First egg!!

[Sparkelrose]

I found my first quail egg today! The only thing is that it was soft, kinda had the texture of a grape. I was wondering if this common in new layers?






I went to see if there were any more eggs and to feed my quail and 1 of my Texas A&M's has a very bloddy botom and looks as though it might be missing some skin. I am now thinking maybe a cat was able to get it paw on it and ended up pulling out the egg while trying to pull the bird out. It seames to be doing OK, but I'm really not sure if it will make it. I couldn't get pictures of the injury.

I feel like a failure as a Quail momma, I have a male that was getting picked on and had a very bloody head in a cage too.

 

[worldling]

The pics are of a shell-less egg. It happens from time to time with coturnix.
I doubt a cat had anything to do with it.

Wait until tomorrow. You may get a whole egg...shell and all.

 

[zaylinda]

You might want to add a little calcium to their diet - oystershell or the like - to make sure the hen has what she needs to produce strong shells, but it's not something to really worry about, hens of all shapes and sizes will occasionally lay a shell-less egg.

 

[Sparkelrose]

When i noticed that they were showing signs of maturing I started giving them a mix of chick start and layer food. When I found the egg last night I just gave them layer food. Can I keep giving them that or should I switch to game bird food?

 

[zaylinda]

There are disagreements, but most people on here seem to agree that game bird starter is the best for the entire life span. Chicken foods just don't have the protein that Coturnix need.

 

[worldling]

Quote:
I swear by game bird starter for corturnix from hatch to dispatch. I use Purina Mills 30% protein game bird starter. Nutrina makes a fine GBS feed as well. I shy away from chicken feed of any protein content, but sometimes that's all some people can get, and things work out fine for them, so I never argue.

Coturnix are lovers of perpetual of sameness. Changing anything, I mean anything can cause egg loss. Switching between the most awful feed to the best feed can cause egg loss. Any and all feed changes should be done gradually! Even then, you may experience egg loss.

Extra calcium can be deployed, and never hurts, unless it diverts attention away from what really matters to a coturnix quail....Good quality high protein feed.
Coturnix are not chickens and they don't need to eat tons of calcium to produce eggs. They actually metabolize calcium from raw materials found in good quality feed.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
They should be on gamebird formula feed wether its layer/ grower-finisher/ starter. Gamebird formula is made specifically for gamebirds and should contain the proper types of protiens and other essential ingrediants they need (this varies greatly from chickens...) I, like worldling, feed Purina startrena gamebird starter form egg to freezer and swear by it--- wont use anything else, as i have tried nearly all readily available formulas out there and this works best for me and my birds here. Others may be different, and everyone has their own opinions on this matter. Some will even play mad scientist in their basements or barns cooking up feed formulas from cat food, calf manna, grains, and even platypus pellets! If thats your thing go for it, but i raise gamebirds, not cats, or anything else tho i did give the beef steer calf manna when he was a lil tyke... My point is they are a specialty all to their own. They have specific nutritional needs that others do not. I have gamebird feed formulas at my disposal, but by the time i buy all the ingredients, lug them home, dust off the mad scientist cape, mix all the stuff, and then mill it down to the appropriate size and store it I find it costs roughly 91 cents more per 50lb bag than the purina..... and causes me 1000x's more work and physical grief. But thats just me..

 

[SamG347]

I feed all birds that are fully feathered or at least 5-6 weeks old 20% feed. I have even been feeding my chicks 20% feed for awhile now. I just don't feel the extra 3-4% makes all that much of a difference...especially to be $4.00 more in price. If your birds are good stock...and kept in the right conditions they should do fine on whatever you choose. As long as it is 20% or greater. You can feed adult laying quail 16% feed as well.