A Japanese quail starts laying at six weeks and gives about three hundred eggs in its first year. But high production doesn’t last long, and a quail flock has to be renewed faster than a chicken flock.
Start of lay
Japanese quail start laying at 35–45 days, dual-purpose breeds a week or two later. The first eggs are small and uneven. Three to four weeks after the start the flock reaches its peak.
Normal laying rate
| Period | Hen-day |
|---|---|
| Peak (months 2–5 of lay) | 85–95% |
| Months 6–9 | 75–85% |
| Months 10–12 | 60–70% and below |
Egg weight is 10–12 g for Japanese quail and up to 15–16 g for meat breeds. Hen-day is calculated just as for hens: eggs per day divided by the number of layers. The formula is in how to calculate egg production.
What keeps production up
- Light. 15–17 hours a day with no sudden changes. Cutting day length quickly causes a drop.
- Temperature. 18–22 °C. Below 16 °C quail lay less, and above 25 °C too.
- Feed. Complete feed with 20–22% protein, and calcium available (what to feed).
- Calm. Quail are easily startled, and stress — noise, moving cages, new people — causes a dip lasting several days.
When to replace
Flocks are usually kept 10–14 months. As with hens, money decides: a quail eats about the same all year but lays less and less. It’s time when feed per dozen eggs and cost per egg have risen so far that the flock’s profit is below what young birds would bring. The logic is the same as in when to replace a chicken flock.
A convenient approach is to renew the flock in parts: replace a third of the birds every 3–4 months. Egg collection then never collapses while young birds come into peak.
If laying drops sharply
A sharp drop over a few days isn’t age. Check light, temperature, feed, water and signs of disease. The list of causes is in quail diseases.
See the replacement point coming
In EggPulse laying rate and cost per egg for the quail house are on a chart. When the line goes steadily down, you see it in advance and can plan the replacement instead of rushing it.
