Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[userfriendly1980]

Winters approaching and my quails dont look very happy with the cold weather. 2 of 3 have stopped laying and I noticed that there is condenstion in the eglu making the inside damp so I'm not very happy..nor are my quails! I've added more hay (which they love playing in) to make them more warm. I'm considering bringing them in when it gets colder but there isnt much room. I know that they shuold be able to keep warm huddled together but I want them to be happier in winter months... any suggestions? Also do quails stop laying in winter months?

[beach chick]

do you shut the door at night? I dont and have to say I've never noticed condensation in the eglu. I do have other issues with it as quail housing, but mine do seem quite happy. having said that, we've not had an egg from 12 of them since July!!!

[userfriendly1980]

I leave the door open, if i shut the door my quails would panic and run around in the eglu and try to get out! maybe its just the weather in my area. I will have to keep an eye out then! Wow, seems that quails are fussy about when they lay eggs! but its a good thing i think if they dont lay.. I read somewhere that the more they lay the shorter their life span will get?

[Janty]

What are you feeding your quail? I feed mine Garvo quailmixture and they are still laying every day. I didn't think that the eglu was suitable either. I tried it but some of my quail prefered to lay their eggs in the run and it was impossible to collect them. I put the quail back into their mini WIR and they laid in their basket again.

 

[userfriendly1980]

I feed mine a mixture of layers pellets, budgie seed, dried meal worms. I give them fresh veg but since its got colder they dont seem interested. I do agree that the eglu isn't living up to my standards but it will have to do for now. I do find my quails lay everywhere expect one (the one that's still laying)

 

They just look so miserable in the cold

[beach chick]

they were on normal layers pellets, just recently they've gone onto flyte so fancy quail feed. no difference in production of any eggs though!! dont think we've had one since the beginning of July so god knows what they are doing....

still, they are cute and they seem very happy!

[MammaT]

My 4 are in a double layer rabbit hutch which had been home to my ex-rabbit. It has a fitted cover on it that I bought when I got it and I noticed that when I zipped the large flap shut when it was tipping it down, the next morning the plastic windows were all covered in condensation on the inside so now I don't close it and they seem fine. They do seem to generate a lot of heat by themselves.

 

I've had mine for 6 weeks or so and had only 3 eggs (in the first week) and they're on Garvo too. After that they began to moult and now I believe the days are too short for egg production. I have considered moving them into the shed and using a light to extend the daylight and get them going again but it's a bit of a faff and not exactly natural. If they can't be free-range-ish like the hens I can at least let their little bodies do what they are supposed to when they are supposed to do it naturally!

 

Long wait for eggs though....

[userfriendly1980]

i think the rabbit hutch seems more cosy than the eglu. Funny thing I bought the eglu as it says its keeps quite warm in the winter, but my quails don't seem to like it in there and prefer to freeze their feathered bottoms outside in the run! I might bring them in when it starts getting into the minus temperatures.