KGQuail24
Chirping
- Jun 6, 2021
- 47
- 18
- 59
Hi all,
This is my first molt experience with my quail and I'm hoping you can tell me how much longer I can expect it to last. 3rd week of September they turned 6 months old, the weather here in Ohio started to change, and feathers started to appear all over the floor of their coop and run, plus, egg laying stopped completely. They were kinda grumpy and picking on each other, but not too badly, and they're dust bathing even more heavily. Definitely molting.
Previously, we had been seeing an egg a day from each of them reliably and then, soon as this started, in an instant they all stopped completely.
It has been an *entire month* and not much has changed, and still not a single egg! The weather is mild (50s-70s) and they are sheltered from wind and rain, their Mazuri food has 20% protein and I regularly give meal worms and some crushed shell to enjoy and boost protein and calcium a little. About once a week I give MannaPro probiotic/electrolyte water as well. There are lights in their coop which provide 5 additional hours of light from 5-10 pm to try to encourage laying; that has been in place the entirety of the molt.
They're all doing all the normal things they do EXCEPT laying eggs. With all the extras I've got in place, how much longer do you expect this egg drought to last?!? Any other suggestions to encourage them to wrap up this process?
This is my first molt experience with my quail and I'm hoping you can tell me how much longer I can expect it to last. 3rd week of September they turned 6 months old, the weather here in Ohio started to change, and feathers started to appear all over the floor of their coop and run, plus, egg laying stopped completely. They were kinda grumpy and picking on each other, but not too badly, and they're dust bathing even more heavily. Definitely molting.
Previously, we had been seeing an egg a day from each of them reliably and then, soon as this started, in an instant they all stopped completely.
It has been an *entire month* and not much has changed, and still not a single egg! The weather is mild (50s-70s) and they are sheltered from wind and rain, their Mazuri food has 20% protein and I regularly give meal worms and some crushed shell to enjoy and boost protein and calcium a little. About once a week I give MannaPro probiotic/electrolyte water as well. There are lights in their coop which provide 5 additional hours of light from 5-10 pm to try to encourage laying; that has been in place the entirety of the molt.
They're all doing all the normal things they do EXCEPT laying eggs. With all the extras I've got in place, how much longer do you expect this egg drought to last?!? Any other suggestions to encourage them to wrap up this process?
I have my string of lights in their coop, but not in their outdoor run. It's bright when they go inside, which is often, but I didn't want to light the whole backyard and bother the neighbors. Are basic Christmas lights enough? 
