Coturnix Quail Basics- Information and Pictures Galore

[thebigboy2877]

Very informative

 

[AuQuail]

Check out my giant egg. 19g in weight.

 

[AuQuail]

39.8mm in height and 30.2mm at the widest.

 

[RobPS]

Possibly a double-yolk?

 

[AuQuail]

We been getting these quite regularly, but today's was the biggest ever. All been single yoke thus far.

By the way, I am Not sure if my quails. Are jumbos or normal. . . (in Australia)

Anyway to tell? Weigh them? What weight?

 

[RobPS]

I'm a total newbie, so I can't answer your questions.

My second egg ever (last week!) was really big too, but unlike yours there, mine was more even shaped from end to end. It didn't seem to have a pointy end.

Here's a pic:

And the inside of that big egg:

 

[AuQuail]

We get some funny shipped ones too. . Like the pointy part will be off to one side.

Me too is new to it. 3 weeks now. Got 12 hens and 2 roos. 2 cage. Half in each.

 

[Binki]

Yes stay on the highest chick starter you can find, that will be fine, I am able to get a 30% game bird feed here but it is $30 a 50 lb bag, it lasts a long time. Make sure to give crushed oyster shell to support egg production. I also feed greens, meal worms and grains like white millet, shelled sunflower and peanuts. I would also offer grit, I sift a large bag of chicken grit to get the size they can use. I also will further crush my oyster shell to a size they can eat. I feed all of my stock the best I possibly can. No point in skimping if it is for food or fun I believe.They love greens by the way and get vitamins and minerals from them as well. I raise chicory and radish tops. Will start a mixed feed plot on spring. Water soluble B-12 and a vitamin/mineral concentrate is easily obtained, Mix like you would for chickens, They drink it down. The mineral stuff is very strong smelling so I use about 3/4 ounce for a gallon of water for that one.
     Be careful to have the right male to female ratio, I like 4-5 female per male. I have found that a 3-1 ratio, the hens get beat up pretty good. OK, you may have a lesser  fertility rate with 5-1, but the hens are healthier for it. You do know that coturnix  wont set their eggs, all have to be incubated to hatch.

Great advice, you sound like you take great care of your birds The protein for layers is too high though and makes them prone to prolapse from laying bigger eggs, something I don't even want to mention in case some heartless jerk reads that and tries to feed his hens as much protein as possible for bigger eggs :[

I *think* game bird layer feed also has added stuff for egg health? :O

 

[Welshies]

Does this work for quail housing (with some modifications- there's a roof on top of the outside part now, and a board to keep them from going underneath)
6' x 8' divided into two compartments.

 

[Binki]

That would work, sure ^^ I would suggest hooking some bird netting under your outside roof so *if* they do flush, they will bounce off of it back down to the bedding