Quail Still Not Laying any Eggs

[miss_thenorth]

Well, mine are eating purina gamebird layer. One cage is laying, the other two are not. first cage is older, the other two are -10 weeks old now, and the older birds started laying at 6 weeks. I haven't checked recently wheter or mo==not the males are even making sperm yet--will do that tomorrow.

 

[NancyDz]

I think it's food and light. Mine get 27% Turkey starter, get rid of medicated food for them. They eat way too much food and don't need to be processing all those meds... nor do you want to be eating the meds when you start getting eggs. At that age they should be egg machines... you need to change it up. Also supplement with some scrambled or hard boiled eggs or even some cat food if you want to keep them on a layer feed. I've just had the best luck with the turkey starter here..

 

[ken429h]

I think it's something other than a feed/light issue.

Unless the OP is only giving the birds a thimble full of (even the most awful feed) and 10LBS. of Iceberg lettuce then I don't think it's a food related issue....medicated or not....That's just me.
Light 10 weeks ago (outside on the eastern seaboard was fine for quail kept outside.) today it's iffy.

My best guesses based on this thread, not the others with pics and such.

#1. Something or someone is stealing/eating what ever eggs the birds are laying.

#2. You have only roos.

#3. You have a totally different spices than described.

That's just my best guess.

Ken

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

1. Nothing other than the birds themselves could be eating the eggs. They are on hardware cloth and there's a HUGE plastic mold for the females to sit on when they don't want to be on the wire anymore.

2. I've got females. Speckled chests right?

3. They're Coturnix. Here's some photos:

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yep, they are coturnix. The first looks like a male, but the 2nd is a female. I have no idea what would cause them to not lay at this age. I would cull and start over. How often do you check them? What are you feeding them? They've got to be eating the eggs, or something else is.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

22% Grower crumbles, my dad checks daily and so far nothing.

These were given to me by a very sweet member on here...I don't know who else would have any quail to start over with?

 

[shelleyd2008]

You can always get eggs. I have no clue why they wouldn't be laying.

Do you give them oyster shells? Treats? Any supplements to up their protein intake?

I switch my birds feed all the time. I was feeding them game bird starter, which is either 24% or 28%, can't remember. I ran out of that, and ran low on cash, so I switched them back to 20% flock raiser, but I was also mixing some grains and such in their feed to stretch it a bit. My A&Ms started eating their eggs, plus any eggs in the adjoining pens they could reach. I know they did, as I went out there one day and there were 3 eggs in the cage, then went about an hour later to gather eggs and there was only 1.
I put them back on the gamebird starter, gave lots of oyster shells, some dirt for bathing, and they have stopped eating their eggs.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I guess I'll put in some more oyster shell and find something to up the protein.

Any ideas as to how to do that without getting the gamebird feed?

 

[shelleyd2008]

You can grind up cat food and give that to them, or boil some eggs for them.

 

[NancyDz]

Quote:
Yep do the cat food or hard boiled or scrambled eggs for extra protein