is this feed ok to feed my quails?

[firefowl]

I've got 4 female coturnix and two males (I think), and I've noticed a drop in egg production since I got them from up to 3 eggs everyday to only one every few days. I read that they give around 300 eggs a year, which means that on most days there should be an egg. But I only get 1 egg from 4 hens every few days, so there must be a problem.

I'm wondering if it has something to do with the feed i'm giving them. I feed them the same stuff I give my pullets:

I feed them about 1 cup of this mash twice a day, is it ok to give my quail? They have free access to grass, grit and water. They also receive organic veggie scraps. One of the females has a large lump on top of her beak. All the females have feathers missing from mating damage.

 

[owlett5]

How much light are your quail getting per day? For quail to lay consistently they need at least 14 hours of light. Also, that chicken feed is a bit low in protein. Most people suggest gamebird food which is over 20%

 

[enola]

Continual sexual advances from the males is very stressful for the females. Stress causes laying to decrease.

 

[Ironsun10]

Hi,

It looks to me your feeding your birds on the wrong food. This is a starter food for young birds, not laying birds.

Change your food for a layer meal, and this will probably solve the problem.

Ironsun.

 

[USAmma]

You need at least 24% protein. I give mine this one, plus a calcium supplement. I have 16 hens and get about 15-18 eggs per day (yes some lay 2 a day!). I have them on an artificial light from 5-8 PM and they get natural sunlight otherwise.

http://wildlife.purinamills.com/products/ECMD2-0017382.aspx

The Purina food is a lot less costly than the one you are feeding your quail, so another advantage there, too.

 

[firefowl]

How much light are your quail getting per day? For quail to lay consistently they need at least 14 hours of light. Also, that chicken feed is a bit low in protein. Most people suggest gamebird food which is over 20%

Thats no problem, peak of summer here they get heaps of natural light from (6AM till about 9PM). I'd use gamebird food if I could find an organic one but there aren't any, so perhaps just some extra proteins might to the trick?

Continual sexual advances from the males is very stressful for the females. Stress causes laying to decrease.

Yeah good point. I culled one of my males so now I should have only 1 male and 4 females. But after this I saw a supposed hen climbing on the back of another one and doing the mating thing. So I really don't know how many I have. I have gotten 3 eggs in a day several times so I definitely have at least 3 females and I confirmed one male by the vent secretion, none of the others did it though.

Hi,

It looks to me your feeding your birds on the wrong food. This is a starter food for young birds, not laying birds.

Change your food for a layer meal, and this will probably solve the problem.

Ironsun.

Problem is I'm raising my fowl organically and I couldn't find any organic game feed. If protein is the only difference then all I need to is give them extra protein in theory.

You need at least 24% protein. I give mine this one, plus a calcium supplement. I have 16 hens and get about 15-18 eggs per day (yes some lay 2 a day!). I have them on an artificial light from 5-8 PM and they get natural sunlight otherwise.

http://wildlife.purinamills.com/products/ECMD2-0017382.aspx

The Purina food is a lot less costly than the one you are feeding your quail, so another advantage there, too.

Thanks but costs not a factor as much as being chemical, hormone, antibiotic, etc free

 

[quailswiss]

If you want to add protein, you could give your quail cooked egg, or red wrigglers (compost worms). Quail love all sorts of insects, earwigs, ants, small slugs, pupae...

With compost worms, make sure to feed them only kitchen scraps, don't get them from your composted quail/chicken bedding. One forum member commented on the possibility that worms do not digest some bacteria, just pass them trough whole, and I have had some cases of runny droppings after feeding worms from the bedding pile. Sorted out now through vinegar in drinking water and feeding of Joghurt or Kefir, which they love.

My quail have learned how to "dig" for worms so I now simply put a tangerine box of wormy compost in, and they hunt them. I help a little by stirring up the compost when they tread it down too much.