Imploding Quail eggs?

[Udderend]

My house quail lays an egg nearly every day. About 80 % of them develop a divot in the small end within minutes of laying which slowly cracks open a nice round hole into the shell. Quail egg membrane being on par with industrial polymers, I just refrigerate immediately and consume every 4 days. What is going on with this Birb, and does anyone know how can I fix it? Thank you.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

could be getting stepped on or pecked by the quail.

 

[Udderend]

That was my suspicion in the beginning, but, alas! She makes a big deal of fluffing up in the dog bed next to my chair, and lays them in front of me, then scutters off like she committed a crime. I am usually right there to receive them warm and slightly wet. Then I watch the crack develop and the hole form within 10-15 minutes. CRAZY!

 

[CliftonQuail]

I'd guess a calcium issue. Are you providing oyster shell or other supplemental calcium? Most feeds I've found don't have adequate amounts.

 

[Udderend]

I can try more a more deliberate approach to calcium, thank you. I've never offered her oyster shell because it looks too large for her, and I am too lazy to think of crushing it. It's easy to experience that thick inner membrane and think I'm dealing with a strong healthy shell.
She has settled on Nutrena 18% Feather Fixer as her preferred base kibble, I think because of the small pellet size and possibly the fruity aroma. Also she freely snauges dog kibble (Canidae pure lamb/goat/venison), and she is a dreadful beggar of table scraps- don't judge please, she is a *house* quail-which include quite a few cheese crumbs and dollops of cottage cheese. I don't know anything of the nutritional requirements of quail. This birb was randomly brought to my house as a "get well gift" by a random acquaintance who really was just dumping it. I've had her for over a year and she seems to have more lives than a cat. I do enjoy those tasty little egg nuggets, but I'm not set up to have a genuine going quail flock.
I am amazed at the speed of the implosion event, like her eggs have no bloom to keep them from instant desiccation, or they cool so fast they do the thing.

 

[Nabiki]

Your feed isn't appropriate for quail. They need more protein and you don't list how much calcium, lysine, and methionine are in it. The egg issue sounds like she needs more calcium.

 

[Udderend]

Nothing about this birb is appropriate. Trust me. She is a criminal, anyway, and very pleased with herself. I just found the excellent article https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/what-to-feed-your-quail.79205/ and resolve to learn from it, beginning with the excellent advice to supplement more calcium.

 

[Udderend]

I do want to assure everyone that I have multiple bags of appropriately formulated game bird rations languishing out in the feed room that this small avian terror has vehemently rejected, flinging them to the far corners of the laundry room and fixing me with the beady glare of outrage. She also refuses beautiful fruits and veggies and healthy things that might do her any amount of good, save she occasionally accepts an offering of coconut chips. The one good thing I can say about her diet is that no spider, moth or housefly within reach is safe from her predations. In the two minutes it took me to type this she has assaulted a small blind dog 3 times, hounding her from the room. Possibly I have problems other than eggshell quality, but it's a place to start.

 

[Susan Skylark]

It could also be a genetic or developmental issue, for whatever reason her repro tract isn’t forming eggs appropriately, I’m currently trying to track down which hen is laying fragile blue eggs that dent at the slightest touch, I’m glad you can salvage your eggs, mine are a complete loss and having one break internally is also an issue in my case! If it is nutritional then a diet change will help, otherwise there really isn’t a cure for repro tract weirdness.

 

[Udderend]

The eggs look beautifully formed, but some days they have speckles, and some days they are just blue. Always they have a matte/chalky finish. This is my first quail, so I don't know what's normal. The membrane is so thick! I have learned to open the eggs with embroidery scissors. Also I have no idea how old she is, I am just guessing between 2 and 3. I understand house birbs can live to be 5 or 6? My hens lay interesting eggs when they get old- wrinkled shells, huge 3-yolkers, ombre color patterns. Why do we love birds so much?