Author Topic: Useless Quails (Read 4332 times)

StephB · « **on:** March 18, 2012, 09:09:06 pm »

Last summer i bought 5 quails. I have to admit to not knowing which type they are, but 3 look like Japanese quails and the other two have white breasts like the Tuxedo Quails.

I was promised that they were young and due to lay by the end of the year. Well, it is mid March and i have not seen one single egg!!!.

Am I being impatient?. Are there any Quail owner out there and have they all started laying by now??.

All my other birds (ducks, hens, geese) are in full laying mode but not a single Quail egg...Grrrr

I am beginning to wonder if i have been sold a load of old duffers. Is there any way i can examine them to tell if they are old??.

I have been feeding them layers mash.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Steph

little blue · « **Reply #1 on:** March 18, 2012, 09:48:08 pm »

mine aren't laying yet, if its any consulation. And it can take a while - if they were young (too young) when you got them, then its often the case that they won't lay until the following spring (been there, done that!)

The non-tuxedo ones, what colour are their chests?
the tuxes you can vent sex - boys are domed & will produce foam, the girie bits curve inwards!

Bert · « **Reply #2 on:** March 19, 2012, 08:08:28 am »

My Quail are only laying now because I have lights on them. They need 16 hours of day light to lay eggs. Give them a bit more time, they will get there

StephB · « **Reply #3 on:** March 19, 2012, 10:00:29 am »

Thanks for your replies, nice to hear that some of yours are not laying yet.

My other quails are all speckely brown with pale cream breasts. Thought they looked like Japanese ones, but I am a novice so not certain.

Will be abit more patient. xx

in the hills · « **Reply #4 on:** March 19, 2012, 10:24:02 am »

My quail came into lay at the end of last week ....there is still time for yours so dont give up on them yet.

Mine were hatched in August and although they were old enough to start laying last year I wouldnt expect them to until the following spring because of light levels. They seem to be far more seasonal than hens and although you may expect a point of lay hybrid hen to come into lay in the autumn and indeed lay through the winter, this is not the case with quail. I believe the traditional time for quail eggs is from easter to late September, unless you provide them with artificial light.

Japanese quail come in many different colours ....tuxedo being one of them. The wild or normal coloured quail are quite easy to sex. The male has a plain light coloured front and the female is speckled. Tuxedo males have a white chest ......can be solid white or broken. I am not very good at vent sexing but the white foam ball produced by the male when he becomes sexually active in the spring is easy to see. The male also crows in the spring.
Are you certain that you have females in there? I have seen males being sold as females in a local shop!!

Idont think it is that easy to tell how old they are, only by general appearance and condition. I find that mine dont tend to be long lived ......none surviving more than 2 years ....and they have all looked well and continued to lay until they died, usually quite suddenly.

Layers mash should be fine. Marriages do sell specific quail pellets ....higher in protein I think ....but mine seem to do equally well on either and the mash is easier for me to get hold of so that is mainly what I feed. They do eat grass and peck around for insects and like a small amount of mixed corn or millet.

Good luck. I am sure they will lay in the next week or two ....... unless they are boys!! If they are old you may find that they die off pretty quickly!! Once in lay, they are prolific layers and each hen will often lay 2 eggs per day. We have occasionally had 3 eggs from one hen much to my daughters amusement and the eggs are very attractive!!

in the hills · « **Reply #5 on:** March 19, 2012, 10:29:52 am »

Ahhhh ....just seen your post. If there chests are plain cream with no speckles / down them they could be boys!!

If you have all boys I guess they wont fight. If you have more than one male in there then there is a good chance you would be seeing some fighting now or very soon. They are very aggressive little creatures.

Maybe look on the net for photos to help you sex them. Some colours are difficult to sex but the wild colour are easy.