How much stress to stop laying?

[Susan Skylark]

We are now at 100 hours post stress (completely rearranging pens and social groups with fireworks in progress, everything is better with explosions!). How much stress do your quail need to be under to stop laying? I know they can go a couple days with ‘eggs in progress’ but this is the fourth night after stress (moved at night, lay eggs in the evening) I’ve gotten 12-14 eggs out of 14 hens. These are birds that are used to people, have been handled from hatch, get attention daily (still don’t like being handled or change and convinced you will eat them), does that help? I’ve read they can stop laying after a pen change, etc but what is your actual experience, I don’t think my girls have read up on the subject!

 

[Nabiki]

If they were going to stop laying, they would have by now. It sounds like you have some pretty calm birds. Most of my birds don't take a break from laying when I move their pens. The only time they stop is when something really traumatic happens like a dog killing my chicken in front of them or that same dog coming to visit again.