Soft eggs in young quail - with pictures

[ButtonNomies]

Quail have no issues decimating cuttlefish, mine go through one a week n leave me a thin sliver/shell/boat So to answer that question, yes they're happy to peck at it til it's deader than dead

 

[Linita]

Congratulations on both of them laying. That big one from your white girl is probably a double yolk. Since she didn't lay yesterday, that's even more likely.

No the big one is from the golden. But yes it's this big may be double yolk. I'm not sure if i had ever seen one.

 

[Linita]

Another update
For now, no more shell less eggs. The calcium supplement hasnt arrived yet so after they finished the cuttlebone i gave them crushed egg shells. The cuttlebone they ate like crazy but the eggshells they don't seem to be interested in.

All normal eggs, although I've realised the shells are thin compared to what I remember, so definitely need calcium

I've learned to distinguish the eggs from the undertone of the shell. Also they seem to lay pretty consistently at more or less the same time everyday. The white around 15 and the other around 17h haha. I didn't expect them to do that.

And today the golden one has outdone herself with a 16g egg. They both have been laing everyday. It doesn't even fit in the plastic it's crazy o.o

After the big egg the golden did the same complaining noises as the white one. And te white one seems to complain a bit less every time.

The other big one idk if it was a doubleyolk or not because it broke but definitely huge yolk.

And my first homemade quail meal

Thanks everyone.

 

[Huntmaster]

This was my lunch 2 days ago scrambled Quail eggs and Ham topped with a little cheddar cheese. Gotta love those Quail eggs I'm sure you will enjoy yours.

 

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

I am glad your quail is doing better now!
You sent me down a rabbit hole with the whole calcium thing, this was probably the most interesting/helpful thing I came across. Like you I am still somewhat confused about it
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1056617120301094

@Huntmaster I still can't get over how delicious that looks!

 

[Butchers Wife]

How much should I give them in proportion to their feed?

Break it up so they can eat it. Either give it in a separate dish or sprinkle some over there feed. You can smash up chicken egg shells too. Later you can smash up their own egg shells. They need calcium to form shells on their own eggs. Wild birds get it from eating shells and bones, even nibbling for years after a large animal has died or lost it's antlers.

 

[Linita]

Update:
Time has passed, I gave them oyster shells on the side. No more shell-less eggs since the post, and the shells now are more hard, I think they're pretty good now.

White keeps making the complaining noises from time to time. But not for very long continuously.

White one didn't calm down and her aggression has only escalated incredibly, specially against me, the other quail is safe for now I'd say, she pecks her from time to time but so far no bald spots or any major injuries.

 

[Linita]

This was my lunch 2 days ago scrambled Quail eggs and Ham topped with a little cheddar cheese. Gotta love those Quail eggs I'm sure you will enjoy yours. View attachment 3395490

that's a lot of quail eggs! how many quails do you have? did you buy the scissor to open them?

I got a total of 3 big eggs from the gold quail. The last one was the biggest with 18g!
I opened two of them but the yolk broke, so I really didn't get to see it. Although I think they were double yolks because in the second one yolk came out whole and a broken one.

The last big egg I wanted to see, so I boiled it! So I could see. I had never seen a double yolk egg I think, and at least never a double yolk quail egg!

Are the big eggs always double yolks?

Now she's laying normal eggs.

 

[NatJ]

Are the big eggs always double yolks?

I wouldn't say always, but it is pretty common that normal sized eggs have single yolks and extra-big ones have double yolks.

 

[Huntmaster]

that's a lot of quail eggs! how many quails do you have? did you buy the scissor to open them?

I got a total of 3 big eggs from the gold quail. The last one was the biggest with 18g!
I opened two of them but the yolk broke, so I really didn't get to see it. Although I think they were double yolks because in the second one yolk came out whole and a broken one.

The last big egg I wanted to see, so I boiled it! So I could see. I had never seen a double yolk egg I think, and at least never a double yolk quail egg!

Are the big eggs always double yolks?

Now she's laying normal eggs.

I have 35 to 45 laying/breeding quail all the time and can have up to 150 young birds, I usually hatch 50 to 60 at a time. Yes, I do use the scissors it is so much easier than trying to crack open quail eggs without breaking yolks or getting shell in egg. The larger than normal eggs are usually double yolks, it takes first time layers awhile to get the bugs out of their egg laying systems. They can lay some odd eggs for a while like shell less eggs/unpainted/double yolk eggs etc. I have large jumbo quail and 16g to 18g is my average egg weight with many in the 20s the largest egg I have ever gotten was a 32.4g a triple yolk ouch poor girl.