How to Keep Coturnix Quail Laying Eggs Year-Round
If you’ve ever watched your quail go from laying like champs to barely producing a handful of eggs a week, you’re not alone. Every fall, like clockwork, I used to wonder what I was doing wrong. Then I realized… it wasn’t me. It was everything else.
Light, feed, comfort, and stress all play a part in whether your Coturnix quail keep laying through the cold months or decide to take the winter off.
Here’s what I do in Maine to keep eggs coming all year.
What Actually Keeps Them Laying
Over the years, I’ve learned there’s no single “fix” for egg production. It’s a balancing act. When one thing’s off, you see it in the egg basket. Here’s what I focus on when eggs slow down.
Light: What People Often Overlook
Quail need 14–16 hours of light each day to keep them laying. When daylight drops in the fall, they naturally slow down or stop. I use soft LED bulbs on timers to mimic spring conditions (nothing fancy), just what I picked up from the hardware store years ago and never saw a reason to change.
Don’t leave lights on 24/7. Quail need rest just like we do. Set a rhythm: lights for ‘daytime,’ dark at night.
If you want the nitty-gritty on light? Read: Seasonal Light Changes and Egg Laying in Coturnix Quail.
Feed: Getting the Basics Right
If your quail aren’t getting enough protein or calcium, egg production will stall no matter what else you do.
Layers do best on 17–20% protein. When I notice output dropping, one of the first things I do is bump up protein. It’s usually the quickest fix. Usually, I see results within a week.
Next thing I check: calcium. If you’re finding soft-shelled eggs or shell-less ones, that’s your signal. I keep crushed oyster shell available in a small dish beside their feeder and sometimes add a cuttlebone as backup.
Want my full feed setup, start to finish? See The Ultimate Coturnix Quail Feeding Guide.
Comfort: Keep Them Calm, Warm + Dry
Coturnix quail are hardy little birds, but they’re not immune to stress. Inconsistent temperatures, crowding, and predator pressure all affect egg laying.
I see my best laying around 60–75°F. Below 50°F, they start conserving energy instead of laying eggs. In winter, I insulate my outdoor pens with canvas tarps or straw bales and switch to deeper bedding. Pine shavings or chopped straw work well. I don’t use heaters (too risky) and windbreaks instead. It’s not pretty, but it works.
Stress is a real egg killer. Loud noises, sudden pen changes, or overcrowding will tank production fast. I give each bird enough space (about one square foot per bird in walk-in setups) and plenty of cover to hide if they feel nervous. Even a couple overturned pots give them a spot to duck and settle.
Reworking your setup? I break down spacing and comfort in Coturnix Quail Pen Setup: A Beginner’s Guide.
Water: The Thing That’ll Sneak Up on You
Water makes or breaks laying. If waterers run dry or get dirty, your quail will slow down or stop laying almost immediately. I use nipple-style waterers because they keep things cleaner and prevent algae. In summer, I add a copper penny to each water container so algae doesn’t taking over. In winter, I check waterers twice a day to make sure nothing’s frozen. When I first started out, I didn’t realize how quickly cold water lines could freeze, even inside a sheltered pen. Now I wrap the lines with pipe insulation.
How I Keep Eggs Coming Through Every Season
Quail follow the seasons. It’s easier to work with that than fight it.
- Spring: Let natural light and longer days do the heavy lifting. I often reduce artificial light during this time.
- Summer: Watch for overheating. Provide shade and plenty of water.
- Fall: Bumping up light before you see a dip.
- Winter: Focus on a steady light schedule, solid feed, and draft protection.
If you live in a cold climate like I do, Raising Quail in Maine: Seasonal Challenges & How to Beat Them covers the winter strategies I use so the birds (and I) stay sane.
When Laying Slows (What I Do)
Even with a solid setup, quail still take breaks. Here’s how I tell what’s going on:
- Fewer eggs but healthy birds: Usually daylight or molt. Check the calendar.
- Misshapen or soft eggs: Nutritional imbalance. Adjust calcium and protein.
- No eggs and visible feather loss: Molting phase. Give them a few weeks.
- Sudden stop with no obvious reason: Stress, predator nearby, or pen change.
Most times they bounce back once things settle in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you want steady eggs through winter, add light. Quail need about 14–16 hours of light a day to stay in laying mode. Without it, they’ll take a break for the season.
That’s up to you. Some people let their birds rest over winter, and that’s fine. I don’t. With the right feed and setup, mine do fine year-round.
A game bird layer feed with 17–20% protein works best. I keep oyster shell (and sometimes a cuttlebone) out free-choice.
Peak is about 18 months. After that you’ll still get eggs, just not as many. I keep older hens around as breeders; they’ve earned their spot.
Yep, as long as they’re warm, dry, and getting enough light. The cold doesn’t stop laying. It’s the short days or stress that’ll do it.
Sometimes. It’s not the cold. It’s everything that comes with it. Short days, temp swings, or small diet shifts can shrink eggs for a bit. Once light and feed are steady again, they even out.
Year-round eggs aren’t about pushing birds. They’re about giving them what they need. Keep their setup steady and they’ll do the rest.
In my experience, the real trick isn’t chasing perfection. It’s noticing small changes early, tweaking what you can, and letting them do what they do… lay those speckled eggs.
It’s important to know that adding light to encourage year round laying also shortens the lifespan of quail. It’s a drawback that needs to be considered, especially so you know when to replace breeding birds, as you’ll need to do that more often with this method.
That’s actually a long held myth with no scientific backing. Some small research projects have indicated that 24-hour lighting will have negative impact on the health of the birds (research was done on chickens specifically), but supplementing with 14-16 hours of light did not indicated any effects on bird health or longevity.