The QUAIL stopped Laying EGGS! Will THIS be the ANSWER to our Problem?

The quail have completely stopped laying eggs. Hopefully todays project will solve that problem.
#homesteading #coturnixquail #organicfarming #sustainability
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[@RockinLocks4u]

In the Spring, you should just be able to layer the dark tarp right over the top of the clear, since it's a bit longer, it will reach down further on the sides to screw it into the wood, then next Winter just remove the dark one, and the clear is already set

[@valeriestevens5250]

You read my mind! 😁

[@lindap9079]

I had the same idea. One less thing to store.

[@justinanovak8040]

The dark one could be adjusted in the summer depending on how hot things are covering whole or a only a portion of the coop.

[@barbrichards6229]

Yes would that work. Just add the other tarp on top of the clear one

[@sherribrown9989]

There's always shade cloth too. Different degrees of shade, and could be doubled up if wanted. Then it's still shaded, but not so dark as with a tarp.

[@OWF-Farm]

You may find that it is better to have the light come on in the early morning rather then extend the daylight and quickly shut off. At least it works that way with chickens. Light coming on does't seem to bother them. However being light then suddenly going dark does not let them get ready for bedding down for the night. They are caught off guard not knowing when the dark of night is coming.

[@Piaphamu]

I raised my quail in a large coop with no floor. In the winter I piled a bunch of fluffed up hay in there and they loved it. The would bury themselves in the hay when it was cold. I never lost one, no matter how cold it got.

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

Using a bunch of hay during the winter is a really good idea. 👍 A natural insulator for the birds.

[@texasnurse]

You should probably wear a dust mask when working with bird droppings to avoid a fungal infection in your lungs.

[@shelly8387]

Yes. Histoplasmosis is no joke.

[@teresadasilva8773]

They know that

[@sharroncalabrese6685]

Obviously, they don’t but texasnurse is correct Histoplasmosis is no joke!

[@lorrieshigley3625]

I 💯agree ❣️. My uncle died because he contracted a disease due to bird droppings. We Love you Sarah and Kevin, please protect your lungs, it’s not worth the risk.

[@kathystarklandess4448]

You are right there is a fungal infection called histo plasmosis and I and my sister had this as children going into my uncle's chicken pin and it can cause a lot of lung problems my sister actually got an Eye problem macular degeneration from it

[@marciafischbeck7653]

Now you need to find some tiny sunglasses for your little birds!

[@kedd2318]

If you put an inexpensive peel and stick tile or linoleum down cleanup would be even easier and the plywood would last a long time I think some of the dollar stores sell both.

[@lisastankiewicz1926]

We did that in chicken coop and it made all the difference In cleanup

[@klz4377]

Great solution to the short tarp. 😊

[@susanmurten6178]

What a huge difference the clear tarp made!

[@jeanburgin160]

Wow this is so much better for them. So light and more natural for them.

[@mindycollier9087]

A huge difference in the lighting and appearance when the tarp was changed. You always come up with some amazing solutions to issues that arise with your projects. Hopefully you will get a good egg laying cycle this winter.

[@2200chuck]

1. Pretty dusty in there. You should be wearing a dust mask. 2. Leave the clear tarp on all year. In the summer just add the dark tarp over it, or better yet, add a shade cloth. Then when it gets this time of year again, just remove and stow the shade cloth. No need to put the clear tarp on over and over, year after year.

[@DrofJustice]

Wow, what a transformation a tarp can make! I hope this is a good change for the birds. ❤

[@donnareeves5894]

Makes me want to build a hoop house and raise quail.

[@triciasklodowske5653]

Vinal flooring will making a very big difference. We have it in our coop, love it. So easy to clean. String up holiday lights around the sides and door. It will give light and some heat. Love the clear tarp. Need one for a shorter high tunnel for spring and fall plants. Thanks for sharing. I think the quail will enjoy it. God bless and protect.

[@scottrenkemeyer375]

Something you could try…We use a cheap vinyl flooring on our coop floor. It protects the wood from moisture and rot. We also can roll it back up wash it if need be…although haven’t had the need to do that yet.

