Does seperating male and female coturnix impact start laying?

[Robo]

Add crushed oyster shell and a few crushed alfalfa cubes or greens.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Quote:
I would hold off on the Oyster shell. Sounds like they have enough or to much? Just how much is in that feed they are getting?
Fiber- greens, small grains, certain grains are also high in protein and small (Amaranth, Quinoa)
Protein - scrambled eggs, mealworns.
Lysine, I don't remember what has it and .15% is miniscule. Probably some of the grains or beans. Split peas? Do a net search if you are inclined to add some.

Lighting seems to be your main problem. 14 hours minimum. And some birds just start laying later. Like at 8-11 weeks old. Goes past that then you may need to check and see if they really are hens.
Birds take Patience.

 

[JJMR794]

Ryan Forgive, But If I May Be So Nosey... Where Are You Located That You Cant Get Commercially Made Gbs?

 

[ryan112ryan]

Charlotte NC, which is a mid sized city of 1 million plus. So I basically only have access to what TSC has and even they looked at me funny when I said I had quail.

 

[JJMR794]

Yes Thats An All Too Unfortuante Reaction From Tsc And Not In The Least Surprizing To Most Of Us On The Quail Forum. Go To Purina Mills Website, They Have A Dealer Locator Right On Their Home Page, Type In Your Zip Code And Hit Enter... It Will Bring Up A List Of All The Purina Dealers Within ? X Number Of Miles... Automatically Scratch Off The Tsc Locations And Then Start Calling The Rest. Now It Maybe More Difficult To Find Non Medicated Depending On Your Area, But I Feel Reasonably Certain There Is A Decent Feed Store Within Reasonable Distance Of You There In Charlotte.

As Far As The Differences With Chick Starter And Gamebird Starter There Can Be Many Or Almost None--- Really Depends On What The Individual Brand Formulas Used Are. In Most Cases Chick Starter Has Too Much Or Too Little Fiber For Gamebirds--- Leading To Constipation Or Diarrhea (and Pasty Butt). Salt Toxicity Can Also Be An Issue And Is Fatal In Most Cases. As Well As Malnutrition. Its Difficult To Explain In Great Detail, But There Really Is More To It Than Just Protien Percentages (which By Your Previous Posts I Think You Already Realize This)

If No Gbs Can Be Had The Easiest And Closest Substitute Is Usually Turkey Starter, Or If You Can Obtain Game Bird Layer Rations You Can Up The Protien With Additional Soybean Meal But Care Must Be Used. Protien Levels Can Be A Fine Line... Too Little And Malnutrition Results, Too Much And Renal Failure Or Other Maladies May Pop Up

 

[deerman]

Most TSC carry Purina feed here, should have a 28 % grower.


Does a woman still produce eggs , without a man around?????? same thing

My guess to short on light..........

 

[joe125]

Defiantly check out the purina site, because you may find a better feed store in your area because I sure did.

You may also want to do the same on http://www.nutrenaworld.com/nutrena/

I use the Purina GBS, but the Nutrena product is just as good. Just another suggestion, other than trying to mix up your own batch of GBS.

 

[snake173]

A&M were very inbreed to gain the all white color and the smooth texture of there meat. 7 to 9 weeks is not uncommon if is a big hen takes a little longer than the smaller ones. There breeds have a problem with uncompleted shells and some of my biggest hens lay big eggs for quail they also suffer from a circling obssion and head jerking they will still lay eggs and they are good eggs but I eat them I don't reproduce them. If you have a shell problem with most birds is a diet thing but I have one that lays 2 good ones and one dude dosen't change have altered diet dosen't work in my time have severl of them. I leave the Cock with three hens some times you have a hen that will not share but dosen't seem to effect them when she gets ready to lay. Will throw this in I use a large white bowl to dust with it has high sides and for the most part get first egg there after they dust they sit I guess but more than 1/2 first timers hapen in that.

The light is very important I use lights to start them laying early and if your lucky you will get 200+ eggs out of them but let the light go down in the fall there system needs the brake and I fatten them up for next season and cull the rest for recreation. Not sure how long they live but at the end of the second laying cycle. I call all my Survivor man friends and we have a cook out. I like the A&M as even those who say they will not eat cause of the game taste, don't seem to notice with them and they make a racket in the morning that is pleasing to my ear. But must say have to beat the guys away from the chuckers.




snake173

 

[JJMR794]

There breeds have a problem with uncompleted shells and some of my biggest hens lay big eggs for quail they also suffer from a circling obssion and head jerking they will still lay eggs and they are good eggs but I eat them I don't reproduce them

I HAVE HAD AND STILL DO MANY MANY COTURNIX, ALL STRAINS INCLUDING THE A&M--- I DO NOT NOR HAVE I EVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH EGG FORMATION, CIRCLING, OR HEAD JERKING..... I'M WILLING TO BET OTHERS HERE HAVE NOT EITHER, YOU WANT TO GET NEW STOCK, OR TRANSFUSE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF NEW BLOOD INTO THE EXISTING STOCK​

 

[joe125]

Moby Quail ALERT! I wish I could insert a sound effect here.

There breeds have a problem with uncompleted shells and some of my biggest hens lay big eggs for quail they also suffer from a circling obssion and head jerking they will still lay eggs and they are good eggs but I eat them I don't reproduce them

"Uncompleted" or a totally shell less egg is a natural occurrence for any color/strain of coturnix, and has nothing to do with their diet. I have causally linked it to stress.

The reason anything that looks like a WHITE coturnix has any genetic problems is because the first thing anyone does when they get any white bird is....Try to make it WHITER!
Welcome to MobyQuail 101

Whiter+larger, are 2 totally different things!​