9 month old button quail hen not laying

[hebe5]

Hi there,

Just a little worried about my 9 month old button hen. She's not laid for about a month now after laying daily throughout and also she doesn't seem interested in mealworms anymore. Apart from that she seems her normal self. I'm not worried about the lack of eggs just about her health. Any ideas please? Thank you in advance.

 

[Nabiki]

Is she getting enough calcium? Has she been laying all winter? They need 14-16 hours of light per day to lay. It might be a bit less for buttons.

I'd say to check if she's egg bound, but if she's acting normally, that's not going to be the issue.

 

[hebe5]

She has laid most of the winter - I think she had about a 2 week break. I give her a calcium supplement in her water twice a week.

 

[Nabiki]

She has laid most of the winter - I think she had about a 2 week break. I give her a calcium supplement in her water twice a week.

Instead of calcium in her water, you might try giving her crushed eggshell or oyster shell on the side. Make sure it's small enough for her to eat.

The other thing that would stop her from laying would be stress. Has anything changed in her environment?

 

[hebe5]

There's always oyster shell in a little dish for her. No, her and her mate have an exo terra vivarium and I've not changed anything around. It's a mystery!

 

[Nabiki]

I'm stumped! Hopefully she's just taking a break and will begin to lay again.

 

[hebe5]

I hope so Nabiki - thank you so much for taking the time to answer me!