Are my quail extra hardy?, extra stupid?, or am I doing something wrong?

[elanski]

My quail live in a 4 X 3M reinforced wire pen on a grass floor with a tarpaulin cover to make the roof. I've made 3 hide away boxes of different sizes and shapes and filled them with nice warm and cosy wood shaving and hay bedding to keep them warm in the winter. Its currently -5°C most nights at the moment and the idiots spend all of the night sitting out in the open. I thought they would want to huddle together in the boxes to keep warm but they don't seem to use the boxes at all. I've even tried putting food inside them to tempt them in but they just go in and eat the food and then come out again. Should I be doing something else for them or are they quite happy out in the cold all the time? They are eating and drinking and seem fine but no one has laid an egg since end of November.

 

[CloneFly]

In my experience, quail aren't all that smart

As for the eggs, try adding a little cayenne pepper to their feed. It'll also help keep them warm

 

[nuthatched]

In my experience, quail aren't all that smart

As for the eggs, try adding a little cayenne pepper to their feed. It'll also help keep them warm

Unfortunately, that's an old wives tales, Cayenne isn't going to do anything at all.

 

[CloneFly]

Unfortunately, that's an old wives tales, Cayenne isn't going to do anything at all.

Is it? I may have to disagree. My girls always up the laying with when I add the cayenne. May be a coincidence though. It does help keep them warm though and partially boost immunity ime

 

[Nabiki]

-5C isn't that bad for Coturnix quail so I'm not too surprised that they aren't using the boxes yet. Mine don't use them much until it gets to around -10C or more.

As long as they're dry and out of the wind, they're going to be fine.

 

[nuthatched]

Is it? I may have to disagree. My girls always up the laying with when I add the cayenne. May be a coincidence though. It does help keep them warm though and partially boost immunity ime

I'm curious, can you explain how that works?
Birds can't sense spicy, spicy things when sensed actually cause a body to expel heat and cool down, that's why spicy foods are found in places like India, Thailand, Mexico etc. Since they can't taste or sense spicy, their bodies don't react to it. And if they did, since they don't have the same temperature maintaining systems we do, they'd likely suffer heat related illness [or in winter, hypothermia] and lay less.
Temperature doesn't affect laying, and nothing you give them will affect laying unless it's hormone therapy. :]

 

[CloneFly]

I'm curious, can you explain how that works?
Birds can't sense spicy, spicy things when sensed actually cause a body to expel heat and cool down, that's why spicy foods are found in places like India, Thailand, Mexico etc. Since they can't taste or sense spicy, their bodies don't react to it. And if they did, since they don't have the same temperature maintaining systems we do, they'd likely suffer heat related illness [or in winter, hypothermia] and lay less.
Temperature doesn't affect laying, and nothing you give them will affect laying unless it's hormone therapy. :]

You're absolutely correct, birds don't react to capsaicin (spicy.) That's why my parrots try taking a nip of my jalapeño chips when I'm not looking

The cayenne does help warm internally by improving blood circulation. External temperature doesn't affect laying ofc, and though some may doubt (that's fine, to each their own ) something about cayenne always ups the egg production for my girls (I have some slackers that became more consistent after a week or two on cayenne)
Either way, if it does or does not work for you, doesn't hurt them at all and is actually a natural worm deterrent (it can help prevent worms from taking hold) The chickens sure don't seem to mind it... All in all, at the very least I can guarantee that your yolks'll be a pretty shade of orange within a few weeks

 

[007Sean]

Unfortunately, that's an old wives tales, Cayenne isn't going to do anything at all.

X2 on the wives tale!

 

[007Sean]

You're absolutely correct, birds don't react to capsaicin (spicy.) That's why my parrots try taking a nip of my jalapeño chips when I'm not looking

The cayenne does help warm internally by improving blood circulation. External temperature doesn't affect laying ofc, and though some may doubt (that's fine, to each their own ) something about cayenne always ups the egg production for my girls (I have some slackers that became more consistent after a week or two on cayenne)
Either way, if it does or does not work for you, doesn't hurt them at all and is actually a natural worm deterrent (it can help prevent worms from taking hold) The chickens sure don't seem to mind it... All in all, at the very least I can guarantee that your yolks'll be a pretty shade of orange within a few weeks

Can you post scientific studies on cayenne pepper being a worm deterrent?....another 'wives tale', just like ACV and DE....but if it makes you feel better to give you're birds cayenne, then why not! And as far as the yolks being darker or more orange, turmeric will produce the same results and has actual scientific studies performed on broiler chickens, proving it reduces stress and the negative effects of inflammation.

 

[CloneFly]

Can you post scientific studies on cayenne pepper being a worm deterrent?....another 'wives tale', just like ACV and DE....but if it makes you feel better to give you're birds cayenne, then why not! And as far as the yolks being darker or more orange, turmeric will produce the same results and has actual scientific studies performed on broiler chickens, proving it reduces stress and the negative effects of inflammation.

I'll have to see if I can find any articles on it! I do know that it has been used for chickens and quail with no ill for quite a while now. I didn't know about the turmeric, thank you for sharing! We use it on ourselves and the dogs- never thought to give it to the girls. I'd have to check dosaging as too much turmeric is never a good thing