how do you make quail lay eggs???

[Weirdness555]

I am surprised you're getting eggs on less than 20% protein! Mine would not lay until we ordered 20% quail pellets for them (They get supplemented with LOTS of mealworms and whatever they find in their bark chips).

Lack of feathers = stress, either from over breeding (too many males, it needs to be about 5 hens per male) or from some fighting. Stress = no eggs. The food sounds ok so try to find out what is causing the feather loss and fix that.

If they still don't lay, change the light to a white light, red light won't help them lay I don't think those are designed for heat. If you are not getting 14 hours of natural daylight and the only other light is red I think that might be a problem.

Hope this helps

 

[dc3085]

1. Limit your birds mealworm intake per day mealworms are very high in fat.

2. White spectrum lighting is going to be the best for Laying however heat will play little to no role in the laying of eggs. I know the birds might look cold but they are much hardier than you are when it comes to cold. Red light is good for healing though and feather picked or sick birds can be kept under red light to good results.

3. Wierdness is absolutely correct about stress it is the most likely factor in cots not laying assuming lighting is adequate.

There is another large coturnix breeder near me (we do not associate due to his husbandry practices) he has never fed any of his Coturnix anything about 15% chicken food. He has hundreds of birds. They all look pretty sorry though.

 

[Weirdness555]

Our quail live outside with no heating at all so they use their fat They also have a large area to run in, they have not put on any excess weight, if they do we will cut down.

 

[dc3085]

It's more of a concern of fatty hearts and livers. Check them out if you process them to ensure they aren't getting excess plaque buildup around the heart/liver. If you don't process them try to skin one that dies naturally and just check it out. Can't hurt to be safe.

 

[Weirdness555]

The point is that fat is just energy, as long as they're using energy then they'll use up any excess fat. Further more, they would build up external fat at the same rate as organ fat. We don't process them and there are only 6, I'm hoping to have them all for another 2 years at least, but I honestly don't think it will be a problem for them.

I'd rather them be a bit too fat than cold, plus they have to search them out in their bark chips, so I think they work off plenty of energy.

 

[Markyboy]

All interesting stuff here guys. I came on to ask a question, read this thread and have most of my answers. Well, all of them I have just got my quail from a breeder 1 week ago. They are happy chirpy sociable wee fellows. I'm confident with what I am doing is good and that they will produce eggs soon

 

[TwoCrows]

It takes a couple of weeks to settle into the new digs before a hen will feel comfortable enough to start laying. Should be anytime soon. Make sure to offer up crushed oyster shell for hard egg shells and ease of passage for the egg.

 

[QuailRaiser]

I don't know about the lighting conditions around you, but i leave mine to natural condotions and they lay once there is 14 hrs of light a day, and a 20% or higher food source. also they must be comfortable in their environment. if they are stressed they will not lay

 

[Weirdness555]

I keep mine in natural light only too. They have stopped laying now for winter.

 

[QuailRaiser]

as far as i can tell, it raises their lifetimes by a year or so