- Thread starter
- #21
RobPS
Chirping
- Jan 9, 2017
- 73
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I'm no expert at this GrannyJen, and luckily for me, I have not experienced any soft shells like what you describe. Others here certainly know more than I do, and hopefully some of them will chime in. But from what I've read, I suspect you have a couple of things going on.
First, quail won't lay eggs unless they are happy, and they tend to do best in small groups. You're down to just two birds, and they are caged separately (which they should be for now per my second point). I think the'd do better in small clusters as long as your coop is of adequate size. Mine do love to huddle together for warmth and (I think) socialization and (I think) to feel safe and secure.
Second, I have read that the male to female ratio, if you want to keep males at all, should be 1 male to maybe 4 or 5 females, and then depending on coop size, people struggle if there are more than 1 or 2 males in a smallish backyard coop. The males will bread females to death if there aren't enough females in the coop, and the males will fight with each other too if there aren't enough females and if there isn't enough physical space. I have chosen not to have any males, since I'm in this for the eggs and hobby, and not looking to get any fertile eggs.
Next... the food you are using may be just fine, but I've been feeding the "game bird" feed that is available from my nearby Tractor Supply. It's expensive, but it's complete nutrition for quail. This feed is very high in protein, and it's crumbled up nicely so it's easy for them to eat. I supplement with dried meal worms occasionally as a treat, but this is totally unnecessary and shouldn't be overdone. I've used meal worms to get them happy to see me come out to the coop (it works!), and I placed some near the bucket feeder inlet to train them to use that. And if the temps are going to be REALLY low, like in the 20's, I will give them some just for the extra boost of warmth that their bodies must develop with that extra protein. But... I've read too that you can overdo it on protein, which sometimes results in HUGE eggs that are hard for the hens to lay, so you need to be careful. My advice is to just get the game bird feed and go for a while with just that until you have happy, healthy birds, and their eggs have normal shells and size.
So from one relatively new quail owner to another, I suspect your egg shell problem is due primarily to stress, with the one and only female living in isolation and possibly in a cage where the aggressive male is in visual contact. It may also be due to diet inadequacies. Finally, depending on the age of your female, it's possible that she's still maturing into egg-laying age and that eventually her body will mature and develop better eggs. I hope others will chime in too and give their advice!
First, quail won't lay eggs unless they are happy, and they tend to do best in small groups. You're down to just two birds, and they are caged separately (which they should be for now per my second point). I think the'd do better in small clusters as long as your coop is of adequate size. Mine do love to huddle together for warmth and (I think) socialization and (I think) to feel safe and secure.
Second, I have read that the male to female ratio, if you want to keep males at all, should be 1 male to maybe 4 or 5 females, and then depending on coop size, people struggle if there are more than 1 or 2 males in a smallish backyard coop. The males will bread females to death if there aren't enough females in the coop, and the males will fight with each other too if there aren't enough females and if there isn't enough physical space. I have chosen not to have any males, since I'm in this for the eggs and hobby, and not looking to get any fertile eggs.
Next... the food you are using may be just fine, but I've been feeding the "game bird" feed that is available from my nearby Tractor Supply. It's expensive, but it's complete nutrition for quail. This feed is very high in protein, and it's crumbled up nicely so it's easy for them to eat. I supplement with dried meal worms occasionally as a treat, but this is totally unnecessary and shouldn't be overdone. I've used meal worms to get them happy to see me come out to the coop (it works!), and I placed some near the bucket feeder inlet to train them to use that. And if the temps are going to be REALLY low, like in the 20's, I will give them some just for the extra boost of warmth that their bodies must develop with that extra protein. But... I've read too that you can overdo it on protein, which sometimes results in HUGE eggs that are hard for the hens to lay, so you need to be careful. My advice is to just get the game bird feed and go for a while with just that until you have happy, healthy birds, and their eggs have normal shells and size.
So from one relatively new quail owner to another, I suspect your egg shell problem is due primarily to stress, with the one and only female living in isolation and possibly in a cage where the aggressive male is in visual contact. It may also be due to diet inadequacies. Finally, depending on the age of your female, it's possible that she's still maturing into egg-laying age and that eventually her body will mature and develop better eggs. I hope others will chime in too and give their advice!
