Content
Quail eggs have many beneficial properties: they are rich in vitamins and microelements (including such vital ones as iron and potassium). However, their cost is quite high. For this reason, farmers are trying to breed quails for different purposes. Some people want to diversify their table with tasty and healthy products. Others breed these birds commercially. In both cases, you need to have an idea of when quails begin to lay eggs, and what measures need to be taken if egg production suddenly drops.
Age when quails lay eggs
One of the main advantages of quail is the rapid maturation of the birds. Quails lay eggs very early - at 35-40 days of age. The live weight of the bird is one hundred grams. Mature males emit a characteristic cry, while females whistle barely audibly. Quail productivity indicators are influenced by factors such as age and breed of bird.
The number of eggs in the first month is no more than eight. Then the egg production of quails increases significantly (up to 25 per month from the female). The number of eggs per year per bird is about three hundred.
When do quails start laying eggs? As a rule, they begin to lay eggs in the afternoon or late evening. Japanese quails lay eggs after they have been fed.
Reasons for decreased productivity
If egg production has dropped or the bird does not lay eggs, the reasons may be:
- Incorrect lighting. Like chickens, quails will only start laying eggs when there is light. Many people use lamp lighting to increase egg production. But here it is important to observe moderation. Staying in the light for more than ¾ days makes the bird timid and nervous, so quail egg production, on the contrary, will decrease.
- Incorrect temperature setting. Quail is a fairly heat-loving bird, so it experiences discomfort at temperatures less than 20 degrees. The optimal temperature range is 20-25 degrees. If the air temperature exceeds 25 degrees, birds eat less well and productivity indicators decrease.
- Drafts indoors. In this case, not only the number of eggs decreases, but the bird loses feathers.
- Increase in air humidity more than 75%. At the same time, dry air does not contribute to increased egg production.
- Unbalanced diet. If you want to make the females more productive, give your quails a balanced diet rich in protein. It is also important to know how much feed to give and when to feed the quail.
- Overcrowding of birds in cages. If birds are cramped in overcrowded cages, then this will have a negative effect on productivity.
- Stress from transportation. Transportation itself is stressful for birds.In addition, quails will need a couple of weeks to adapt. If we talk about stress, then excessively sharp sounds frighten the bird and do not have the best effect on egg production.
- Shedding. Molting quails stop laying eggs completely.
- Change of male quail. Quails do not lay eggs for about a week. There is nothing you can do about it - you need to be patient a little.
- Diseases. A decrease in the number of eggs or changes in the shell indicate that the bird may be unhealthy or injured. Even if there are no visible signs of illness, you should consult a veterinarian.
- Natural aging of the body. How long does a laying hen remain productive? After 10 months, the quail begins to lay fewer eggs. However, the egg production period lasts up to 30 months.
Ways to increase egg production
There are many reasons that can cause a decrease in egg production. Therefore, it is quite difficult to immediately find the reason that the birds began to lay eggs less often. In addition, even if the birds lay eggs steadily, no one will refuse to have more production.
So, first of all, a balanced feed with a lot of protein influences the increase in productivity.
- The source of protein and amino acids is fish and bone flour.
- Shells and gravel added to the food contain minerals that make the shell stronger.
In addition, it is necessary to monitor the birds’ diet. They need to be fed three times a day at the rate of approximately 30 grams of feed per adult bird. It is necessary to introduce minerals and vitamins into your pet's diet. We must not forget that you need to periodically invite a veterinarian for a preventive examination.
Be sure to ensure that the optimal microclimate is maintained in the cage. Stick to the optimal (20 to 22 degrees) air temperature. The ideal indoor air humidity is 70%. Keep an eye on the lighting, using electric lamps with soft light. The duration of daylight hours is no more than 18 hours. Experienced poultry farmers advise arranging “dawn” and “sunset” for birds, smoothly adjusting the lighting.
The slogan “Cleanliness is the key to health” works one hundred percent with quails. And the point here is not only in regular cleaning of cells (although this is necessary). It is advisable to periodically place troughs into the cages, into which ash and sand are poured. By bathing in this mixture, quails not only clean their plumage, but also receive good prevention of skin diseases.
Do not move birds from one cage to another too often. This irritates the hens and does nothing to improve their productivity. How can this be linked to disturbing birds as little as possible? A slightly inclined cage floor made of lattice material helps. The droppings fall on the previously spread newspaper. All that remains is to periodically change the newspaper - and the cage is always clean. Drinkers and feeders are located on the outside of the cage. This also makes cleaning the quail’s “housing” much easier.
The most popular egg-laying quail breeds
All quail breeds They are conventionally divided into meat and egg. The first include birds such as Pharaoh, Manchurian quails. The relatively low egg production is compensated by the fairly large weight of the birds and good quality meat. Now let's talk about egg breeds.
Japanese
This is the most common egg breed.No matter how much the breeders tried to make the “Japanese” meat, the attempts have not yet been crowned with success. Fortunately or unfortunately, it is unknown. The maximum weight of females is 180 grams. Males are somewhat smaller (150 grams). Quail carries more than 300 pieces per year. The average weight of one egg is 11 g.
How do quails lay eggs? The age of physiological maturity of Japanese quails is about 60 days. Birds become sexually mature at the age of about 45 days. Disadvantage of the breed: for good productivity, quails need a balanced diet and careful care. “Japanese”, in addition to high egg production, are very beautiful. They are even kept as ornamental birds. In addition to the classic variegated color, there are white, white-breasted and even golden individuals.
Estonian
Guests from the Baltic states are very popular on Russian, Central Asian and Ukrainian farms. The secret of the success of Estonians is their unpretentiousness, as well as the versatility of the breed (meat and egg production). A quail carries up to 280 pieces per year. Quail eggs weigh about 12 grams. The weight of the female reaches 200 g, the male - 170 g. The egg-laying period of the quail begins at 40 days of age. The disadvantage of this breed is some gluttony. These birds consume a little more food than others.
English whites
As the name of the breed suggests, these beauties are snow-white with sparse dark feathers. When breeding this breed, Japanese quails were used, which passed on their trait to the “English” - high egg production (up to 280 eggs per year). Unlike the capricious “Japanese”, the “English” are relatively unpretentious. The mass of 1 egg is 11 grams.At what age do English white quails begin to lay eggs? Oviposition begins at approximately 41 days of age.
Tuxedo
Very beautiful white-breasted birds with a black saddle-“tuxedo” on the back. This breed belongs to the egg category. The female lays about 280 pieces. per year for 11 years
Marble
This breed is a mutation of Japanese quail. The annual egg production rate is 300 pieces, 10-11 g each. They differ from classic Japanese birds in their grayish, marbled plumage.
Conclusion
The correct choice of breed and careful care make it possible to achieve good productivity indicators.
