Coturnix not laying & oddly colored eggs

[FowlFriend]

My 2 hens are 3 months old and have been laying an egg a day since they turned 8 weeks. The past few weeks they sometimes go 1-3 days without laying any eggs. I know they can be tempermental, but we haven't changed anything.

A few times in the past few weeks we have found smaller eggs with NO speckling--almost pure white. What is that?

They are still on chicken chick feed (I used to add protein but stopped about a month ago), and get bugs they peck (mostly roly polies, earwigs and spiders), along with meal worms as treats each day (yeah, they're spoiled!).

Any ideas on why the slowdown in laying and why the smaller, white eggs?

 

[Jplejeune]

A while back mine did the same thing. I have around 1000 so the price of the layer pellets is high to feed all them. i switched to just a grower to save a few dollars a bag and after a while they slowed down and some just stopped. my egg production drop about 75%. I went back to the layer and after a few days they picked right back up. They need to be in atleast 18 hrs of light. Mine are under 20 hrs. As far as the white eggs if they are not soft then i wouldnt worry bout that. If they are soft get a bag of crushed oyster shell and sprinkle it in their food everyday till normal shells return. i give mine they shell 2 times a week. Laying everyday is hard on them and they mite not get all the calcium from just feed hope this helps Goodluck

 

[aprophet]

using gamebird starter 30% protein all my hens start laying at 6 weeks a few started laying at 5 1/2 weeks inbetween 6-7 weeks an egg a day almost the exact time each day gamebird layer cost a little less but it seems like they eat more of it i guess because the protein % is lower ? Iwas trying layer I was kina worried about the hens not getting enough calcium so far I don,t see the difference between layer and starter I am not seeing any thin shelled eggs on the starter

 

[JJMR794]

Any Dietary Changes Will Result In Egg Loss. Coturnix Are The Lovers Of Perpetual Sameness. Any Change Whatsoever And They Will Enforce Quail Law=== The Penalty Is "bad Keeper! No Eggs For You!" To Make Matter Worse When You Realize This And Switch Them Back To Their Previous Feed That Is Another Change And Yet A Further Infraction In Quail Law.... Best Advice Is Pick 1 Feed (no Matter What It Is) And Stick With It. Ride Out The Penalty And When Its Over Do Not Change Again Unless Your Willing To Face The Quail's Wrath

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Feed, like so many smart people said, and 24 hour light. Mine are doing SO many more eggs now that they have 24 instead of 14 hours light.

 

[jenjscott]

I thought chick feed didn't have enough lecithin or something in it.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
IT IS LACKING IN MANY THINGS, AND AS FAR AS MY BIRDS.... WELL ALL THEY GET IS PURINA STARTRENA FROM HATCH TO THE GRAVE. BUT 1000 PEOPLE WILL GIVE YOU AT LEAST 258 ANSWERS FOR THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT FEED. PERSONALLY WE KNOW WHAT I FEED AND ITS FROM MANY MANY MOONS OF TRIAL AND ERROR. NO MATTER, I DONT CARE IF YOUR GONNA FEED GROUND UP DEHYDRATED PLATYPUS GUT, PICK 1 THING THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS (DID I STRESS ALWAYS?) GET AND STICK WITH IT==== OR FACE THE WRATH OF THE QUAIL.