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Why aren't my quail laying?? #7076404
12/06/20 12:15 PM
12/06/20 12:15 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,475
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T-Rex Offline OP
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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.
Re: Why aren't my quail laying?? [Re: T-Rex] #7076428
12/06/20 01:01 PM
12/06/20 01:01 PM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 254
IN
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blankenship Offline
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I bought 20 at sale barn in may 18 female 2 male 6 week old should start laying at 8 weeks . still no eggs come last weekend so butcherd them when I butcherd meat rabbits. I tried everything and never could get them to lay

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.
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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PA
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elkaholic Offline
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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
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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Originally Posted by elkaholic
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.
Re: Why aren't my quail laying?? [Re: elkaholic] #7076440
12/06/20 01:18 PM
12/06/20 01:18 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
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Minnesota
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Originally Posted by elkaholic
Play some smooth jazz in the coop. Maybe the females want a little wooing.

grin


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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
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,236
West Michigan
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Getting There Offline
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West Michigan
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.
Re: Why aren't my quail laying?? [Re: T-Rex] #7076443
12/06/20 01:18 PM
12/06/20 01:18 PM
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,236
West Michigan
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Getting There Offline
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What kind of Quail?


To Old
U.S. Army 60-63 SGT.
Re: Why aren't my quail laying?? [Re: T-Rex] #7076451
12/06/20 01:22 PM
12/06/20 01:22 PM
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 308
Manitoba Canada
Mont Offline
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Mont  Offline
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Manitoba Canada
we used to raise coturnix quail and if you feed them 25% protein and clean water they would be laying in 6 weeks after hatching. My wife has a sportsman incubator and u could get a ton of generations and birds in a couple years! Are your quail older then you where told? they don't last long and burn out. extremely easy birds to raise and great with kids to learn


McKenzie Outfitters
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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.
Re: Why aren't my quail laying?? [Re: T-Rex] #7076460
12/06/20 01:29 PM
12/06/20 01:29 PM
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 308
Manitoba Canada
Mont Offline
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Manitoba Canada
something getting the eggs before u do?


McKenzie Outfitters
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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.
Re: Why aren't my quail laying?? [Re: T-Rex] #7076465
12/06/20 01:37 PM
12/06/20 01:37 PM
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 308
Manitoba Canada
Mont Offline
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Manitoba Canada
have them for supper and get a new batch


McKenzie Outfitters
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www.mckenzieoutfitters.ca
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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Originally Posted by Mont
...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.
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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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.
Re: Why aren't my quail laying?? [Re: T-Rex] #7076506
12/06/20 02:27 PM
12/06/20 02:27 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
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M.T.V. Alaska
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I have a small wooden box with a lid at the back of the pen with straw to get out of the wind and lay in.. mine still lay every day. Some are two years old. The dry straw stimulates them to lay I think. I get more eggs when I freshen the straw.

I also feed greens every day. lettuce cabbage, grass ,cover. they love it and lay good.

A dry clean pen helps too.

I dont think protein is as important as they say. Mine do great on layer pellets. I mix in a little bird seed too.

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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Champaign County, Ohio.
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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

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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Originally Posted by KeithC
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.
Re: Why aren't my quail laying?? [Re: T-Rex] #7076936
12/06/20 08:15 PM
12/06/20 08:15 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,657
Minnesota
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Good ideaT rex


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Re: Why aren't my quail laying?? [Re: ] #7077033
12/06/20 08:55 PM
12/06/20 08:55 PM
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East-Central Wisconsin
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bblwi Offline
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Even with your additional artificial light, the birds are outside and probably using the normal daylight lessening time to take a break. A lot of chicken breeds quit laying for some days in the winter. Ours are right now. Also if they would be molting they quit laying. Sometimes stress etc. sets the group into a molt. With none laying I don't think it is a feed issue.

Bryce

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