Bobs hatched in march still not laying

[shelleyd2008]

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sheesh, sounds like they are hard to keep as far as breeding goes, they taste much better than the coturnix though. dang, wish I'd known that. The breeder I got the eggs from said they'd lay in 8-10 weeks. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to hope.

Either they don't know much about a breed of bird they're selling, or they just took you for ignorant in order to make a few pennies.......and I hope it's not the latter. If so, they need to publicised for their great scam work!

Totally agree, bobs don't lay until they are 16-24 weeks from what I've heard, but usually wait until their second season (spring after hatch) before they start. So if you got some fall-hatched babies they'd be old enough come spring to start laying and you wouldn't have to keep them as long.

 

[missred871]

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Either they don't know much about a breed of bird they're selling, or they just took you for ignorant in order to make a few pennies.......and I hope it's not the latter. If so, they need to publicised for their great scam work!

Totally agree, bobs don't lay until they are 16-24 weeks from what I've heard, but usually wait until their second season (spring after hatch) before they start. So if you got some fall-hatched babies they'd be old enough come spring to start laying and you wouldn't have to keep them as long.

Yeh mine are spring hatched babies, Randall to answer what you said, it was just what they had posted on their site, not something they said to me directly, so definately not the latter. We wanted bobs so we shall have to wait, if I dont decide to eat them first that is ... MUAHAHAHAHA. lol. Sorry getting a little crazy from lack of sleep. Going to bed now. Thanks all for your responses.

 

[wpalmisano]

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Absolutely correct Jennjscott ! Bob's take much longer to mature than many other breeds. They do not become sexually mature for 160 days. Coturnix take about half that, sometimes less. So. if they (the Bobs) were hatched this year, at least in my part of the country, temperatures have started to cool and the days are getting shorter. I don't expect much this year from my birds that hatched in late April. I found 2 more Cortie eggs this morning. They are egg machines. I sometime use a flourescent light to " trick " my quail. If you are going to do that, you need to keep it fairly warm too, compared to outside temperatures, or it won't work, and your eggs will freeze, at least here in New England. If they lay late into the season due to artificial lighting, and this is only an opinion based my own experience, they don't seem as "fresh" in the spring. Anyway, good luck. Have fun with it.