Quails behaving odd

[Ernst W.T. Bothma]

Hi.. I have coturnix jumbo quail. I have 6 females and 6 males but i only get 1 egg every week. What can I do to improve egg laying. And is it normal for males to walk away when im'e near but the female's peck my hand when I try to enter the coop???

 

[JaeG]

Coturnix are best kept one male per cage to at least 3 hens, more if he's aggressive, unless they are in a big, well planted aviary. Females are more nosy and friendlier (generally) and my girls frequently fall out of the cage as I'm trying to put a new lot of food in or clean them out. And they love to stand right in the way as you are cleaning them out.

Too many males will be causing a lot of stress to your hens and stressed hens don't lay well (if at all). It also depends on the time of year and how many hours of daylight they are getting. I can't advise about supplementing light as my girls get a winter break from laying, which means my 3 year old girls are laying just as well as the new girls. If you force them to lay year round they will burn out quicker.