Bobwhite Quail Trio - Not laying

[jnbwolf]

I have a 8 month old BW Quail trio in a raised wire cage that has still not laid a single egg. I am new to BW Quail and am wondering if I remove one hen will they start to lay? I have read they are 1:1 mates but people have successfully used trios. I am starting to think I am not one of those successful people. The environment seems to be right with light, temps, safety, space, etc. Any good advice would be appreciated. Right now I am leaning on removing one hen to see if that works. Thank you

 

[Mallards and Quail]

I have a 8 month old BW Quail trio in a raised wire cage that has still not laid a single egg. I am new to BW Quail and am wondering if I remove one hen will they start to lay? I have read they are 1:1 mates but people have successfully used trios. I am starting to think I am not one of those successful people. The environment seems to be right with light, temps, safety, space, etc. Any good advice would be appreciated. Right now I am leaning on removing one hen to see if that works. Thank you

How much sq feet in the enclosure?

 

[jnbwolf]

How much sq feet in the enclosure?

8 sq feet

 

[Mallards and Quail]

8 sq feet

I would take out a female if I were you. They require at least 4 sq feet each.

 

[007Sean]

I have a 8 month old BW Quail trio in a raised wire cage that has still not laid a single egg. I am new to BW Quail and am wondering if I remove one hen will they start to lay? I have read they are 1:1 mates but people have successfully used trios. I am starting to think I am not one of those successful people. The environment seems to be right with light, temps, safety, space, etc. Any good advice would be appreciated. Right now I am leaning on removing one hen to see if that works. Thank you

They will not lay until this next breeding season. Bobwhites are seasonal layers, thus, they won't start to lay until next April-May time frame and maybe even as late as June. At 8 months, they are not yet mature.

 

[jnbwolf]

They will not lay until this next breeding season. Bobwhites are seasonal layers, thus, they won't start to lay until next April-May time frame and maybe even as late as June. At 8 months, they are not yet mature.

Thank you. I have read a vast difference in time to maturity. I assume from your comment if they were not ready by the beginning of breeding season and come into maturity during the summer, they still wont lay until next spring? The covey these came out of, hatched at the same time, had at least one laying hen in beginning of may before they were separated. All of these were hatched on Oct 15, 2022. I kept this trio to hopefully hatch a few eggs off for next season birds.

 

[jnbwolf]

I would take out a female if I were you. They require at least 4 sq feet each.

Thank you. They appear to be happy with their accommodation but my first thought was the two hens together were causing stress so they would not lay. I do not see any type of aggression between them and they behave "normal." I believe I may give them another few weeks and then remove one to see if that would help with laying. No issues with them together, just no eggs to this point.

 

[007Sean]

Thank you. I have read a vast difference in time to maturity. I assume from your comment if they were not ready by the beginning of breeding season and come into maturity during the summer, they still wont lay until next spring? The covey these came out of, hatched at the same time, had at least one laying hen in beginning of may before they were separated. All of these were hatched on Oct 15, 2022. I kept this trio to hopefully hatch a few eggs off for next season birds.

Sounds like you had one 'outlier' ... it may have matured a little quicker than the others for some reason? Hatching late in the fall as they did, would give them the disadvantage of laying the following spring. Some may lay this fall? but probably won't lay until this next spring.
Bobwhites will lay all the way into the Sept-Oct time frame, and especially if under lights, but that will 'shorten' their egg laying time and their life span. It also interferes with their 'natural' rhythm of life processes.
Were the breeding stock of these birds kept under lights?

 

[jnbwolf]

Sounds like you had one 'outlier' ... it may have matured a little quicker than the others for some reason? Hatching late in the fall as they did, would give them the disadvantage of laying the following spring. Some may lay this fall? but probably won't lay until this next spring.
Bobwhites will lay all the way into the Sept-Oct time frame, and especially if under lights, but that will 'shorten' their egg laying time and their life span. It also interferes with their 'natural' rhythm of life processes.
Were the breeding stock of these birds kept under lights?

Thanks for the great information. This seems inline with what I am seeing. I am not sure about the breeders these came from but my assumption they were not under lights all year since the shipping was seasonal. These birds are from the dog training world.

 

[jnbwolf]

Update for anyone else searching with a similar issue.

Both females started laying in the last 24-48 hours. There was 2 eggs when I fed them this morning and 3 when i checked this afternoon.

Born Oct 15, 2022.
First Eggs - June 18, 2023

8 months or roughly 247 days from hatch to egg laying with a late fall hatch date.