Gambel quail, housing and egg laying

[banana-jana]

My son hatched some Gambel quail last Spring. They are beautiful and doing great we have 4 males and 2 females. They call and talk to us. THey have never laid an egg? We also wanted to know if they need hay or lighting to stay warm. They are on our porch in an antique wardrobe that was converted to a bird cage. It is pretty big, but we just want to make sure we have their housing right for cold weather, we are in South Texas. WE also wanted to know why they have never laid an egg. Any help or suggestions is appreciated. He built the incubator for home school--and did quite well hatching Gambels, Bob Whites, ducks and even a Rio Grande turkey..

 

[Ntsees]

They will not lay eggs until spring next year. That's just how wild birds are. It would be a waste of energy, time, and effort for them if they did and nature shaped them that way. It's best to have chicks when the weather is warm and there are lots of food around. If you want quail that will lay eggs in the winter, try getting coturnix quail. Gambels quail are native to Texas and so they should be okay with the cold (this is assuming they have already been living outside for some time and have adjusted to the changing temperature). It doesn't hurt to provide them heat though.