[@gretaknebel8495]

Like the new look of the quail coop.

[@opalezell2166]

You two have a beautiful 😍❤farm and home.

[@terrashandmadegifts9578]

Hey. Just a heads up. My father was a heavy equipment operator and I was running a tractor by the time I was 12. A big safety thing he said to me is to always travel with the bucket low, not up high. Tip over hazard. I kinda cringe when I see you do that😢

[@w1tjl]

Agreed! Bucket as low as is practical. Keep the center of gravity low especially with a load in the bucket!

[@Marilou-g5t]

I was taught this in tractor safety in 1980's. Absolutely accurate. Also, for the masses, no passengers without their own seats. If you roll over you CANNOT save the passenger(s). Too often people mow with child onboard the lap or wheelwell.

[@Willene1950]

That was scary

[@Willene1950]

That's the difference between day and night. 😂Looks great

[@sharonboles1987]

Would love it to see it at night with the light on!

[@donnalovintexas8760]

I watch Cog Hill Farm and in their chicken coops they lay down a sheet of inexpensive vinyl flooring down. They said it makes the coop so much easier to clean and change the shavings.

[@darlenepreston8836]

Awesome idea with the screws & pair cord!!! 🙏👍🌻

[@Nana9112go]

I love how you two always work together!! What a great example of teamwork!!

[@lindapeterson7166]

Good ☕️☕️ Morning Kevin & Sarah.❤️

[@Wildevis]

I am very interested to know if your egg production increases. Great job and so glad it's working out so well to have them outside

[@rebeccarice1140]

Looks great, one thing for sure is these quail at sooo much calmer than those that chased each other around and around and around ,,, and as always another great video

[@dms8585]

I'm sure the quail will love all that light.

[@daniellesunley4807]

When we lived in MO I had my quail in 8x4 in ground garden bed/runs. I rotated them through the beds that I planted with leafy greens. As the plants were spent the quail cleaned up the bed ready for re-seeding. I had greenhouse plastic over the beds in winter to keep the worst of the weather off. The quail were very happy and laid most of the year. I plan to do the same now that we have moved back to England.

[@meolson9197]

I use a dawn to dusk timer. It lets you set 2,4, 6 hours after dusk so you don’t need to remember to turn on a light.

[@lorraineconnors3270]

I am in Sudbury, I Ontario I would like to tell you that it would be easier if you made a little tiny house in there that they could be in and you wouldn’t have to pick them up. You could close them up at night. They would stay warmer in a little tiny house inside of their up off the ground All together. When you’re cleaning the coop, they would be all inside the house. You wouldn’t have to pick them up no stress and it will make it much easier for them to be in when it’s really cold you can close it and make them warmer from their own heat.

[@ShahidShahShahidShah-wo6rs]

That's great looks so much better blessings 🎉🎉🎉

[@dalenisaac960]

You should do like I did with my chicken house and cover the whole floor with epdm liner. It makes cleaning out so much easier and you don’t have to worry about your floor rotting out

[@sowandtare]

I raise quail in Aviaries, i recommend not letting the bedding get wet if you have many days of rain, as it will stink if it stays wet. I think you could put an awning on it to help prevent rain from getting in.

[@ronnielayne5863]

buddy of mine uses a big shop vac to clean out his coops that way u dont have to move the birds out, he said by the time he moved the birds out he could of had the floor vac out works good he said

[@susanrichards4844]

Well done!!!!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@kendavis8046]

I suspect that the spent shavings are a GREAT addition to the compost pile! Thanks, you two, and God bless!

[@SageandStoneHomestead]

Our area in the barn where our quail are is dark. A string of Christmas lights does the trick and they are laying!!

[@gregs225]

We added wiggle wire track, use heavyweight white tarps with shade cloth over it in the summers

[@fargiraff9040]

The best litter I found for quail was hemp shavings. They composted perfectly.

[@sandybrown9175]

Thanks guys! 👋❤️🙏

[@carmenmariacortesmarin2664]

Excellent information. Very happy it's working out for you guys.

