a few general questions about my Button Quails :)

[Moorat]

Its been 4 weeks and 2 days since my button quails hatched

and from what I can see I have 1 male and 5 females

Just wanted to know; When do they start laying eggs? and do they require anything to produce them such as a specific amounts of daylight per day and stuff like that? and also my main other question, is there a limit to how many mealworms I can give them a day per bird? cause they love them!! and any other treats they would love if you know.

any advice I would love as these are my first quails and now that they are nearly adults I want to broaden their diet and stuff so that they can be their happiest

one more thing, I put a small box in there yesterday with a hole and some tissue stuffed inside after reading that quails like to have somewhere to hide and sleep etc. but since putting it in they havnt even thought about going inside D: isit maybe because they never had something like that before so they dont feel the need to use it? or should I cut the hole much much bigger as its like a mini cave entrance at the moment lol

 

[Stellar]

Looks like you need to pick a female for that one male soon

Button quail are monogamous and are happiest in pairs (also the best fertility comes that way too).

Mealworms: Try not to give them mealworms each day. Mealworms are fatty and cause egg impactions in the future (fat deposits in that area the most) if the birds get too much later on. You can give them mealworms weekly as a treat.

Daylight: During the winter months, the exposure to light should average 9-12 hours a day. During the Spring, 10-13 hours a day. During the SUmmer time, 13-15 hours is ideal.

Nesting...if you have a pair, nesting boxes will become more useful as the pair will act like a couple and most likely use it. I have little hamster houses in my cages and I find eggs in there..sometimes a pair broods in the houses and hatches their own chicks (if I allow them to). This happens less with colonies. I consider a colony 3 button quail are more in the same cage a colony.