Quail still laying winter? (How to stop them?!)

[SeptemberQuail]

When I first got quail, I was having trouble getting them to lay eggs, and now they won't stop!
These guys are egg machines.

My quail are around 9 months old now and it's nearing the end of winter, so the day is obviously shorter.
I let them out at around 8 am and let them in to sleep at around 5 - 5:30pm so that's around 9 hours a day of sunlight (out of the 12 - 14 hours they need to lay -- they have no artificial light). I've also lowered their food protein (from 28% to 22%) and yet they still continue to lay...

Any way to make them stop?
I don't want their lifespan to dramatically shorten because of this. I thought quail were supposed to stop laying in winter.(?)

Thanks in advance.

 

[spikennipper]

Quail have fairly short lifespans anyway so I wouldn't worry, I think as long as they are outside exposed to the seasons you are not doing anything wrong, just keep going as you are and if they want to lay let them, they will probably slow down as they get older and then you will want them to lay! I think Temps and light has a lot to do with it, am I right in thinking the temps have not been too cold and the days not too gloomy over winter in Oz? do you still get a fair bit of sun? I have no such problems in UK winters lol, the girls stop laying once we head into winter.

 

[SeptemberQuail]

Thanks for the reply!

Well, actually its been a bit more cooler this year than past winters, heading into the negatives during the night and early morning. It doesn't snow where I live, so there's only ever frost on the grass on cold mornings, by the time I let my quail out, there will only be frost where there's shadow. The days vary, some days it'll be windy and chilly, other days will feel warm and sunny, and so on.
By 5 o'clock it'll already start to get a little dark and by 6, it'll be pitch black outside.
Maybe I should ask them nicely to stop laying eggs until spring.

 

[satay]

MIne have laid right through winter too .

 

[Weirdness555]

I wouldn't worry too much, I'd put the protein back up and just let them lay, it's making them lay longer with artificial light that can harm them long term, if they're laying naturally due to the weather I'm sure they're fine.

 

[Brianachan]

When I first got quail, I was having trouble getting them to lay eggs, and now they won't stop!
These guys are egg machines.

My quail are around 9 months old now and it's nearing the end of winter, so the day is obviously shorter.
I let them out at around 8 am and let them in to sleep at around 5 - 5:30pm so that's around 9 hours a day of sunlight (out of the 12 - 14 hours they need to lay -- they have no artificial light). I've also lowered their food protein (from 28% to 22%) and yet they still continue to lay...

Any way to make them stop?
I don't want their lifespan to dramatically shorten because of this. I thought quail were supposed to stop laying in winter.(?)

Thanks in advance.

You are so lucky, maybe my quails will live longer, they haven’t laid for a month, because of molting, I used yard light sometimes but not every day.

 

[Nabiki]

I think this is the newest thread you've replied to so far. ;-) It's only eight years old. Quail don't lay while moulting.

 

[Brianachan]

I think this is the newest thread you've replied to so far. ;-) It's only eight years old. Quail don't lay while moulting.

But for how long? Normally just two or three weeks Moulting right? five weeks now, just too long

 

[shrimpsilkies]

But for how long? Normally just two or three weeks Moulting right? five weeks now, just too long

When quail molt in the autumn, they stop laying until spring. Most of mine stopped laying in October and I haven’t got any eggs from them (only egg from a couple weirdos who didn’t molt) and I don’t expect eggs until maybe the end of March. If you keep them on artificial lighting in the winter, they may not molt and they will continue to lay. Quail are more wild birds than chickens are and will not lay when it’s not the breeding season unless you trick their bodies into thinking it is.

 

[Nabiki]

But for how long? Normally just two or three weeks Moulting right? five weeks now, just too long

How much light are they getting? They need 14-16 hours of light per day to lay. Also, are there any other stress factors? Stress will also keep them from laying.