Coturnix Quail Basics- Information and Pictures Galore

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: You are doing all you can and then some! Highest I can find is 24% chick feed, i feed live mealies and have cuttle bone in the breeder pens.They get chopped hardboiled eggs everyday too.
Sometimes a hen has internal problems you can't see. You may have to separate and cull the non laying hen.

 

[QuailNewbee]

You are doing all you can and then some! Highest I can find is 24% chick feed, i feed live mealies and have cuttle bone in the breeder pens.They get chopped hardboiled eggs everyday too.
Sometimes a hen has internal problems you can't see. You may have to separate and cull the non laying hen.

Sigh.. I was afraid of that...lol. I'm trying to get another pen here in the very near future as I have set 6 eggs in my homemade "mini-bator". Lockdown is Sunday... eeee ! My first test batch before I set a bunch more. Guess the new pen will get broken in trying to find the culprit.

How long do keep hens before culling, providing they are nice birds and healthy ?

Thanks so much for the insight !

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I wait until at least 12 weeks. forget the lay at 6 weeks none of mine did.
Most of mine started to lay at 8 weeks, and its ok with me. I don't rush into culling any bird out of my flock unless its aggressive.
Quail are so small they don't cost much to feed. If a hen isn't laying at 3 months, then I feel its time.
I have yet to cull any but DH is sure waiting! He is pretty impatient to try them.

 

[VickieB57]

I purchased some eggs from James Marie Farms a while back, and my chicks are now 3 weeks old. I called Robbie at JMF for some extra nutritional advice yesterday. He told me that for chicks you plan on using for laying hens at 5 to 5 1/2 weeks you switch them to a feed that has no more than 20 to 24% protein; and you should not add any extra protein to their diet. He said the bird food (He recommended Purina Gamebird Layena) had everything needed in it. If you give them too much protein the hens will put on extra fat around their reproduction organs, which over time would slow down their laying. When I asked him about the grit he told me that is another area many breeders make a big mistake with. He said the birds will like it, but over time they will end up with too much calcium which will, over time render the roos infertile, and will also hurt the hens.

 

[bcluff]

I recently got 10 quail eggs to hatch under my broody silkie! Hoping it all goes well!

 

[quailtrail]

Ok so I have a corturnix that was hatched in march and a Texas A&M who is 2 mo younger. They pretty much layed daily...until recently now I'm lucky for a egg or 2 a week???? They have crushed oyster shell and a cuttle bone too

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Ok so I have a corturnix that was hatched in march and a Texas A&M who is 2 mo younger. They pretty much layed daily...until recently now I'm lucky for a egg or 2 a week???? They have crushed oyster shell and a cuttle bone too

Protein is important, what feed are they on? Try offering millet or chopped egg and a treat, cooked fish. I went through a period some of the girls were eating the eggs!
So i put them back on 24% chick starter and live mealies everyday. I have no access to game bird feed here, its the best protein level available.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I recently got 10 quail eggs to hatch under my broody silkie! Hoping it all goes well!

sendng good hatching vibes, good choice for a momma!

 

[Weirdness555]

Ok so I have a corturnix that was hatched in march and a Texas A&M who is 2 mo younger. They pretty much layed daily...until recently now I'm lucky for a egg or 2 a week???? They have crushed oyster shell and a cuttle bone too

I don't know where you are, but here in the UK it's hitting autumn, and our egg production has all but stopped now and the girls are moulting. This is normal and not a protein issue, if you are in autumn now too. How many hours of daylight are you getting? Do they look like they're moulting?

 

[IcyOldHen]

I recently got 10 quail eggs to hatch under my broody silkie! Hoping it all goes well!

I gave my broody silkie 10 quail eggs. Three hatched. They're about a week old.

Here is the first one to hatach....