Japanese Coturnix hens not laying eggs

[Maiahr]

Ok what colouring are your 12 hens? The article was measuring over their whole lifespan. The Pharaohs start laying eggs later than Manchurians and they stop earlier than Manchurians so overall egg production is smaller.

 

[BReeder!]

Ok what colouring are your 12 hens? The article was measuring over their whole lifespan. The Pharaohs start laying eggs later than Manchurians and they stop earlier than Manchurians so overall egg production is smaller.

That's interesting. I am not negating what you have read, just haven't quite experienced it yet myself.
Our quail are Jumbo Browns (which owe their ancestry to pharaohs)

 

[Maiahr]

Well, I am going to test myself , but so far it matches what those articles said. I am wondering if it something to do with the weight. The Manchurians are a bit larger than the Pharaohs and the Tuxedo so maybe that's why they started earlier...???

 

[mixedUPturk]

Smaller production? I am not sure. IME I get nearly 1 egg per day per hen. However, they will molt and stop laying for a few weeks. We have 12 quail hens right now and I collected 11 eggs yesterday and they just came out of molting. During molt it was 0-4 eggs per day for about 2 weeks.

Ok what colouring are your 12 hens? The article was measuring over their whole lifespan. The Pharaohs start laying eggs later than Manchurians and they stop earlier than Manchurians so overall egg production is smaller.

Well, I am going to test myself , but so far it matches what those articles said. I am wondering if it something to do with the weight. The Manchurians are a bit larger than the Pharaohs and the Tuxedo so maybe that's why they started earlier...???

I think my friend @BReeder! Gave some great info on helping you with the questions you had but he is concentrating on what he knows our lines to behave as and not realizing you dont have the same lines at all. I am very interested in your lines, where they come from and where(without being very specific) you come from. The pharoah's i have lay at 6 wks old and grow to about a lb if theyre well cared for but if they like, run out of water for a couple of hours once then you dont get the same end product. These lines come from James Marie Farms as most of the coturnix quail in the USA do. He has imported from all over the world to get the best meat and egg coturnix line.

 

[Maiahr]

Yes, all the information here has been very helpful. Some of the lines are different, but overall I think they are the same. Now, we have Pharaoh quail in nature so I think most of our coloring has originated from them. I am not and not planning to become a professional breeder, just need some for eggs, but I guess my 'research and experiment' skills have interfered The articles that I have read are from a guy called Genchev, he has spent over 20 years researching Japanese Quail. If you Google: Genchev quail some of his articles will come up. He has done analysis on meat and eggs as well.

 

[Ebony Rose]

The best is 24% protein and it is turkey feed and I will change it right away. Thank you for the advises!

You can bump the protein of that by adding ground up dry cat food (typically 30% protein), as well.
Let's assume we're talking about their normal feed at 20% protein first:If you made a 50/50 split between that and the cat food, you'd end up with a feed that's 25% protein.
If you use the turkey feed, at the same 50/50 split, you can bump that up to 27%.
If you cut out all non-productive treats (empty calories that reduce overall protein intake and / or add unnecessary fats), you can stay very close to those levels of protein. Such non-productive treats include things like oats, oatmeal, cracked corn, bird seed, rice... all of these drop the protein level of your feed dramatically. I'm not suggesting that you cut out all treats, but severely limit them since you're forced to deal with feed that's not up to par. Sorry to say that cat food is NOT a complete diet for your quail, so you may wish to supplement their diet with a vitamin/mineral additive in their waterer(s). All available water for your covey should contain vitamin/mineral supplements to ensure that they're all getting the nutrition they need.
It's important to note that your covey may appear to be doing 'fine' on the feed you're serving, but in truth, they're starving slowly, and they will pass the malnutrition on to their eggs resulting in low hatch rates, deformed chicks, chicks born already deficient in key vitamins and minerals, disease in chicks hatched and adults, etc.

 

[Maiahr]

Tuxedo started laying eggs on day 50.

 

[Maiahr]

OK, to summarize in case anyone but me is keeping some stats.
Manchurian started laying eggs at day 45.
Tuxedo - at day 50.
Pharaoh - at day 58.
All hatched the same day, raised the same conditions, the same food.

 

[Ebony Rose]

OK, to summarize in case anyone but me is keeping some stats.
Manchurian started laying eggs at day 45.
Tuxedo - at day 50.
Pharaoh - at day 58.
All hatched the same day, raised the same conditions, the same food.

Much like humans, they become sexually mature in their own good time and on an individual basis.