Do quail stop laying during their molt?

[Sumatra503]

My pen looks like a Button Quail exploded in there! Do Buttons normally have a big molt like this?

Also, do the y stop laying like chickens do during their molt?

 

[Robo]

I have had coturnix loose almost half of their breast feathers in their first molt. I have 2 ages of quail in my breeder pen. I have some 8 month olds, and some 4 month olds. They are molting at the same time, so when they molt I go out of business for a while. Well not all the way. I still sell meat birds and chickens while they're in a molt. No eggs though.

 

[Stellar]

Buttons do molt. They will go through a big molt when getting their adult colors but usually molt more when in a colony setting. They usually will lay an egg sporadically when in molt. I have lights on 14-16 hours a day so mine continue laying. the coturnix get really gnarly looking when in molt and feathers all over the place but not too bad with production.

 

[Sumatra503]

Haven't gotten a single egg since the first batch. I think I'm outa business until spring.

 

[Brianachan]

my quails molting at the same time too very strange, 3 old one have been 8 months, but 5 young ones just over 40 days old, and they just changed adult feathers! Maybe the light and temperature change when I moved them from indoor to outside? And since they loosing feathers, no one laying eggs about a month.