coturnix eating their eggs?

[sammit]

just wondering why my quails would be eating their own eggs? i have them on a 26% protein feed, fresh greens, millet seeds, garden weeds, fresh insects and i have a bowl for shell grit. they only eat the cracked eggs, they leave the whole ones alone.

im not worried about them doing it as i get enough eggs off them daily but are they lacking something in their diet? they all seem to LOVE the innards and then take off with the shell and eat that once its dried.

 

[sniper338]

I'm no expert by far, but sounds like a calcium problem... Unless thats the right kinda crushed shell for them.. or maybe the crushed shell you have is a tad too big still... I find with my quail that the bigger pieces they wont eat, but the more fine pieces disappear..

 

[dc3085]

just wondering why my quails would be eating their own eggs? i have them on a 26% protein feed, fresh greens, millet seeds, garden weeds, fresh insects and i have a bowl for shell grit. they only eat the cracked eggs, they leave the whole ones alone.

im not worried about them doing it as i get enough eggs off them daily but are they lacking something in their diet? they all seem to LOVE the innards and then take off with the shell and eat that once its dried.

Are you feeding them grit or oyster shell there is difference? grit helps digestion oyster shell provides calcium. Oyster shell is the more important of the two to feed. Most gamebird diets don't require grit to be given.

However most likely, someone pecked one one day and got a taste. Once they know there is food inside the eggs good luck getting any gamebirds or poultry to stop eating the eggs

. Be happy they are eating the eggs, they are capable of eating each other

Silliness aside you can build an egg roller if your cage supports it (and if you can get the silly quail to lay in it).
Here is a link to an egg roller design.

 

[sniper338]

yep good idea. just make the bottom of the cage tilted where the eggs roll out into a little catch and they wont have eggs to eat on..

 

[TwoCrows]

And along with all that has been said here, sometimes it becomes a bad habit and is very hard to break them of this. Once they taste eggs, they can't get it out of their minds. The quicker you get a handle on it, the less likely it is to continue.

 

[sammit]

i feed them oyster shell. and a very small grain size, the largest size is maybe 2mm across. the rest are smaller.

they are in a chicken coop on deep litter so no chance of a set up like that, sorry!

i dont mind if they eat the broken ones because otherwise, they would be composted!

 

[thinkloically]

You should get crushed oyster shells for their calcium.