Mine began laying at 5 weeks to 51/2 weeks. I started with 7 day old chicks and lucked out as all were hens but 2. I now have 20 adults I use as breeders and plan to set another group of eggs soon as I only have one red Tux hen. Altho she was in with a group of 4 other hens and one male, they all attacked her and picked her head and face bloody the other day. Now she is by herself again. That pen has 2 1/2 square feet per bird so dont know why they like to pick on her. They did this once before to her about 2 months ago and I had to take her out and let her heel up. U couldnt even tell anything had happened when I reintroduced her and she had been back in for month or longer when it just happened again. Yes she is def female and continued to lay while she was by herself. Anyways they attacked my jumbo brown hen once too and picked her vent bloody but she is fine now. I can understand this with males but does anyone know why hens do this? I have them on game bird starter thats 28% protien (I think.) They get a lil parakeet seed as a treat once in a while and everyday each pen gets half a boiled chicken egg, 1 leaf of romaine lettuce and a handfull of dried mealworms to help supplement thier diet and give them more protien. They also have grit and oyster shell 24/7. They never fight at all until they all the sudden gang one. All pens have way more space and some triple the 1 square foot per bird rule. Also each pen only contains one male.
Maybe I am doing somthing wrong. If anyone has any advice on how to prevent this please let me know. They have thier main diet 24/7 and all my birds r very fat and plump and water is changed daily. If any one says eat them Im not doing it! These r my breeders and pets. I have some additional young groups I am raiseing up for that.
Coturnix quail if ayone is confused.