Quail not laying

[Eleanor Andrew]

My Japanese quail is broody but she hasnt laid a egg yet

any helpers ?

 

[Duckopolis]

If they are broody, their instincts tell them to stop laying and sit on the eggs. If you want her to lay, you have to break her broodiness.

 

[Eleanor Andrew]

But theres no eggs in there lol u no wen they r broody cause they attack the rest of the group

 

[cotekim]

Do you think that's the case for Coturnix quail, too? My 3 girls all just started pecking each other and stopped laying. Could they ALL be broody? None of them has ever shown a desire to sit on their eggs before, though. They just leave them wherever in the pen. They will lay all together in the same communal "nest" sometimes, but no one ever sits on them. I thought they just stopped laying because I moved their cage from the basement where it's relatively warm (50-60°F) to the garage where it's really cold (as low as 15°F lately). I am trying to transition them to be out in the garage permanently. I've heard that quail are quite hardy and can handle temps as low as -20°F. I'm pretty sure they hate it in the cold and they hate me for it. They won't let my rooster near them. He used to mate with each of them several times a day. Do you think it could just be the cold? Or broodiness? I should probably put this in a separate thread, as well, but I'm curious as to your opinion. FYI - I am providing a heat lamp during the day and a space heater at night for the birds, so they are not without some heat out there.

 

[Eleanor Andrew]

Yh I Think r females r broody

 

[cotekim]

Aack! What can I do about it? They are pecking each other like crazy! The biggest one is really mean about it. She does what I call the "angry donkey squeek" at any of the other birds that get near her and I think she's even teaching it to the others. Either that or they're just defending themselves. Is there anything that can be done about it? She's been pecking the most timid one pretty badly. I've had to send her to the "hospital wing" twice. The birds are about 5 months old and they've never done this until just recently.

 

[cotquail]

Pecking is sometimes a symptom of stress, egg laying requires protein ,is feed adequate,pecking can be related to protein, temp change can signal stress, stress can be relieved with vitamin b supplement, brewers yeast or any b multi in water ,added vitamins minerals greens, to peck at, redirect the stress ,pecking to something else, ph balance , add apple cider vinegar to water. a sudden temp change requires a metabolic change in bird and all they got is diet and drinking , both can be supplemented and can help distract the behavior. 15 degrees F is like 15 degrees below freezing water water freezes at 32 F are they drinking, quail drink a lot and need constant availability 30 quail will consume a gallon a day.If you can identify stress and redirect by altering supplementing the situation ,environment they may stabilize. Sometimes I have found that bad behavior is irreversible and that I had to remove the victim or victimizer and place them in another pen sometimes they don't get along and can't get away from each other.

 

[Eleanor Andrew]

Aack! What can I do about it? They are pecking each other like crazy! The biggest one is really mean about it. She does what I call the "angry donkey squeek" at any of the other birds that get near her and I think she's even teaching it to the others. Either that or they're just defending themselves. Is there anything that can be done about it? She's been pecking the most timid one pretty badly. I've had to send her to the "hospital wing" twice. The birds are about 5 months old and they've never done this until just recently.

omg same to me here

 

[cotekim]

I have been putting apple cider vinegar in their water. I keep heat lamps or the space heater on their water, so it doesn't freeze. They always have access to water. I have a vitamin supplement, but I haven't been using it. I will try adding that to the water for a few days & see if that helps. I also have some brewer's yeast. I will add it to a hard boiled egg & see if that makes a difference. They used to have a feeding frenzy every time I brought out a hard boiled egg or meal worms, but ever since I moved them into the cold, they don't jump on it like they used to. I think they're just frozen and miserable. I added an extra heat lamp today as well as keeping on the space heater during the day. That seemed to make them happier. The big girl is still angry and mean and territorial, though. I'm just keeping the 2 cages open so they can run away from her when they need to. I'll try adding some greens to the cage for them to peck at, too. Maybe a head of cabbage on a string. I hear that entertains chickens. Maybe it will distract the quail, too. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[cotquail]

Food water light heat space and good emotions hard to fulfill all of them but when balanced they want to lay. Heat rises if you can;t contain it in space , like with insulation you can reflect it . A cheap space blanket , dollar store maybe , foil, on top of the cage will reflect warmth back to them they are very warm as you know from holding them this heat and supplemental heat can be a good resource if you can keep it from escaping, I put ping pong balls with black dots on them in the pens , I'm on mesh floor not litter, they toy with them and it occupies some energy,distraction , a dust bath helps them fluff their feathers, they puff and fluff their feathers to increase their body heat with extra insulation. Good luck spring is nigh so it should improve. Good luck