Last week I posted this clip from a web site
"MEAT BIRD PRODUCTION - Although Coturnix are mature after 6 weeks, they have not reached their full body weight until after 10 weeks. Temporary caponization of coturnix by light denial will create a much larger and fatter bird. Light denial decreases the sex urge and egg production. This most desirable light denial can be handled in one of two ways. The
birds may be placed in a completely darkened room and have a timer turn lights on for 8 hours each day or they may be raised in very low or dim lighting. In either case, do not let daylight or light rays shine directly into pens. To reverse this temporary caponization, just return the birds to normal lighting for 10 days."
From: https://www.gqfmfg.com/pdf/RAISE%20GAME%20BIRDS%20PDF.pdf
Well... yesterday I tried this with the older, larger birds. Tonight I had to turn the lights on to feed them. OMG!!!! They were bouncing off the ceiling so hard I flipped the lights back off and just did feeding/watering in the dark. (btw: the quail don't try to escape when the lights are out as much as they did with daylight.)
It's only been 24 hours since I "threw them in the hole", but I just wanted to keep everyone aware of their behavior. I will also let you know in a couple weeks if they "plumped up"
"MEAT BIRD PRODUCTION - Although Coturnix are mature after 6 weeks, they have not reached their full body weight until after 10 weeks. Temporary caponization of coturnix by light denial will create a much larger and fatter bird. Light denial decreases the sex urge and egg production. This most desirable light denial can be handled in one of two ways. The
birds may be placed in a completely darkened room and have a timer turn lights on for 8 hours each day or they may be raised in very low or dim lighting. In either case, do not let daylight or light rays shine directly into pens. To reverse this temporary caponization, just return the birds to normal lighting for 10 days."
From: https://www.gqfmfg.com/pdf/RAISE%20GAME%20BIRDS%20PDF.pdf
Well... yesterday I tried this with the older, larger birds. Tonight I had to turn the lights on to feed them. OMG!!!! They were bouncing off the ceiling so hard I flipped the lights back off and just did feeding/watering in the dark. (btw: the quail don't try to escape when the lights are out as much as they did with daylight.)
It's only been 24 hours since I "threw them in the hole", but I just wanted to keep everyone aware of their behavior. I will also let you know in a couple weeks if they "plumped up"
