New coturnix layers / eggs cracked

[haley0489]

I have 8 week old coturnix hens that have been laying for just over a week. I thought I had one that was pecking holes in eggs, but I was outside today when two eggs were laid. There was no time for anyone to peck, and yet they were cracked/dented from what seems like impact. My quail are housed in 1/4” hardware cloth cages.

Is this something to expect in new layers or a sign of low calcium? I’ve been offering oyster shells every couple of days, but they are still on starter game bird feed. Maybe I need to switch them to layer feed in addition to oyster shells.

 

[Nabiki]

That looks like it hit the wire hard. Is your wire coated? Do you have any dirt boxes in there for them? In my experience, if they have a dirt box, they prefer to lay there, and you may have fewer damaged eggs.

 

[haley0489]

That looks like it hit the wire hard. Is your wire coated? Do you have any dirt boxes in there for them? In my experience, if they have a dirt box, they prefer to lay there, and you may have fewer damaged eggs.

I thought it was wire damage too. The wire is not coated, but the drop is literally just vent to floor…centimeters at most. I do have a large dirt pan for them (it’s a 15” saucer for a pot plant.) A couple will lay in there, which is great, but majority lay any where.

 

[Nabiki]

You might try offering calcium (oyster or egg shell) on the side. I've had a few like that, but it's rare. It could be because I keep mine on the ground rather than on wire, but it's hard to say for sure.