cortex quail egg count drop

[steve e]

Hi i have Cortex quail that are about 6 months old... i had been averaging one egg per layer each day for months, while birds where inside in cages... I finally finished my outside pen for them and put them out last Monday.. my egg production went from one egg per bird, to one egg for all 6 layers... feed is the same... it was actually about 10 deg hotter inside the shed than it is outside.

As far as i can see the only thing that has changed is that the birds are outside, instead of inside with lights, on pasture instead of on wire floor, and it is 10 deg cooler on average outside..

I was hoping to put another bunch of eggs in the incubator this week ... but only getting one egg a day for all of them has put a kink in my plans... any help would be appreciated. thanks Steve e

 

[veggiecanner]

Only explination is you moved them. They should pick back up soon. I try to time moves after collecting periods. Because for me there is no reason to have them if I am not incubating for chicks.
I've had a little drop from the heat.
I should be getting 42 eggs a week and I counted this morning only 36 for the week.
But I will be doing staggerd hatches starting day after tomarrow, so all the eggs go in till end of august. after that I think I am done for the year.

 

[Sycamore27]

I agree with veggiecanner, moving birds will interupt their laying cycles and quail seem especially likely to be effected. Give them a week maybe, as long as your day daylight hours are at least 12 they should start up again in a little while.

Cheers,
Jessie

 

[steve e]

Thanks that is what i figured ... just the wait for egg production to go back up has been frustrating. ... just checked and have a couple more eggs than i have been getting... hopefully numbers are back on the way up... thanks again for the help steve e