I've been breeding quails for about 4 years now (other poultry for a lot longer than that) and I've never had this issue. All of my quails will not lay, same goes for my chickens, which of course are in different enclosures. Not so much as a concern for the chickens (as I want to breed the quails again, though buying eggs suck), but it has been a few months since no eggs. I have 3 different cages of quails, all nice and spacious in the outdoors (yes they get sunlight). I feed them well, with a blend of oats, cabbage/bok choy/broccoli/pumpkin/peas or corn (a mix of those, varied depending on what I can take home from work). I then mix the greens with the gamebird crumble, layer pellets, shell grit and budgie seed mix. I also pick one 4 inch or so of basil for each enclosure. They also have grass inside the avairies (it's very natural) with hidey-holes that they all used to love nesting in.
My guess is that I have just had a transition in weather (tropics) which has caused them to stop. However it is now the dry season, which is no rain and lots of sunlight so I assume they should be laying. I check them for eggs about 3-4 times daily to see if it's egg eating, and so far I haven't seen any egg remanants. The last egg I found in one aviary was 3 weeks ago with nothing further.
My birds are definatly healthy, big birds with glossy eyes and plumage. Droppings look normal and they do not seem stressed (they are pretty docile). Recently though two of my older hens and my older male died, but they still wern't laying before then. The younger male I have now doesn't harrass the girls either.
My king quails however are prolific layers. Only birds apart from my finches that are still laying. Though they are breeding I suppose.
Any clues?
As for the chickens, they have similar conditions, lots of nesting, 3 roosters amoungst them (which are over a year old, don't crow or mate) and I haven't had an egg for months, longer than the quails. No change in diet.
My guess is that I have just had a transition in weather (tropics) which has caused them to stop. However it is now the dry season, which is no rain and lots of sunlight so I assume they should be laying. I check them for eggs about 3-4 times daily to see if it's egg eating, and so far I haven't seen any egg remanants. The last egg I found in one aviary was 3 weeks ago with nothing further.
My birds are definatly healthy, big birds with glossy eyes and plumage. Droppings look normal and they do not seem stressed (they are pretty docile). Recently though two of my older hens and my older male died, but they still wern't laying before then. The younger male I have now doesn't harrass the girls either.
My king quails however are prolific layers. Only birds apart from my finches that are still laying. Though they are breeding I suppose.
Any clues?
As for the chickens, they have similar conditions, lots of nesting, 3 roosters amoungst them (which are over a year old, don't crow or mate) and I haven't had an egg for months, longer than the quails. No change in diet.
