Only one egg daily in a four hen flock

[HutchButch]

I've had my flock for about 8 weeks now and got them when they were a week old. I have four hens and a roo, and I keep the roo in the same hutch in a screened off area so he doesn't breed with the hens. They can all see each other and are eating well and have plenty of room.

For about two weeks now, I've been getting eggs, but only one at a time daily, usually in the evening around 8 or 9. If I have four hens of the same age, shouldn't they all be laying one egg per day? Should I make changes to their living quarters, or is it a matter of age?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Oh, this is quail, oops!

 

[Kiki]

I would not keep the one male by himself...it's probably stressfully for all of them with him being separated.

Can you post CLEAR pictures of each bird? Are you sure you have 4 females?

 

[Kiki]

Oh, this is quail, oops!

I have done the same thing many times.

I thought that you might have not noticed where the the thread was located.

 

[Nabiki]

I still don't want them to breed. I don't want fertilized eggs period.

What do you mean about them not raising their own chicks though? And what does broody mean?

Coturnix quail are terrible parents for the most part. Even if the eggs are fertile, they won't sit on them (go broody), so they won't hatch. If you don't want fertile eggs, have you considered getting rid of the male? They will still lay eggs without him.

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Coturnix quail are terrible parents for the most part. Even if the eggs are fertile, they won't sit on them (go broody), so they won't hatch. If you don't want fertile eggs, have you considered getting rid of the male? They will still lay eggs without him.

Agreed even if you have fertile eggs they are perfectly safe to eat and don’t change the taste or anything it just means if you throw them in the incubator they will develop.

 

[SmiYa0126]

They're only nine weeks and one is already laying? Wow! I didn't know they could lay at two months. The others may take longer. Can you post pictures of them?

 

[Kiki]

They're only nine weeks and one is already laying? Wow! I didn't know they could lay at two months. The others may take longer. Can you post pictures of them?

I have had quail that started laying at 5 weeks.

 

[Nabiki]

They're only nine weeks and one is already laying? Wow! I didn't know they could lay at two months. The others may take longer. Can you post pictures of them?

Coturnix quail usually start to lay at around 6 weeks, but it can take longer in fall or winter if they're not getting enough light.

took my girls 20 weeks to see a egg.

Was this during winter?

@HutchButch I would check two things. One, make sure they're getting at least 14 hours of light per day. Two, make sure that nothing is stressing them. Having your boy separated might be causing them some stress, but look for predators hanging around, or other issues.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Quail

I was replying to the other user because I think they got confused. Then I scrolled down and saw they realized it was quail not chickens. I was going to say there’s no way it took 20 weeks for a quail to pop an egg out