Quail - How much light (in terms of hours) is too much?

[als77]

So I know that for egg-laying an adult Coturnix Quail needs (a least) 12-14 hours of (day)light, but I was wondering if there is such a thing as too many hours of daylight? And especially for young quail chicks.

I would assume that 14 hours and a couple more is fine, and probably also ideal to have at least 14 hours, but how long would be best?

From wikipedia (...) I see that the Coturnix Coturnix migrates, some even going as far north as Tromsø (i.e midnight sun), but that isn't necessarily the same as 24/7 being ideal Also, there might be differences between the Coturnix Coturnix and the Japanese (which is the one my question is about).

Anyone seen any research or have first-hand experience with what the birds seems to be prefer?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Mine get whatever light is natural. Sometimes it's 8 hours, sometimes it's nearly 20. But I raised mine with a red heat lamp so for about 4-6 weeks, they had just 24/7 light

 

[NY Coturnix]

I have a light on mine that I normally turn on when I go out around 6:30AM. I turn it off when I'm done as the sun has typically come up by then(this time of year). I then turn it on when I get home around 5 and then turn it off around 9ish PM. I've heard that they can go crazy if light is left on 24 hours a day and wouldn't think it was good for them. In the summer I don't turn the lights on at all.

 

[als77]

In Japan daylight seems to be between 10 and 14.5 hours in the south, and 9-15.5 hours in the north, so that is what the Japanese Cotorunix once were used to. However, we've had domestication and different places for many, many years since that. I haven't seen any research on what is ideal though.

Mine get whatever light is natural. Sometimes it's 8 hours, sometimes it's nearly 20. But I raised mine with a red heat lamp so for about 4-6 weeks, they had just 24/7 light

They seem happy with both 8 and 20? And didn't freak out from 24/7?

I have a light on mine that I normally turn on when I go out around 6:30AM. I turn it off when I'm done as the sun has typically come up by then(this time of year). I then turn it on when I get home around 5 and then turn it off around 9ish PM. I've heard that they can go crazy if light is left on 24 hours a day and wouldn't think it was good for them. In the summer I don't turn the lights on at all.

So 14.5 hours of (day)light for yours then (or more during summer). They seem happy with 14.5 hours being the shortest daylight?

 

[Nabiki]

I try to make sure mine get at least 8 hours of dark. 14-16 hours of light per day is what is usually quoted as best for laying.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Not sure if they're happy about it, but that's what they get since they live outside. No control on how the sun rises and sets.

And no, but this batch I have are probably an anomaly. I haven't had one behavior issue with them, where others I got as juveniles are constantly being aggressive or being attacked

 

[als77]

I try to make sure mine get at least 8 hours of dark. 14-16 hours of light per day is what is usually quoted as best for laying.

Gut feeling, experience or any other reason to the min 8 hours of dark? I did see someone claiming that more than 16 hours of daylight wasn't good, but I don't know what that claim was based on

 

[Nabiki]

Gut feeling, experience or any other reason to the min 8 hours of dark? I did see someone claiming that more than 16 hours of daylight wasn't good, but I don't know what that claim was based on

Any living creature does better with enough sleep. They don't sleep well if it's light out.

 

[NY Coturnix]

I try to provide enough that they continue to lay and haven't seen any decline at 14,5. There are days I may forget to turn them off so they get more and the same nights I'll forget to turn them on.

 

[FloorCandy]

I have automatic lights that go on and off for them. They have light from about 7 am until 10:30 pm. Most days I remove their tarp in the morning so they can enjoy the sun, but if it rains or snows I leave them covered and turn the lights on thru the day for them, but they can still see out the sides. I probably don’t need to light them in the bad weather, but I feel like they’re used to having light.

My chicks are raised with heating lamps or heating plates, and I haven’t noticed a difference in behavior. The chicks react if it’s dark and you turn on a light, but don’t seem to have issues with having a light 24/7. If I use a heat plate, I need to supply a night light for the first few nights or they get lost from the plate and pile up in a corner shivering, a dim light outside the brooder, near the plate helps them find their way back.

I’ve read that providing light 24/7 makes them a bit crazy, but it doesn’t seem to bother chicks, so maybe it’s just adults.