bob white eggs

[95yj]

i went to a bird swap planning on getting 5-6 coturnix quail and starting a sustained flock in the spring, long story short nobody had coturnix so i ended up with a pair of bobwhites, i can get a couple more hens if i want to. i'v heard a couple different things about bobwhites, i really don't care if their spazzy, i'm used to crazy birds, but i would like to know how many eggs people get from them/whether or not their seasonal. i might be able to swap these guys for a couple of coturnix depending on what i hear. any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks

 

[Byrdj]

Both coturnix and bobwhites are seasonal layers, even though the laying season for coturnix is longer and you will get more eggs from them. You will have to add 14-16 hours artificial light to get eggs from either breed this time of year. Coturnix lay larger eggs and mature faster.

 

[canter6]

All birds are seasonal layers. The seasons are dictated by the amount of light.
Bobs lay a set amount of eggs per hen per season as long as it's laying season. Real or man made by lighting.
About 100- eggs per hen per season/year.(Just my guess, please consult a BW pro. for more exact numbers)
A coturnix hen given the proper lighting will lay about 300+/- eggs per hen per season/year.

95yj: If you are happy with your bobs, then go with that. If I were ever at a "swap" I would trade you a pair coturnix for a pair of bobs, but that's just me.
I say go with the ones you got

 

[JJMR794]

Bobs Are True Seasonal Layers--- Yes With 14-16 Hrs Of Light/ Day You Can Make Most--- Lemme Stress "most" Speces Of Bob Lay In Off Seasons--- The Natural Pattern For Them Is Late Spring And If Lucky, Again In Late Summer--- Each Hen Will Lay A Clutch Of Eggs That Ranges From About 12-20 Eggs Per Hen. Under Artificial Light They Will Continue To Cycle--- But Its Not The Lil Laying Machine Like Coturnix.... They Still Cycle And Lay In Clutches---- The Longer They Cycle The Smaller The Clutches And The Farther Apart They Come- And They Dont Lay Anywhere Near The Amount Coturnix Do--- The Coturnix Hen Under Proper Conditions Is Capable Of Up To 300 Eggs/ Year. The Bob White--- More Like 60-80.

Congrats On The New Bobs! Good Luck And Welcome To The Addiction

 

[whitecra]

I don't know about them but I do now I am still getting eggs from my Coturnix. There is just natural ligh for them and they are still laying.
Chris

 

[95yj]

yeah, i got them for production, eggs and then breeding them and using the males from the hatch for meat, so coturnix sound like a much better gig to me. maturing faster, more eggs, less needy. i might keep the bobs though, their kinda cute, psycho, but cute. btw, why does everyone say keep em on wire, is it just so that you don't have to change a cage every 5 hours or are they particularly prone to ground transmitable issues? there in a cage in my basement on straw, but after their quarentined i'm gonna put them outside in my pheasant aviary. i know your opinion on mixing birds jjmr but i'm carefull.

 

[redhen]

I dont know..but i know that i'll be looking for bobwhite eggs this spring..

 

[deerman]

Yes the bobs if given 16 hr of light will give you about 200 eggs per hen per year. coturnix 300 +

At the bird auction I go to Bobs go for 5.00 to 15.00 each depend on colors. Coturnix .50 to 1.50 each. You can raise coturnix like weeds. Start laying at 6 week and hatch time is shorter. They are egg machines. Sure about anyone would trade coturnix for your bobs.

 

[95yj]

yeah i paid five apiece, but on the other hand i could breed them, keep some of the hens, cull out [eat, sorry...] some of the males, and sell the rest and try to make a couple bucks... AAAAAAAAHHHHHH TOO MANY OPTIONS!!!!!!

 

[deerman]

If you want coturnix, order some eggs and hatch them, you will have laying quail in March.... cheap on eggbid and ebay. plus bet some BYC Member will have some also.