[@scotttovey]

To eliminate the inconvenience of a tarp that turns out to have it's size falsely advertised and be too short; the next time you change the tarp, add a 1x12 inch board at the bottom of the coop on both sides. Then you can center the tarp without a problem. If you do that, you can extend the life of the wood by using threaded inserts where the grommets are screwed down. You can eliminate the snagging by either putting tape over that area of the wire, or place 1/4 inch thick PVC boards over the coop. Cut an 1/8 inch deep dado into the boards at the end that way, you can tie rope or twine onto the tarp and run the twine or rope in the dado to pull the tarp over the coop. This will give you more control over the tarp on windy days as well. Simply screw the tarp down at the two ends first, and then pull the tarp over the coup.

[@rogerpultz5597]

Really enjoyed watching 👍👍

[@LeoBarr1968]

If you add big sand pits for them, most of your eggs will be laid in the pits. For your size area and quail qty I would suggest the concrete mixing trays at Lowes/HD. A mixture of 50/50 dirt/sand works best.

[@robingreany899]

Looks great. Hope they love it.

[@christinedehn3257]

I don't know if this would apply to quail or not. I've always heard that if you are extending day length with artificial light you should have the lights come on before dawn rather than after dark. The birds use the dimming twilight to find where they are going to settle / roost for the night. If the light goes off suddenly they are left in the dark without being able to see where to bed down.

[@patcunningham8279]

just a suggestion that might help, line the bottom of the pen with a tarp then put on the shavings, then all you'll have to do is pick up the corners of the tarp and dump in the tractor bucket instead of shoveling...

[@tinav4755]

Another informative video, Take care and God's Blessings

[@susanstokesbrungard291]

My daughter bought me these lights for my chicken coop. I love them. A great birthday present. lv and Prayers to all.

[@farmyourbackyard2023]

We have an open air coop for our chickens. It would be simple to modify this hoop coop using wiggle wire and channel, then pieces of plastic. It could be done within one hour.

[@user-bo1rj2xu2s]

Once again, you taught me something I didn't know I needed to learn! May I also say that your production value is excellent. You take such care while filming and editing so that we see what you're doing and why. I know that takes a lot of your time. Thanks so much!

[@user-in2lu6mp7p]

Yes please wear a mask when cleaning the coops.

[@cterrier]

If you're willing to consider Outdoor String Lights with remote they usually have the ability to schedule when the lights are turn on and off. Some have time limits such as 3, 5, 8 hours and others allow you to schedule the turn on and off time.

[@laurap.7794]

What if you made sky lights?? Cut some holes in the dark tarp and layer the clear tarp. Then they can have light and shade. 😊

[@bernadettestykel7504]

We turn our light on in the early morning so that the birds can go to bed on earth time. So clock timer to turn on your solar that you have preset for so many hours....I guess you will need to run a drop cord or go potty at 3:00 a.m. and turn on then....good luck❣️. Also if your birds roost they cannot if light just shuts off leaving them in the dark. That is why morning light just starts their day early.

[@bonnieisabelle3641]

To save time, when you change the tarp in the spring, could you put the dark one on top of the clear? This way you would only have to take off/put on the dark one. I don’t know how much time this would save or if it would be too warm with both tarps on. Just a thought.

[@carolcartes8240]

I was going to suggest the same thing! Kinda like shade cloth for the high tunnel(quail)!

[@Duchess_of_Cadishead]

Same same 😄

[@patz780]

I was thinking the same thing. It certainly would streamline the process twice a year.

[@thebhn]

We built your hoop coop according to your video last year for our quail, and they have lived comfortably in it for a year and a half. :) Actually we've built five so far, we have chickens now too and plan on making one for rabbits as well! We put a clear tarp on the back when it gets cold, and sometimes during summer storms. We cover the back with shade cloth otherwise. Of course we had the SAME problem finding solar powered timed lights. We went with a decent solar panel, a good quality USB battery, and Christmas lights that stay on 24/7. (I also hook up a fan, a camera, and an aquarium heater for the water.) I'm still looking for an in-line USB Christmas light timer that doesn't need to be monitored every day! We haven't had to scoop out bedding, we just add some wood chips every week or two and stir it up for them. It has stayed dry and fresh.

