Quails require sunlight to survive. Their daily sleep/wake cycle is determined by the sun, and light enables them to synthesize and manufacture the hormones necessary for egg development.
Although you can add artificial light to your coop, the eggs will not be of the same quality.
Sunlight is also a fantastic source of vitamins (such as Vitamin D). Thus it is critical to provide direct exposure to birds.
Quails, on the other hand, require only a moderate quantity of sunshine and do require shade.
Excessive or prolonged exposure to sunlight might be dangerous. Quails can quickly succumb to heatstroke if they become overheated, so it is critical to provide some shade from the sun.
Do quails like sunlight?
Yes, they do. The sun is a good source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D aids in the body’s nutritional absorption.
Calcium is included in this. Therefore, female quails who receive a proper amount of Vitamin D will lay eggs with stronger, thicker shells and have stronger bones.
Sunlight also plays an important impact in quail health. For egg-laying chickens, sunlight is necessary to stimulate their ovaries to release a yolk and initiate the egg-laying process.
Quails require a minimum of around 14 hours of light per day to lay optimally.
Additionally, the sun helps dry out the run and kills the numerous viruses that thrive and multiply in quail.
UV rays are the most effective method of killing the majority of bacteria and diseases.
Related: Here is an article I wrote on the best quails to use as pets
Do Quail need shade?
Quail, like other birds, require shade. Because they do not tolerate excessive heat well, putting their coop in the shade is far more critical to their health.
If their house becomes too hot, they may stretch out in strange positions or spread their wings, doing anything to expose their bodies to the air.
However, if you are unable to build their coop in the shade, use sand bedding instead of organic bedding.
Increase airflow in your coop by adding windows that can remain open throughout the hotter months.
Can you keep quail indoors?
Quail can certainly be reared in small numbers indoors. They do, however, invariably have some odor.
Small quail setups are perfect in a spare room, basement, porch, or garage-ventilation is critical in all interior configurations.
A ventilation fan that suctions air out of the room, such as a bathroom ceiling fan, will eliminate the majority of the stink.
In addition, a vent or window should be located in the room to allow fresh air to enter and replace the stale air being evacuated.
It is critical for the birds to have access to fresh air. Inadequate ventilation can result in respiratory problems.
However, extremely young quail up to three weeks must be kept in a draft-free environment to avoid chills and disease, as they can’t regulate their body temperature until they are completely feathered.
What kind of light do quails need?
Light is a critical component of the physical environment because it regulates a variety of physiological processes in birds.
As a result, artificial illumination has been extensively used in the poultry business to boost productivity and reproduction.
Numerous lamp kinds are available for use in quail production. The quail’s body reacts to the light emanating from the bulbs you are using.
The quail’s response to this light is hormonal. Thus, the light from the lamp can have an effect on the quail hormone.
However, not all light helps stimulate quail hormones. An example of suitable light is Monochromatic light; they are a rare kind of light. Monochromatic light consists of red, yellow, green, and blue wavelengths.
Do baby quails need sunlight?
Quail chicks do not require direct sunshine. Instead, they are housed in the brooders home for the first five weeks of their lives, fed and cared for.
In the brooder’s housing, a heat light keeps the birds warm as they grow their feathers.
Also check out this article I wrote on why my quails keep falling over
Do quails need a light at night?
No. Quail requires adequate sleep to remain healthy, happy, and generally enjoyable birds!
Therefore, leave no lights on or at the very least relocate the quail to a dark room to allow them to sleep properly.
In addition, quail require no more than 15 hours of sunlight per day in order to sleep. So if you leave a light on in your bird’s coop for 24 hours straight, your flock will mistake it for sunshine and will not get the peaceful sleep they require.
Such a drastic alteration of the quail’s natural biorhythms can result in stress, manifesting itself in behavioral changes, pecking, and even cannibalism.
Indeed, your birds require between 6 and 8 hours of sleep per day to maintain a healthy immune system.
This rest is vital for the bird’s health and well-being, just as daylight or artificial light is necessary for egg-laying.
How much sun do quail need?
Quails require approximately 14-16 hours of sunlight per day. Therefore, lighting is critical for the formation of quail eggs.
If possible, keep the quail cage in a sunny location; if you can’t put your pen in a sunny area during the cold months when daylight hours are reduced, position an artificial light above the cage to keep the quail laying.
Allow no more than 16 hours of light per day, as quails require darkness to sleep.
When quails receive less than 12 hours of sunshine per day, their laying mechanism shuts down.
Egg production naturally decreases throughout the winter months as the number of daylight hours decreases.
This is beneficial to the quails because it allows them to rest. Egg production will resume its previous level of growth when the amount of daylight hours increases.
Are quails scared of the dark?
Quails are not scared of the dark. When dusk turns to darkness, a young quail’s coop resembles a large dark cave.
They do not, however, have night vision. I.e. they can’t see in the night.
If your coop lacks windows, they will be unable to find their way inside when they decide to enter.
Some coops include ramps beneath the raised floors for easy access. Quails will become trapped in the dark, unable to see their way out.
Conclusion
Quails, like every living thing on the earth, require sunlight for survival. In addition, the rays from the sun provide vitamins d that are essential for the body. Therefore, supplying your birds with adequate sunlight daily is a must.
