coturnix quail hens stopped laying after moving to their new home...

ki4got

Hatch-a-Holic
8 Years
Apr 24, 2011
6,936
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Roanoke VA
i have 6 hens and a roo (mixed golden and brown). they all hatched out the week before christmas, and have been laying reliably since right at 6 weeks old. but because of weather issues, i didn't get their outside run done until about a month ago. meanwhile they were laying like champs in their rubbermaid tub in the house. I hatched out 24 chicks going on 2 weeks ago.

they went to their outside home almost 4 weeks ago, and i've only gotten maybe 8 eggs from them since! how long should i wait to let them adjust? or should i just give up and let the chicks grow up out there and wait for them to start laying?

here's their pen/home. the roof sections both lift up for access, and the 'bed' area doubles as dustbath, is a plastic tub set in a frame, raised off the ground (we get LOTS of rain at times). the ramp area are stained cedar shingles that used to be siding on a house but got repurposed.







 
Besides the quail taking time to feel comfortable with their new home you have gone from indoor lighting of ??? hours to natural light of just now reaching what about 12. We will continue to gain a few minutes of daylight every day now.

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Nice birds you have, Think about adding a wire floor to the run. With your little ones on the ground it wouldn’t be hard for a rat, snake or any other creature to get under the sides and do as they please.
 
Besides the quail taking time to feel comfortable with their new home you have gone from indoor lighting of ??? hours to natural light of just now reaching what about 12. We will continue to gain a few minutes of daylight every day now.

smile.png
Nice birds you have, Think about adding a wire floor to the run. With your little ones on the ground it wouldn’t be hard for a rat, snake or any other creature to get under the sides and do as they please.
thanks. didn't think about lighting...

and the run does have wire floor. I gave them some leaf mulch from the yard and some grass has grown in, so you can't see the wire.
 
thinking about the lighting, i think i will put a light in their run on a timer and see if that helps.
thanks again
 
My guess would be the lighting. I don't provide light for my quail (but do for my chickens) and the quail have just started laying (sproadically) this week.
 
I'm having this exact same issue! I just moved mine outside a couple weeks ago and they abruptly stopped laying. I will light their little coop thanks!
 
It's Spring so the lighting outside will be extended anyways. You can turn on lights at night if you want. Because you moved the birds, they won't lay for a while because they are habitual birds and tend to stick to sameness. Change something, and they protest for a bit.
 

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