[@bobcole3852]

You'll definitely get more eggs. I have power at hutches and use a string of LED Christmas lights and get more eggs than I have layers every day. I set timer to come on 6-7am and 5-9pm to give them 14 hours of light. If the clear tarp doesn't get destroyed by UV you can just lay the dark one over it in spring.

[@dawnybaby5200]

Yall can put down vinyl flooring to protect the plywood flooring. I did that for my chicken coop. Works really well. Love your videos. God bless yall!

[@johnlord8337]

(1) What about running 2 lengths of christmas (multi-color or white ?) LED light strings around the edging of the windows - and put onto a timer with the solar charger and battery system - less energy use and greater overall light profusion. (2) Could also install LED spotlight 60W - 80-100 W and that would definitely have some greater illumination. (3) If you also put in some mylar plastic sheeting onto the bottom walls, then the greater albedo light bounce would have even greater illumination of the ground level of lighting for the birds.

[@marvinlepping2879]

If you put some cheap vinyl flooring down, it makes it easy enough to sweep with a broom. That works really good on my coop.

[@annamarkham-roberts4304]

Bird poo made my family sick with histoplasmosis, very bad.

[@an5210]

in winter or now, just add in some pine branches for hiding and heat conservation. Ive had quail a year now and just love em!! I made a green house for mine.

[@joecruggle7638]

Great video. Giving me lots of ideas (not only for quail) on this design and process. Thanks.

[@louiseperkins386]

I would look into splicing a timer (like you want) between the battery and the light.

[@vtappy1]

I use poly feed sacks cut open and duct tapped together to cover my wood chicken house floor. I lay down strips rather than one big tarp do it is easy to carefully pick up the tarps and dump into front end loader I use bedding on top of the tarps. Very easy for me to clean the chicken house.

[@patriciaglover5645]

I would have the dark tarp over half and the clear tarp over half, quail would probably feel more secure and if you had some kind of weird hot weather they would still have shade.😉

[@dcba43210a]

Well done

[@sydneymcconnaughhay5947]

Nice job my friends,,I can tell you care deeply for your animals,,,that means you care more for humanity 👍that's what we all should be striving for.

[@denisesummers3107]

It looks great !

[@hamiltonhomefarms8712]

Changing/cleaning their coop will prevent them from laying for 10 days.. also if something is frightening them at night they will stop laying.. I raise these quail and this has been my experience

[@rosalyndahasch7631]

Good information, glad the process has worked. Hello from Angola Indiana.😊

[@renamurray3206]

Tractor supply has a bedding called pelletized horse bedding. Is compressed untreated pine. It looks like pelletized food. Once the pellets get wet it turns into sawdust irs cheap and clean. I've started using it with my chickens...pretty much all Mt animals and I have my quail in a coop on the ground

[@pmartin6759]

👍👍👍👍👍 ❤❤❤❤❤ still think vinyl on top of your wooden floor would have protected the wood and made it last longer, just my opinion

[@lisawallace3124]

If the timer on your light is like the one I have, you should be able to turn it on at a pre determined time, set the timer for 2-4-6 hours, and it will come on ever day at that same time, stay on for the appropriate number of hours, and turn itself off! Win for not having to do that every day!

[@shuvanidev]

Love it! This is a perfect example of how to work smarter rather than harder and you both excel at this. Well done!

[@christopherannon7691]

What if, in the summer, instead of putting the dark tarp back on, you put some shade cloth on it, make it cooler but they can still get sunshine

[@susankruger4635]

I love my quail on the ground. They are so happy. But I do have a hard time finding the eggs

[@SunraeSkatimunggr]

Looks great!

[@ieri_creations]

I love your quail content! Thank you so much! I'm hoping to implement this style of quail care near Lebanon.

[@faithevrlasting]

Kevin, why dont you look for a light that you can control from your cell phone? Maybe a remote camera too? Thats providing you get cell service in Waddlesville. At least you wont have to go outside.

