First Coturnix "Egg"

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

We got our first "egg" today from our coturnix that will be 6 weeks old tomorrow. The shell is soft and a light blue/white color. How long do they typically lay soft eggs as they start laying?
Does the blue mean that hen carries the celadon gene? Or is that typical for soft shelled eggs?

And.... my son wants to know if he can eat it or if we should toss it?

 

[Nabiki]

Sometimes new layers will lay some weird eggs. They might be shelless like the one you got, or they might be particularly small (fairy eggs), they might have weird or no markings at all.

Are you feeding them enough calcium? Shelless eggs are also caused by lack of calcium. Their feed should either be 3.5% calcium or you should be offering some on the side. If you get oyster shell, make sure it's crushed into quail size pieces.

 

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

Sometimes new layers will lay some weird eggs. They might be shelless like the one you got, or they might be particularly small (fairy eggs), they might have weird or no markings at all.

Are you feeding them enough calcium? Shelless eggs are also caused by lack of calcium. Their feed should either be 3.5% calcium or you should be offering some on the side. If you get oyster shell, make sure it's crushed into quail size pieces.

Our feed is a game bird mash. It only has 1.5% calcium. I've been offering crushed chicken egg shells and oyster shells, but only about twice a week for the last 2 weeks. Should I get it to them daily? My boys tend to eat it, so I was worried it would be bad for them.

 

[Nabiki]

Our feed is a game bird mash. It only has 1.5% calcium. I've been offering crushed chicken egg shells and oyster shells, but only about twice a week for the last 2 weeks. Should I get it to them daily? My boys tend to eat it, so I was worried it would be bad for them.

The boys will start leaving it alone. It should be available all the time.

 

[shrimpsilkies]

Blue doesn’t mean much. Inside layers of non-celadon eggshells can be blue as well.
The boys will eat the oyster for grit, so provide normal grit as well if you don’t already. If the boys are eating it then they just need a little calcium, quail are generally good at knowing what they need.