Quail don’t seem happy

[featheredplanets]

I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong for them? I’m not enjoying them and they’re not enjoying me. I’m considering if they are right for me and keep concluding they’re not but I want to persevere. They have 16sqft between 6 of them. They’re all Coturnix hens. About 4 months old.

They laid the first week. No eggs since. They’ve had a light in for a little over a week which brings their light exposure to 14-15 hrs. No eggs still. They did have an 18hr light at their previous home. All they’ve done since buying them is fight. There’s always feathers all over the floor. But I don’t understand why? They have high protein feed and I don’t believe that’s an issue. Nor do I believe it’s the space, I’ve watched videos where there are 2 or 3 times as many quail in the area these have and theirs lay and get on fine. I don’t think it’s the light as they were the same for the 3 weeks before it’s installation. They’re skittish and unfriendly, I only want them as they should be simple pets and lay a good amount of small eggs, but that’s not the case.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[RUNuts]

Is the cage bare? Do they have a dust bath or obstacles to hide from one another? Did you research and confirm you have 4 females? None should have the red chest. It sounds like the males in my coops that fight when they reach 6 weeks. Lots of running and squawking.

I left 2 in one coop and they divided the coop in 2. The loser was always in the other half away from the dominant male. I separated them after figuring out what was happening.

Post pictures of the hens and the coop and we'll see if anything jumps out.

 

[Nabiki]

If there are feathers all over the place it's possible that they're not laying because they're moulting.

 

[featheredplanets]

That sounds about right to me.

Thank you. I best do some research on quail moulting

 

[JaeG]

Quail can take 4-6 weeks to get back into laying after a move like yours have had. Hopefully they will start sharing their beautiful eggs with you soon once they feel more settled. 12-14 hours of light should be sufficient to stimulate them to lay.

If they weren't brought up with much human contact then unfortunately they won't be particularly friendly. Also if they were bred for production rather than selecting for calm birds then that works against them too.

Were they all in the same cage in their previous home? If not then that will be the reason they are fighting. Quail need to be integrated carefully and often personalities clash. If one group isn't used to another groups colour, for instance, they won't ever become a happy unit. Sometimes it's impossible to integrate certain birds and your best bet is to get some that have been handled a lot (like from someone breeding their pets), and who have grown up together. They are always the happiest groups.

 

[Ratchnick]

Higher protein feed or treats will help them get back into laying after the massive protein expenditure of growing feathers.

 

[MGG]

My hens have been happier since I gave them a rooster, so maybe you could try it. My hens also started laying better when I put him in

 

[featheredplanets]

My hens have been happier since I gave them a rooster, so maybe you could try it. My hens also started laying better when I put him in

May be worth a try then. Thanks for the help

 

[Nabiki]

Is that normal at 4 months?

That sounds about right to me.

 

[le_bwah]

Can you post a picture of your cage setup? Make sure they have things to hide in/under—there might be something in their environment (e.g. nocturnal predators) bothering them.