Quail Nest Boxes Work

[Fat Daddy]

Quote:

I check my girls when I get home everyday, about 3:45. Theres usually 1 or 2 eggs sometimes still wet. I check one side for eggs and take out the feeder to fill. Then check the other side. Most times while checking the second side of the pen, you can hear at least 1 egg hit the wire on the first side. Most afternoons before I get done feeding and watering all the birds, I have 4 or 5 coturnix eggs in my shirt pocket...
the sand box is just where they sometimes happen to be when the egg falls out at my house. I have seen them drop a egg and not even squat. Act like "what? Don't know nuth'in bout it, it aint mine...." Now I have never gave them the nest like I read some of you guys do either. I may give it a try thou. Bill

 

[Chick Charm]

Except that is has worked. Three more eggs tonight and all were again in the box. So at least they are consistant. Now I just need all 8 girls to lay.

 

[Stellar]

I have kitty litter boxes in each cage, shoe boxes in others. That's where I find my eggs

they love their oystershells and pop the egg in the sandbox. Eggs clean and easy to find. One Texas A and M does lay her egg in a food cup everytime. Maybe she wants everyone to know she is a pig?

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

I have sink tubs, sort of like the cat litter tubs. I usually weigh them down with a 1in flat concrete brick on one side and line it with hay. Most of the time the eggs are layed in them. In some of the larger runs I have blastic storage stacking shelves. they have three walls and a partial wall in the front. Those are my favorite.

 

[Chick Charm]

Just an update. Yesterday I had 5 hens lay, the most to date. I just need the other 3 to get going. Most are now 8 weeks old. I had 4 eggs in the nest box and 1 in the sand box. So one of my new laying hens did not get the memo to lay in the nest box. It was a first timer as the shell was completely different from the others. Hopefully she'll catch on like the rest. I don't know how to effectively dictate laying locations other than provide the box with fresh alfalfa in it. It has worked with most so far, i just am greedy and want 100% of my eggs to come from the nice clean grass in the box.

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

I think that's about all you can do

 

[TheRealTimShady]

giving this a try, i took an old shoe box and flipped it upside down, cut out an enterance on one side and sat it in there, hopefully they will like it, go inside and lay their eggs in there, so all i have to do is lift the box up, collect, and put it back down. Sandboxes on either side of it so we'll see what they like more

 

[krstms]

I only have 2 quail right now but I decided to give them a dust bathing box that I filled with sand and dirt. I didnt count on them using it as a nest box too but that's where the majority of their eggs have been ever since I put it in their cage. lol

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

Multipurposing

 

[krstms]