My coturnix are egg eaters !!!!!

[shelleyd2008]

Has anyone thought of hanging your cages at an angle? If you have the floor slanted, with something to 'catch' the eggs in, not only will the eggs be cleaner, but they will be out of harm's way.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I love the idea of small painted rocks I will take a look outside and see what I find today -- it is worth a try !

as far as slating my cage floor -- my birds are in a 24x24 wire rabbit cage from TSC - it is all one piece and made so that the sides " fold " in on its self when not in use

I am playing with the idea of building a nest box with a roll away hole in back and a tray for the eggs to roll into

cut away a small section of the wire cage and slip the tray out so I can collect from the eggs from the outside and than the birds cant get to them either

If I can find a way to do this -- next step is seeing if the hens will use the box ?

 

[Harley's girl]

Quote:
You'd more than likely notice pecies of shell or egg membrane left over if they were

I know i do they dont eat it all normally

Your hens may be in a molt

Also are htey getting atleast 14 hours of light a day? (you did say they were inside correct)? If you have them where they arent getting 14 hours of visual light a day they won't lay very well that could be your issue

Monarc,
They are outside. They very well could be in a molt. They were in a cage with about 200 other quails. These were the last 6 and they really look awful! I feel so bad for them. They all have bare backs and most of them have no tail. Poor little things

I will try to get pics and get them up on the other thread.

Heck they may not even be coturnix, I am pretty sure that 2 are tuxedo.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
That's what I was thinking, and maybe raising the level of the floor up an 1 1/2 with some 2x material and 1x1 wire stapled over top. I'm wondering if the eggs would go through

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
That's what I was thinking, and maybe raising the level of the floor up an 1 1/2 with some 2x material and 1x1 wire stapled over top. I'm wondering if the eggs would go through

The eggs won't fit through 1" wire, my cages are made of 1 1/2" x 1" on the sides, and the big end of the eggs get stuck.

 

[Boyd]

rats rats rats...... but if the eggs get stuck down...... will they be devoured?

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I might not have to cull my coturnix after all !!!!

since I am the foster mom to the ringnecks I went and got them a bag of non medicated chick starter and got to thinking hmmmm this stuff has a higher protein than that cheap crap we had to buy the quail

so I grabbed everyone's feeders and got them all chick food - well the very next day I got an egg from my corurnix and than yesterday I got 2 and today 2 more !!!!

all the eggs are in perfect shape dont look like they were pecked at or anything

so for now I will keep everyone on the chick starter until the ringneck get alittle older and need the gamebird feed than I will get a bag of that and switch everyone at the same time

this way I only need to buy 1 bag of feed at a time

still waiting for hen number 3 to start laying again - I guess she will in the next couple of days than I will know for sure they have stopped eating the eggs when I collect 3 from 3 again

so the eggs in the bator I will raise those and process them since those are test eggs from the zoos flock

 

[skywatcher]

Here is what works for me the cage 14ftx5ft half the bottom is wire mesh other half board.I keep straw over wire mesh side,feeders and dust bowl and hide out boxes on the wood floor. The coop has only 2 windows is divided in half not alot of light but enough they lay eggs untill fall.
The quail seem to spill alot of feed and sand on the wood floor and cover there eggs. I have not had any egg eaters or feather pickers other than the males mateing some hens more often.
I allow 1 square foot per bird of floor space for cournix quail.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

mine are in the rabbit cage you can get from Tractor Supply it is 24X24 and sits near a window so they get LOTS of light and fresh air

I have gotten 2 eggs a day for the past few days - I still have one hen either not laying for what ever reason or they are only eating 1 egg a day

I dont think they are eating the egg because the 2 eggs I collect are fine not a peck on the - perfect eggs -

so maybe hen#3 is taking a break ??

my birds get along great no feather pecking ( I have bald hens on thier heads and back from mating) and my birds dont fight

I have no problems rasing these guys other than the eating thier own eggs deal - these are really great little birds Iwished I had more room I would love to get a few more in diffrent colors.

 

[kingmt]

I am glad things have turned around for you.