My quail coop’s not working! - Coturnix Quail

[CostaMesaQuail]

Totally bummin. Please help?

So I built what thought was an awesome quail coop, but my 5 MONTH old birds are not laying or breeding. I’m getting one egg a day, and I’m not seeing any of the foamy “proof of action” anywhere. They are healthy, big, fat birds doing nothing but costing me money.

I’m certain it’s because they are not getting enough sun. But I’m not sure how to fix it.

They need a roof to allow more sunlight. Any recommendations? I thought pulling the wood off and installing plexi, but that seems like it would magnify the heat and roast them. Also considered just meshing it, but then it won’t protect from rain.

Then the issue of the bottom pen (it’s a double stack). How do I roof the bottom pen to allow sun? Thought maybe I’d just make the bottom for the extra males to be culled/cooked at maturity, but that seems a waste long term for breeding.

Please help! So frustrated... was hoping to be in full breeding, culling, selling, eating cycle by now.

Tried to take some good pics for review. Let me know your thoughts please. I’m not opposed to scratching the whole thing and reworking if needed.

Thank you
Dave

 

[Rickba]

Hi Dave,
Where are you located? If it's cool there as in still winter time, they're not going to lay 'til spring when it warms up and the days are longer. Nature has it's cycles.

 

[CostaMesaQuail]

Thanks for responding.
I’m in souther California. It’s pretty nice here right now. Maybe low 50’s at night.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I have not clue with quails, if you click on the Forum tab, go down a ways, there's a section for Quails. You may find get a better response there. Looks like the bottom is getting enough sun (Pic 1 & 2), you could relocate the coop at a different angle to get more sun in it although think it's good where it's at.

 

[Plip]

Hi Dave! Nice pen!

It's probably not the intensity of the sunlight that is the problem but the length of the days. Sunrise is at about 6:30am in Costa Mesa today, and sunset is at about 5:30pm. That's not long enough by about five hours.

If you add light on a timer (even something small, like a short string of Christmas lights), they should come around.

 

[dpenning]

I tend to agree about it being the time of year. I have a hutch inside a covered dog run and under a tree. I get inundated with eggs in the right season. Adding Christmas lights I got one every now and again but decided to turn them off and let nature take its course.

 

[Diamond Dan]

Plip hit it right on the head, its not sun intensity but duration. I think +uail start laying around 14 hrs of daylight. Naturally. You can googlwe daylight duration for your area and it will give you date and sunlight duration for the entire year. You can see egg laying peaks and lulls as the seasonal calender progresses.

 

[JaeG]

My quail cages are stacked like yours with a solid roof, and only the front of it has wire across 2/3rds of it - the rest is solid. When it's the right time of year they will lay like nobody's business.

Once you hear the roos crowing eggs won't be far behind. Coturnix males aren't active during winter/when the day length is too short, and neither are their girls. Hopefully you'll be enjoying some tasty little eggs soon.

 

[sourland]

@Plip and @Diamond Dan have nailed it in my opinion. It's all about day length or rather the lack thereof. Patience, they will lay.

 

[CostaMesaQuail]

I have not clue with quails, if you click on the Forum tab, go down a ways, there's a section for Quails. You may find get a better response there. Looks like the bottom is getting enough sun (Pic 1 & 2), you could relocate the coop at a different angle to get more sun in it although think it's good where it's at.

Thank you for responding. Very helpful!