Question about lighting in the winter for coturnix

[shelleyd2008]

This will be my first winter with coturnix (that aren't in my house

)

I know I'll need to put a light on them to make them keep laying. I also know that they usually lay really late at night (like between 6 and 8 pm). If they are still laying like this in the winter, I would think there would be a lot of frozen eggs.

I was wondering if it would be possible to change their days and nights? What I was thinking of doing is keeping them in a dark building, and turning a light on only at night. My thoughts are that this will make them lay their eggs in the morning, which would be when I would be out there to feed everyone. So this way the eggs wouldn't have much time (if any) to freeze.

Any thoughts?

 

[Ironsun]

Hi,

I can't see any reason why this would not work, if the building is completly light proof, you can arrange any sort of lighting pattern for your quails. You have the power to change day into night.

Just one thought accured to me, if it's that cold in your area to freeze eggs over night, would your birds be affected by the cold as not to lay?

Ironsun.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Ours lay thru the winter without any added light, they slow down of course but they don't stop. Our quail hutch has a closed in box at one end and that is where most of them lay, the body heat keeps it above freezing in there. I don't know how much colder it is where you are though. We get 20's and the rare teen's here in the dead of winter.

Steve in NC

 

[shelleyd2008]

It is usually about the same here Steve, I was just wondering how this would work. Last winter I had some silkies that had just started laying. They would lay their eggs early in the morning and by the time I'd get out there (around 8:30-9) their eggs would already be cracked from freezing.

I had a trio of pharoahs last winter, and one of them started laying in like November, but the eggs were never fertile.

 

[monarc23]

I wish i lived down south to not have to add artificial lighting mine completely stop it's way too dark here

 

[shelleyd2008]

So will they need heat and light, to keep the roos 'frisky'?

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Hey, there is place for sale down the road from us, I bet it has all the comforts of an NC home. hot and cold running mosquitoes, snakes of every size and color crawling around....what more could you want?

Steve

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
Hey, there is place for sale down the road from us, I bet it has all the comforts of an NC home. hot and cold running mosquitoes, snakes of every size and color crawling around....what more could you want?

Steve

haha sounds like here but WARMER/sunnier!!!! Im game!

I told hubby once things get better in teh drilling industry (he's a natural gas well relief driller) that i'd love to move down south