no med's in the mix.
To Old U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: T-Rex]
#7076526
12/06/20 02:56 PM
12/06/20 02:56 PM
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,700 Champaign County, Ohio.
KeithC
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I have raised many hundreds of tthousands of coturnix quail since 1996. Coturnix, especially in cold climates, do and perform much better with the deep litter method than on wire. Manure throws heat as it decomposes. Coturnix also waste less feed by throwing it out, like they do on wire. Below 20F coturnix stop laying well even with the deep litter method. Rapidly changing weather makes them lay poorly too. On wire, especially if exposed to wind, coturnix lay poorly at freezing temperatures. I give my quail 24 hour light. I feed a 15% protein layer mash at all ages. Higher protein diets make quail grow faster, but it makes them poor layers and significantly shortens their life spans. I believe high calcium levels are the most important feed element for egg production.
Fat build up on the ovaries hurts the fertility of hens. Overweight males breed poorly. Don't over feed.
You can easily tell if a hen is laying by looking at her vent. Hens that are currently laying will have a wide vent that is moist and has a lot of color.
Males that are breeding well will have some give in the flesh covering the foam ball on the tail side of the vent. If the flesh is very firm over the ball, they're not breeding females. If there is no foam they are immature or have something else wrong with them.
The largest quail are poor producers of eggs. They lay less while laying, lay for a shorter period of time and die earlier. A lot of lines of jumbo brown coturnix are basically meat birds, similar to cornish rock cross chicken. They have very good weight gain on high protein diets, but won't ever lay well. They're just not bred for it. Medium sized coturnix lay many more eggs.
Keith
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Re: Why aren't my quail laying??
[Re: KeithC]
#7076923
12/06/20 08:09 PM
12/06/20 08:09 PM
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Posts: 7,526 WI>>>MN >>>WI
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The largest quail are poor producers of eggs. They lay less while laying, lay for a shorter period of time and die earlier. A lot of lines of jumbo brown coturnix are basically meat birds... Yip Whatever their past; these are meat birds, and are guaranteed to die earlier. Somehow I get the feeling that the guy I got them from was/is doing some selective breeding, and I got his culls. WTH, this is my first time out with quail. I'm looking forward to some good eating; and my next batch is going to have some kind of pedigree.
Man who mistake shillelagh for fairy wand; see pixie dust, also.
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