Just started laying! Some soft shells

[MichelleKing]

my quail ladies have started laying! They are exactly 8 weeks old today. Maybe you quail experts can help me here, I have questions. These are all cotournix and all females in the pen.
1. Some eggs are brown, some white speckled. Both normal?
2. Found 2 soft shelled eggs. Immediately supplemented with oyster shells. Should I also get a liquid calcium for the water? If so, which one?
3. Do quails really lay more than 1
Egg at a time?
Thanks, I’m new, first time quail
Owner but i love my gals!!!

 

[strawberricatt]

my quail ladies have started laying! They are exactly 8 weeks old today. Maybe you quail experts can help me here, I have questions. These are all cotournix and all females in the pen.
1. Some eggs are brown, some white speckled. Both normal?
2. Found 2 soft shelled eggs. Immediately supplemented with oyster shells. Should I also get a liquid calcium for the water? If so, which one?
3. Do quails really lay more than 1
Egg at a time?
Thanks, I’m new, first time quail
Owner but i love my gals!!!

Yes, both coloured eggs are normal. They can lay quite an array of colours, from the trio that I kept I would get the occasional, pure white, pure brown or even pale blue egg, all completely normal.

Soft shelled eggs are quite normal with beginning layers, the oyster shell should be enough.

Quail don't lay more the one at a time, but given enough hours of sunlight they can lay more then one a day. My quail hen would lay two a day, but the catch was that she only layed twice a week.

No question is a stupid one, we are all here to learn. Quail are very loveable little critters, you really bond with them.

 

[JaeG]

The oyster shell should be sufficient. They lay a variety of pretty patterns and sometimes you can work out who lays which pattern (I could do that when we only had 2 hens). The odd soft shell can be just their systems sorting themselves out but it's best to regularly offer them the oyster shell. When they've just started laying they may well lay 2 a day every now and then. The odd hen may carry on the trend but most will settle in to once a day.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

I don’t know much about Quails but I can tell you my Silkie layed soft eggs so try giving shell grit see if that helps

 

[Melky]

I only care for chickens but yes using free choice oyster shell and liquid calcium that is quick acting is the remedy. Dosing per bottle instructions on the calcium.

 

[Erkenstein]

Quail are better at utilizing calcium than chickens are. If your feed contains at least a couple of percent calcium, they should be good to go. Since they are new layers, I'd just give them some time. Oyster shell on the side won't hurt, but it hasn't been necessary with my birds.