just some questions coturnix?

[tuesdays chicks]

How long do they lay for and how long do you keep each pen full of breeders?
When do you replenish with new stock or how often do you add to your stock.
I hope you understand I think you should. I want nice healthy birds.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
THEY LAY FOR LIFE THO AS A HEN AGES THE EGG RATE DECREASES A BIT. THE OLD DINOSAURS I HAD THE HEN WAS 9 WHEN SHE FINALLY PASSED AND WAS STILL GOOD FOR 4 EGGS A WEEK RELIGIOUSLY, HER MATE PASSED 7 MONTHS LATER AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 8. I DONT THINK THESE ARE TYPICAL, BUT SOME CAN LIVE QUITE A LONG LIFE WITH PROPER CARE.

AS FAR AS MANAGEMENT OF FLOCK EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, MANY REPLENISH STOCK YEARLY, SOME DO NOT. I CONTINUALLY ADD NEW BLOOD TO MY COVEYS IN AN ONGOING BASIS AND ONCE THEY MAKE BREEDER STATUS THEY ARE HERE TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS

AS FAR AS HEALTHY STOCK IF YOU KEEP AN ONGOING FERTILITY CHECK WHERE YOU ARE CONTINUALLY SAMPLING EGGS AND HATCHING THEM LOOK FOR CHRONIC SIGNS OF INBREEDING SUCH AS CROSSED BEAKS AND HOCK WEAKNESS OR SEVERE LEG DEFORMITIES... THE BIRDS WILL SHOW YOU WHEN ITS TIME TO ADD NEW BLOOD. I PERSONALLY DONT WAIT FOR SIGNS AND JUST ADD NEW STOCK 4-6 TIMES A YEAR, BUT THATS JUST ME

 

[tuesdays chicks]

oh more questions, do you need to hang quail in the fridge like you do chicken when processing? and whats the oldest you would process?

 

[JJMR794]

The Only Hanging Any Bird Gets Around Here Is During Processing. I Hang Them Up By The Feet While Plucking Them, After That They Go To Stove Or Freezer. I Personally Have Not Noticed Any Changes In The Meat With Age, They Dont Seem To Get Tough Like Older Chickens, Or Any Changes To The Flavor.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

thank you for the info jj, lets just cross our fingers I have a good hatch now.

 

[baustin]

I have a pair of Coturnix Quail and the female started laying but after 5 eggs she quit. That's been a couple of months ago already. Does anyone know why? They both seem healthy.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
LEMME PREFACE THIS BY SAYING I INTEND NO OFFENSE TO ANYONE IN THIS POST, SIMPLY COVERING THEORETICAL CAUSES HERE, AND SOMETIMES THE TRUTH AINT PRETTY.

THERE ARE MANY CAUSES FOR THIS. NUMBER AND QUANTITY OF LIGHT HOURS RECEIVED EACH DAY, CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENT, MALNUTRITION, MOLTING, ETC.... THERE REALLY IS A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT CAN CAUSE THEM TO STOP LAYING. START WITH THE BASICS... 14 HRS OF SUFFICIENT UN-INTERUPTED LIGHT A DAY AND 1 FOOD ONLY--- GAMEBIRD STARTER WORKS BEST FOR COTURNIX LAYERS, 28-30% PROTIEN. PICK 1 YOU CAN ALWAYS GET YOUR HANDS ON WHEN ITS TIME TO RESTOCK AND STAY WITH IT--- NO CHANGES. SAME FEED 24/7/365. AFTER THAT DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. DONT MOVE THE PEN, OR BIRDS. DONT GIVE THEM ADDITIONAL TREATS( TEMPORARILY UNTIL YOU SEE IF ITS AN ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSOR CAUSING THE LACK OF EGGS) GET THEM SETTLED INTO A ROUTINE AND THEN OBEY QUAIL LAW ( CHANGE NOTHING!) IF AFTER A MONTH STILL NO EGGS CULL/ SELL THEM BOTH AND START OVER BECAUSE THEY ARE LIKELY EGG EATERS.

I SAY EGG EATERS BECUASE IF THEY RECIEVE PROPER NUTRITION/ HYDRATION/ LIGHT/ AND CALM ENVIRONMENT A COTURNIX HEN WILL LAY, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, THEY ARE THE HANDS-DOWN LAYING CHAMPIONS OF THE FEATHERED WORLD. SO IF ALL THE BASICS ARE MET SHE WOULD HAVE TO LAY OR EXPLODE. MANY TIMES THEY CAN BE QUITE EFFICIENT AT EGG EATING AND CONSUME ALL TRACES SO THERE IS NO EVIDENCE. IN MY EXPERIENCE ONCE AN EGG EATER- ALWAYS AN EGG EATER. I HAVE NOT FOUND ANY WAYS TO STOP THE BEHAVIOR ONCE IT IS ESTABOLISHED. IT IS A CHARACTER FLAW IF YOU WILL?

 

[tuesdays chicks]

here's another question, the eggs I'm hatching are jumbo brown and manchurian ... someone said they are actually the same breed, but anyway I have 19 eggs I don't know how many will hatch and be healthy, but should I have 2 seperate breeder pens for these, I don't plan on having loads of breeders my dh would kill me (and then what would the birds do?) but assuming I have a good hatch and they aren't all male or even if i don't have a good hatch and I got 5 females of both breed and some males of just the jumbo would I put them in 1 cage or 2? remember this is my 1st time and totally ignorant like a child being potty trained lol.

 

[mhwc56]

If you go to the sticky at the top of the Quail section you can read up on all the basics ,also by reading what all these wonderful ,experienced people post on this forum....

 

[JJMR794]

All Coturnix Are The Same Breed. Granted They Come In Different Colors And Sizes, But A Coturnix Is A Coturnix. Much Like A Poodle Is A Poodle No Matter The Color. If All You Want To Do Is Breed And Arent Trying To Specifically Focus On A Certain Color, Then Yes You Could Keep All In 1 Pen. Provided Its The Right Size And Your Sex Ratio Is Appropriate.