How many eggs do they(quail)lay in the wild?

[someusername]

I don't want to over stress my quail into laying eggs, and how many eggs do they lay in the wild? I dont want to force the into laying n egg a day, which they probably dont do in the wild, but what is the lowest(in the wild) level that the modern domesticated quail lay? and how do i get them to lay less than one egg a day?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In the wild, they lay a clutch, stop when they start incubating them, raise the brood and may do it again the same year depending on species and climate.
Predation may cause them to renest several times a year. With bobwhite, rarely would there be more than 2 successful broods a year.

 

[someusername]

how may eggs are in a clutch? what if they dont become broody? if you jus put the eggs there they wont keep laying, right?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You asked about birds in the wild. Wild quail have an instinct to reproduce (as do all animals). That requires them to become setters after an acceptable clutch is laid.
The average clutch is 12 or so..
What species of quail are you asking about?
Here's some reading material about bobwhite in the wild. Note that their reproduction will be different in Texas than it will be in Minnesota due to climate.
https://mdc.mo.gov/blogs/more-quail/basics-bobwhite-nesting
http://www.wec.ufl.edu/floridaquail/Documents/QUAIL FACTS.pdf

 

[someusername]

oh okay. so they la until they have a full nest, right?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's the way I see it.

 

[Erkenstein]

If you are talking about coturnix, the brooding instinct has been bred out of them, although some do end up going broody. They've been bred to lay consistently and will do so year-round with supplemental light. So, if you want them to follow a more seasonal laying pattern you just don't use supplemental light and they will stop laying when the days shorten and start again once they lengthen. They will still lay an egg almost every day for about half the year, and healthy birds will lay, especially the first year. Anything else you would do (like give them lightweight feed) would have a detrimental effect on their health.

 

[someusername]

ohh so they are supposed to lay, even if the COTURNIX quail are in the wild, they will still lay at their normal rate, right? sorry i was confused, thanks erkenstein!

If you are talking about coturnix, the brooding instinct has been bred out of them, although some do end up going broody. They've been bred to lay consistently and will do so year-round with supplemental light. So, if you want them to follow a more seasonal laying pattern you just don't use supplemental light and they will stop laying when the days shorten and start again once they lengthen. They will still lay an egg almost every day for about half the year, and healthy birds will lay, especially the first year. Anything else you would do (like give them lightweight feed) would have a detrimental effect on their health.

 

[someusername]

and just making them have seasonal light will make them healthy, thank you!