Crowing vs Laying Time

[NjQuailer]

This is a follow up to my last post about my 9 week old birds not laying. They’re now 10 weeks old, under 16 hours of light, with plenty of food and water. I started them on a layer crumble last week. Still no eggs, but the males started crowing.

Do males mature quicker? In other words, do males typically crow before the females lay their first eggs?

 

[Nabiki]

It's usually about the same time in my experience.

How many males do you have and how many females? If the ratio is off your hens may not lay. Is there anything else that might be causing them any stress?

 

[NjQuailer]

I have a 1:5 ratio in that pen. All birds the same age, and 2 males and 10 females. Really scratching my head on this one. Maybe now that the males are crowing I'll have eggs on the way.

 

[Nabiki]

That would be my guess. Do they have plenty of hiding places?

 

[NjQuailer]

Yup! They’re actually in a rabbit hutch, so they have an enclosed portion of the cage with a sand bath inside. Cedar branches scattered throughout too

 

[gimmie birdies]

did you mean 9 month old? chickens lay as early as 20 weeks, some birds at 6 months, unless you are talking about quail, but I don't think they crow.

Oh sorry I see you are talking about quail, do they crow?

 

[Nabiki]

did you mean 9 month old? chickens lay as early as 20 weeks, some birds at 6 months, unless you are talking about quail, but I don't think they crow.

Oh sorry I see you are talking about quail, do they crow?

Quail do indeed crow, but it sounds like something out of Jurassic Park.