[@lindagary7077]

Wow a big difference. Can you show us the light at night? Thanks ❤

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

I’ve only used it 2 nights so far so the verdict is still out whether or not it is going to help. Hard to shoot video after dark but I will try to upload a photo to the community area of KZbin at some point. - Kevin

[@maxinedurling3425]

You should be able to keep the quail on a deep litter system only needing to clear out every six months Just put fresh bedding in every now and then, Out door quail do really well with green growing plants as they will eat any insects that are on them getting some of there protein from them

[@valcourisland1776]

I was hoping to see the light in the evening/dark, but great video just the same!

[@galeprivett5180]

Great video,❤️🙏

[@lindap9079]

A water heater stand would lift your garbage can off the plywood floor so air could circulate below it.

[@charger7022]

We like to use white tarps for our chicken tractors still provides shade and let’s a lot of light in all while reflecting heat. We noticed that the dark tarps radiate the heat inside so we don’t use them in the summer.

[@bakerjg]

When I added a light to our chicken coop, I put together a 12 volt timer, small 12 volt LiFePo battery, solar panel and 12 volt led light. The timer I use has multiple on-off settings. I set it to come shortly before sunset and go off after some time. I think the whole setup was under $100, and I can add more lights or other 12 volt items if needed. I did this because, like you, I could not find a light that would come on at sunset and go aff after a couple of hours.

[@lindasuerussell4398]

Smart set up.

[@lindabrown2170]

Awesome job!

[@freewaybaby]

I love the way y’all jumped in there and improvised with the new tarp, which, by the way, should DEFINITELY be the size that’s stated in it’s finished state! It’s one thing if you buy the tarp fabric and then have them finish it as an option but when it’s a pre-packaged item that says the tarp is a certain size THAT’S finished product! How else are you supposed to know what size to order? Even though you went ahead and used it, I’d still be contacting the company and I’d let my review state what you ran into. I buy nothing on Amazon without reading reviews and this is something I’D want to know if I was looking to buy a specific size ANYTHING! But great job, weaving in the wind…LOL Y’all got it done!😊

[@theresaguidry325]

I have a timer on my solar light for chickens. I set time to go on and off.

[@SG-vu4qy]

i got a similar solar light for my horse shelter, then realized the winds would break the light. I found a similar solar light with metal mounting brackets for the lights itself. I hope it works for you. your coops look fantastic.

[@lenellamaxwell6934]

Very nice! I was wondering why you would have to change the tarp back to the dark next year. Why can't you use a shade cloth like you do in your greenhouse over the plastic to keep it cool, but still have maximum light? You wouldn't have to change out the tarp every season that way.

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

Way more light with the new tarp. Not sure if that 1 small light will be enough but you can add a few more if needed.

[@cmccarver56]

Love your videos 🙏👍

[@cindymccutcheon231]

Excellent

[@lynnenessmith1625]

Hi Kevin & Sarah, I watched this ep. and was thinking about a little more shade for them, so if they want to get out of the straight sun they could. how about a piece of broad at the back of the coupe. My husband & I love watching Living Traditions Homestead. this is our first feedback though. Keep up the great work. See you on the TV.

[@old-schoolj1405]

@Living Traditions If you use supplemental light, your egg production will drop off from the norm substantially next season. I have been homesteading since 2011 and have learned this the hard way. Also your water barrel will act as a store of thermal energy when its cold if you put it inside the coop in the winter. And will be less likely to freeze if thats possible in your area.

[@cynthiahurry-asoulsearcher729]

Supplemental light should always be added to the morning hours, not the evening. It is more in line with their circadian rhythm.

[@SugarBeeFarm]

Agree plus when the light goes out the way he’s setting it up it will not be a gradual darkness but a sudden darkness which will be stressful for the birds

[@jackiehorsley9263]

Your setup looks awesome I hope It works out for you

[@laurierich5161]

I love watching you two work together! You and Ruth Zimmerman just bless my soul every week ! Thanks