Is my nine week old italian quaile hen barron

[cactipeat]

Hi, I HAVE HAD A COCK AND A HEN PAIR OF ITALIAN QUAILE FOR THREE WEEKS NOW AND HAVE STILL HAD NO EGG PRODUCTION. THE PAIR WERE SOLD TO ME AS SIX WEEK OLDERS AND I WAS TOLD THAT SHE WAS ABOUT READY TO LAY AT THE TIME. IS THIS A USUAL OCCURENCE OR IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG? THANKYOU, PETE.

[kingwolf]

Form what i understand from what you told us is that they are only six weeks old so they probably not lay this year since they are still pretty young and if you have only had them for three weeks they might not be comfortable enough to lay yet in their new surroundings

[greyghost]

Hi Pete, are your " Italian Quail" Coturnix or Bobwhite?  If they were sold to you as Coturnix you will have to wait a couple of weeks before the hens lay. If they are Bobwhite you will have to wait until week 20 or longer.
 Some people name their type of quail some exotic name to get us to buy them. I have read " Mexican speckled" or " Golden" or Italian quail. What you probably have are Coturnix ( Japanese or Asian ) quail.
This type will lay in 7 to 8 weeks.
Also, as Kingwolf said, they must be comfortable in their new house. Keep them quiet, keep from startling them. Most important is the amount of sunlight they have; hens will lay at 14 hr.s of daylight. Good luck. Ghost.

[cactipeat]

Hi Pete, are your " Italian Quail" Coturnix or Bobwhite?  If they were sold to you as Coturnix you will have to wait a couple of weeks before the hens lay. If they are Bobwhite you will have to wait until week 20 or longer.
 Some people name their type of quail some exotic name to get us to buy them. I have read " Mexican speckled" or " Golden" or Italian quail. What you probably have are Coturnix ( Japanese or Asian ) quail.
This type will lay in 7 to 8 weeks.
Also, as Kingwolf said, they must be comfortable in their new house. Keep them quiet, keep from startling them. Most important is the amount of sunlight they have; hens will lay at 14 hr.s of daylight. Good luck. Ghost.

Thanks for your & kingwolfs info, by the way she has broken her duck and laid an egg for each of the last three days now, today happened at approx. 16.00 hrs in the afternoon. The first egg was slightly smaller and pointed than the outhers, all of the three have a hard shell and fine mottled brown chocolate colouring. I was about to purchase two more hens but now I may buy or build an incubator. Would there be a problem with inter breeding do you think?. Great hobby quails are. cheers pete. P.S. I believe them to be of the coturnix species. thanx. p.

[cactipeat]

day 4 and another nice egg. 4 in a row now

[cactipeat]

she had two days off and laid earlier this evening

[greyghost]

Good for you Pete, sorry I have been so long, my old computer went on me. I am back, on a new machine, and ready to ROCK!
 I had a funny feeling that you had Coturnix quail. Since we talked I have hatched 130 Bob's, 14 XLD1's and 6 Ringnecks. Call me strange, but, I like chicks! I have 30 Chukar, 28 XLD1's and 16 pheasant eggs in the incubators and bought 30 Melanistic's coming next week. Not to mention N Bobs and Wisconsin jumbos from " Thank ya, Jim." ( Jim Murray )
 Busy, busy!