Lower protein and better pullet eggs?

[Susan Skylark]

Have another doctoral thesis for you: does lower starter protein levels improve initial egg quality in young laying quail? My first hatches had 30 percent protein starter, started laying at 5 weeks, had a ton (35 percent plus) of weird eggs (mostly soft shell and double yolks) for a good month (n of 13 hens). A later hatch (4 hens) has just started laying consistently but was raised on 21 percent layer feed, they started laying at 7 weeks but I have yet to see a weird egg from this group (same genetics). Does easing the birds more slowly into production with lower protein improve overall initial egg quality (not long term!)? Does a higher calcium level at a younger age improve shell formation? Is it just a greater maturity at the time of first egg production that does it? Not expecting answers, just throwing out some curious observations!

 

[Debbie292d]

Calcium does no good if they aren't laying eggs, and in fact, it can be harmful to them, like in roosters, but I'm of the mind that they don't live long enough for the negative effects of most anything within reason to show up. I doubt giving them calcium at a younger age would help anything. Yet, certainly all those weird and shelless eggs would naturally be attributed to a shortage of calcium.

Protein helps with egg-laying, but I couldn't compare it as to what percent because these have always had the higher end of protein.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Long term effects of feeding excessive calcium to juvenile quail (sounds like a thesis to me!). Birds have a productive life of a year or so and can start laying at 5 weeks, totally agree on the ridiculousness of long term effects. I would balk at feeding young chickens a high calcium diet because they do have longevity to consider. A friend of mine bought chicks last spring, her birds are just starting to lay. I started incubating quail a month after she bought chicks. The chicks of those quail are now laying! I’m on the second generation and she’s barely started but her birds will be in full swing next summer and for years to come while I’ll have to replace my birds yearly, crazy things!

 

[Nabiki]

Long term effects of feeding excessive calcium to juvenile quail (sounds like a thesis to me!). Birds have a productive life of a year or so and can start laying at 5 weeks, totally agree on the ridiculousness of long term effects. I would balk at feeding young chickens a high calcium diet because they do have longevity to consider. A friend of mine bought chicks last spring, her birds are just starting to lay. I started incubating quail a month after she bought chicks. The chicks of those quail are now laying! I’m on the second generation and she’s barely started but her birds will be in full swing next summer and for years to come while I’ll have to replace my birds yearly, crazy things!

I have hens that are still laying daily that are three years old. Granted, their fertility isn't great, but that's okay since I have plenty of younger birds to produce chicks from.

 

[Pipsnchicks]

Have another doctoral thesis for you: does lower starter protein levels improve initial egg quality in young laying quail? My first hatches had 30 percent protein starter, started laying at 5 weeks, had a ton (35 percent plus) of weird eggs (mostly soft shell and double yolks) for a good month (n of 13 hens). A later hatch (4 hens) has just started laying consistently but was raised on 21 percent layer feed, they started laying at 7 weeks but I have yet to see a weird egg from this group (same genetics). Does easing the birds more slowly into production with lower protein improve overall initial egg quality (not long term!)? Does a higher calcium level at a younger age improve shell formation? Is it just a greater maturity at the time of first egg production that does it? Not expecting answers, just throwing out some curious observations!

Well, 30% to begin with is high. I believe USDA recommends 24%, but don't quote me on that. Too high of protein can cause prolapses as the bird ages. But just starting out, I don't believe there would be *that* many issues to see in just four hens.
I'm sure there are countless studies on it... If you remind me tomorrow I can look lol. Just a bit tired tonight!