Quail stopped laying

[lagpmgdsls]

My 1 and only mature coturnix hen started laying at 5 weeks 5 days old. She laid for me everyday for almost 2 weeks and now its been 3 days without an egg. What would cause her to stop? Nothing has changed in her environment.

 

[shelleyd2008]

You mean you haven't been having all this crazy weather where you are? I don't know what else it could be, but starting at 5 weeks is pretty early IMO. Have you checked to make sure she isn't egg-bound?

 

[monarc23]

My birds slowed down a lot in this colder weather my browns (one hen) just started revving up again after not laying for around 3 days as well. Now my golden pen has been going steady since it got warm...

 

[lagpmgdsls]

It has been colder the past few days so maybe thats why. Its warming back up now so hopfully things will start again.

 

[monarc23]

While I was up moving quails around I thought of something.. MOLT pick up that hen and see if she's got quill feathers coming in..if she does.. WALA that's your prob!

Also, the cold has NADA to do with quails laying eggs, it's the duration of daily light...it can be below freezing and they will lay as long as they are under 14 hours of light a day. (scientific study to back this up if you're interested).

 

[miss_thenorth]

DUHHH.... which ones are the quill feathers. I have four girlies and am ony getting 1-3 eggs a day--they are new to me, and have bald backs. In the process of getting more girlies. Could mine be moulting too?

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
the bald backs are from roos mounting/and or them harrassing eachother. Coturnix dont really molt that drastically. Quill feathers are hte same as "blood feathers' the feathers that are just growing in (like how they are on chicken chicks that are starting to get their feathers in). Your 4th may be a roo?

Just picking LOL! Anywho, it's possible they are molting but it could just be that one hen waits a day then lays. I have some hens that lay for three days then stop for a day then lay for another three days and stop again...

 

[lagpmgdsls]

I didn't think the cold had anything to do with it either...

Niki...any good pictures of what a molting hen may look like? Since I am new to this I really have no idea what to look for.

 

[shelleyd2008]

We had gotten about 2 weeks worth of rain, then 3 or 4 days of a lot colder than normal weather. It made mine skip a beat now and then.

Do you give yours any type of calcium? One of my tuxedo hens is very particular, if she doesn't have a steady supply of calcium (i.e. oyster shell or cuttle bone), she won't lay a lick. It was so bad that I thought I had only 1 tuxedo hen until a few weeks ago, and they are about 3 months old

 

[monarc23]

Yeah when it's rainy/coudy the next day mine barely lay either i hate it LOL! If theres a storm I know the next day not to expect my normal supply of eggs....now if it's gorgeously sunny, the next day I expect to see atleast normal amount of eggs from my girls

As for a molting hen...I think I do but it doesnt show the quills btu I can get a pic of that for ya tomorrow

All three of these birds are in a molt:::