How do I get the quail to lay the eggs in the nest?

[peej]

Okay, so I hatched about 60 quail and I'm not really sure which ones are male/female, but I know there is a ton of eggs, but they just lay them on the ground

I would like to harvest the eggs and I have a little nesting box that is set up about 6 inches off the ground. I can take a picture if you would like to see. If anyone has any helpful comments or tricks/hints, it is much appreciated, thanks in advance!

-PJ

 

[CoCkYone88]

I keep all my quial in 2'x3' pens with a milk jug cut in half in each one with sand for dust bath in them and all the hens lay their eggs in them. Befor I put those in each pen they would just lay them anywhere

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes, you need to make them some sort of hidey place that they would want to make a nest. The nesting area does not need to be set up like a chicken coop which has an elevated box. Any sort of over turned box with a hole cut in it will work or even an over turned plant pot with a hole in the side, placed at ground level. (In my aviary I turn over a water bucket and cut a mouse hole a third of the way up and they love to lay eggs in these). Add some sort of nesting material....shavings. grass hay or even shredded newspaper, just something they can make a nest out of. And it would help to "bait" them with one of their eggs in the new nesting area. Good luck!

 

[quailgal]

Getting them to lay in nest boxes or some other place where there is privacy with clean nesting material will result in cleaner eggs and better hatches... also will reduce breakage in my experience. Peej, can you post a picture or did I miss it?

 

[peej]

thank you guys for the fast reply.. my nesting box is set up like a chicken coop, but I am in the process of building a new quail coop, so I will design something with some sort of privacy!

 

[chickbird]

Quote:
i am new to raising quail and have 50 . 13 of these males., the quail like to lay in sand, i have two dusting boxes of sand and most are laying there eggs in the sand. try sand in your box.

 

[rittert3]

Depending on the species, most quail arn't picky about where they lay. So it can be pretty hard to get them to lay in a nest, most will just lay where ever they are when the urge strikes them.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
X2!

BE GLAD THEIR NOT STICKY OR YOU'D LIKELY BE PEELING THEM OFF THE WALLS AND CEILING

 

[Stellar]

Mine are picky. They won't lay unless I fill up their dust pan. When they chillax off the wire the eggs start popping out!

they love their calcium carbonate bath! Lol!!!

 

[joe125]

Well, if you raising coturnix, and expect them to lay eggs in a clearly defined space....I have a bridge in Brooklyn, I'll sell you for cheap.

Eggs just fall out of them, no matter where they happen to be. Dust pan,water fount, feed bin, etc....
Like JJ said, "BE GLAD THEY ARE NOT STICKY"! Else you will be collecting them from the roof.

Most of mine come from the dust pan, but I collect some from the feeder/water fount, and even in the back corner, to the left of that big pile of foul smelling poo.

They drop them bad boys everywhere!