how old do quail need to be to lay?

[wildone]

okay, I am confused. I got seven coturnix quail a while ago as chicks, and now they are four weeks old. I am thinking I might have a pair that are going broody, but they are only four weeks old as previously stated. so I was watching them yesterday, and all the rest of my quail seemed to randomly go to the little nook that my (hopefully) broody pair spend most of their time in and then left. I remember that that was kinda what my chickens did when my Americana laid her first egg. I tried to peek in and see if there was anything inside, but my birds went crazy, and I didn't want to scare them, so left and watched them from afar. is it just a coincidence that my quail did that? do they even act like that? as I said I am confuse.

 

[JaeG]

Coturnix start laying anywhere from 6-12 weeks old depending on how many daylight hours they are exposed to (and if they are hatched in autumn they probably won't lay until spring). Males start crowing around 4 weeks old. It is extremely rare that Coturnix will sit and hatch eggs (and they don't tend to be very good mothers). Broodiness can be bred out of quail very quickly. I've got some Buttons we had to raise after the eggs were abandoned when they started pipping. One resulting female will sit and raise eggs but her sister just lays and lays, but never sits.

How do the other quail react when these two come out? I've recently introduced a male to one of my female groups. All but one female likes him and she pretty much keeps him confined to the enclosed house part of their run (little so-and-so) because she really doesn't like him. She doesn't hurt him (thankfully) but she doesn't let him out! It took me ages to figure out why he was always hiding out in there and I had to sit and do some observing for awhile before I saw the reason. I think I'll be splitting the group in two. They know him and they were raised together but sometimes certain individuals just don't get along so yours could be hiding due to being bullied. They can be frustrating little things when personalities clash.

 

[wildone]

thanks JaeG. that sounds about like whats going on. if that is the case then my hen is a practical jailer, she spends so much time guarding the opening. I am going to have to have a little talk with windfall, the abusive little quail. you're right they can be very frustrating. I really only have experience with chickens, and they where troublesome, but not with each other! this was not what I was expecting, but I love them still.

 

[JaeG]

They are sweet, friendly little birds but they can be downright horrible to each other. The male that was previously with this group was fine for ages, until one day he took to one of the females and her eye is still recovering. I found even in a large cage there can be troublesome individuals. Frustrating - yes!

 

[wildone]

yea... and their cage is by no means small. I am preparing a tote box with some nice rich soil, and hay for windfall to stay in if she doesn't stop. so I did some examining, and yes I would agree that windfall is being a bad girl.

how long would you suggest I keep her out for?

 

[wildone]

I hope your girl's eye is going to be alright.

 

[JaeG]

Can you keep her separate but where she can still see the others for a week and hopefully she will have changed her ways.

 

[wildone]

I think that would work. she better change her ways or as I said, i am going to have to have a talk with her.

thank you so much for helping me out with this.