The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: StephB on January 31, 2012, 11:08:21 am
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Morning,
I bought 6 Quails last Spring/Summer and I haven't had a single egg from the yet :o . I think they were young quail when I bought them (at least i was told they were!!! :-\).
I have been looking forward to feeding the children cute little eggs but not a single one yet, has anyone elses Quails started laying yet or does anyone know any signs I can look out for that could tell me if they are old quail??.
I am feeding them Chick crumb?. I read that this is ok but maybe I should be trying to find some specific quail feed that might encourage them to lay. i know it is early in the season but I am sooo impatient.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Steph x
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Mine haven't started laying, but I've just as many questions as you! Also anyone any tips on how to sex a quail? I'm new to them to!
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i think chick crumb has to be free from medication if ur eating the eggs. we used layers pellet, which we at first ground up with a pestle and mortar til we had our own mill. our feed supplier says to feed them millet but never had.
to sex them u need to squish the vent, if foam comes out its a boy ( recently mated female).
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I don't have any now but used to have a trio of Mexican Speckled. They don't start laying until the days are much longer and getting warmer - sort of the same time that the wild birds start the down chorus and nest building ?? Unless of course they are in a heated aviary with the lights on say 5 am to 10pm perhaps?
I am sure that someone more experienced will come along with more advice.
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I just feed mine layers pellets without grinding them up and they never sam to have a problem with it.
Mine have laid the odd one or two over winter but last spring they didn't start till end of April compared to the middle of February for the ducks.
It depends on the variety for sexing as some can be sexed by colour. In the wild type japanese quails and the golden Italian colouring the boys have a chestnut/rust coloured breast and the girls have a creamy coloured breast flecked with brown. The range (dark brown) and tuxedo quails are not so easy and need vent sexing. In the males the vent is very bulbous and when squeezed foam come out. Unfortunately during winter when they are not sexually active this is much less prominent than in the summer when it is very obvious which gender they are by their behaviour!
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Thanks for your replies all, I guess I just need abit more patience ;)
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also they dont have a very long productive life i think i heard somewhere about 7-10 months is good for them then they just lay the odd one or 2 now and again. best bit bung them in a market and buy a new batch in they start to lay from about 8 weeks and are mature enough from about 6. sexing i think can be markings or try the car trick pointy feathers are male vent sexing on quail is hard due to how tiny they are.
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yep, you need patience - its still winter so they won't lay til at least Easter.
We feed ours layers pellets or mash & a treat of cut maize - just the same as the hens & they are fine with it.
colour sexing is easy on standard Japs Derby_menagerie, and vent sexing is pretty straight forward.. in Spring!
Too cold for eggs, probably too cold for hanky panky too!!
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they are delicious to eat....
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Longer days should start them laying, ideal about 14 -16 hours of daylight. You can supplement this in the winter with artificial light if you want them to start laying.
Layers pellets work well but I used to supplement them with an extra bit of protein from some cheese or hard boiled egg, and few extra vitamins (a drop or two of my children’s Haliborange in their water worked just fine).
Sexing was easy, after a few months the boys started to crow in that strange strangulated call. But there are some good pictorial guides on the net also. Age of a quail? The only way I can think of is to look at the beak and feet, young birds should be softer, less knobbly.
Good luck and remember you can always threaten them with the BBQ, they taste very good.
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Hehe roast Quail. Yum Yum. They have till July to lay an egg, if not I will b googling Quail recipes :thumbsup:
Thanks for your help all xxx
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My lovely sister bought me a whole book of quail recipes. The quail with apples and calvados was amazing!
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mine get fed a mini layers pellet just for quails with veg and fruit added
altho have not had an egg for a month werd birds may put them in the oven lol as have more eggs due to hatch
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Thanks also for all the replies, just extend there averiy yeasterday so a few more are on the list ;) , or some hatching eggs!