Getting the Lighting Right for Coturnix coturnix

Lighting is one of the most important environmental controls in quail farming, particularly if you want hens to maintain a high and consistent level of egg production throughout the year

COTURNIX COTURNIX are strongly influenced by the length of the day In the wild, increasing day length in spring signals that conditions are becoming favourable for breeding The same biological response occurs in domesticated quail

Light is detected not only by the eyes Birds also have specialised photoreceptors within the brain that respond to light reaching the head Increasing day length stimulates the reproductive system through the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, ultimately promoting ovarian development and egg production

For the backyard farmer, however, you do not need to understand all of the reproductive physiology to manage lighting successfully The important principle is simple

If you want quail to continue laying well, give them a long and consistent day, followed by a proper period of darkness

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1 – How Much Light Do Laying Quail Need?

For actively laying hens, I recommend a total photoperiod of approximately 15–16 hours of light per day, including both natural daylight and artificial light

For example, if natural daylight provides 10 hours, the timer can provide another 5–6 hours

I prefer 16 hours as the maximum, rather than trying to provide light for 17, 18 or more hours More light does not necessarily mean more eggs Once the birds have received sufficient stimulation, extending the photoperiod further provides little advantage and may interfere with their normal daily rhythm

Just as important as the light is the darkness

Give the birds a proper dark period

A laying flock should have approximately 8 hours of darkness every night

Darkness is not wasted time It is an essential part of the bird’s daily biological rhythm It allows the birds to rest and maintain their normal circadian cycle

Do not leave the lights on continuously

A lighting programme should therefore provide a clear distinction between day and night

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2 – The Most Important Rule – Never Suddenly Reduce the Day Length

Once hens are established in lay, do not suddenly reduce their total daily light exposure

This is particularly important when artificial lighting is being used to maintain production through autumn and winter

A reduction in day length is interpreted by the bird as a seasonal signal In nature, shortening days indicate that winter is approaching The reproductive system responds accordingly and egg production can decline

Therefore, once a laying flock has been brought onto a long-day lighting programme, maintain that photoperiod consistently

For example, if your hens are receiving 16 hours of total light each day, do not suddenly change them to 12 hours simply because the natural daylight is changing

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3 – Lighting Young Quail

Young quail have different lighting requirements from laying hens

The objective during the growing period is to encourage healthy growth without unnecessarily stimulating the reproductive system too early

During the first few weeks, the priority should be feeding, drinking, warmth, growth and normal activity, rather than maximum light exposure

A practical programme is

Age	Approximate Light	Main Objective
0–1 week	20–24 hours*	Ensure chicks can easily find feed and water
2–4 weeks	About 8–12 hours	Normal growth and development
5 weeks	About 12–14 hours	Begin preparing females for lay
6 weeks onward	15–16 hours	Maintain reproductive stimulation and egg production

*The very long lighting period sometimes used immediately after hatching is primarily a management tool to ensure newly hatched chicks readily find feed and water It is not necessary to maintain continuous lighting as the birds get older

There is no need to make the transition complicated The important thing is to increase day length gradually as the pullets approach maturity

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4 – Increasing Light Before Lay

COTURNIX COTURNIX mature very quickly and can begin laying at around 6–8 weeks of age, depending on genetics, nutrition and management

As the pullets approach maturity, gradually increase their daily photoperiod

I prefer to increase the lighting by approximately 30–60 minutes per week, rather than making a sudden large increase

For example

Week 4: 10–12 hours
Week 5: 12–13 hours
Week 6: 13–14 hours
Week 7: 14–15 hours
Week 8: 15–16 hours

This does not have to be followed to the minute The purpose is to provide a gradual increase in day length as the birds approach sexual maturity

Once the hens are in production, maintain the chosen photoperiod consistently

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5 – Natural Daylight Plus Artificial Light

For a backyard flock, there is no reason to ignore natural daylight

The total photoperiod is what matters

For example

Summer
Natural daylight = 14 hours
Artificial light = 1–2 hours
Total = approximately 15–16 hours

Winter
Natural daylight = 9 hours
Artificial light = 6–7 hours
Total = approximately 15–16 hours

A programmable timer makes this very easy

I prefer morning supplementation

Where possible, I prefer to add artificial light before sunrise rather than extending the evening

For example, if natural daylight begins at 7.00 am, the artificial lights can come on at 5.00 or 5.30 am

The lights then go off when natural daylight is established

In the evening, the birds can naturally settle down as daylight fades

This arrangement has another advantage If there is a power failure, the birds are less likely to be suddenly plunged into darkness while they are still active

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6 – Avoid Sudden Darkness

One problem with artificial lighting is switching the lights off abruptly while the birds are still active

Quail naturally become accustomed to the gradual reduction in daylight at sunset If artificial lights are providing the entire evening, suddenly switching them off can leave the birds disorientated

Morning supplementation largely avoids this problem

If evening lighting must be used, a gradual dimming system can be useful

For most backyard farmers, however, morning supplementation is the simplest solution

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7 – Light Intensity – Bright Is Not Better

The objective is not to make the quail house as bright as possible

Quail have excellent vision and can be uncomfortable under excessively bright lighting Very bright conditions can also contribute to unwanted activity, aggression and feather pecking

I prefer moderate, evenly distributed lighting rather than a very bright light concentrated in one area

A level around 15–20 lux at bird level is a useful practical target for a laying flock, although exact requirements can vary with housing design and the type of lighting used

The important thing for the backyard farmer is that

• Feed and water can be easily found
• All areas of the cage receive reasonably even light
• There are no extremely bright spots
• The birds are not constantly exposed to harsh, glaring light

A small LED light can provide surprisingly good illumination in a quail house You do not need powerful household lighting

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8 – What Colour of Light Should You Use?

The colour or spectrum of artificial light can influence birds because different wavelengths penetrate the head and interact differently with the birds’ visual and non-visual photoreceptors

Research in poultry and quail has investigated red, green, blue, white and other light spectra, with results varying according to intensity, photoperiod, age and production system

For practical backyard farming, I would not become overly concerned about buying expensive specialised poultry lighting

A warm or neutral LED light, providing comfortable and reasonably even illumination, is a sensible choice

Red-spectrum lighting has received particular attention in poultry research because longer wavelengths can have effects on reproductive development and production However, photoperiod and consistency are considerably more important management factors than chasing a particular colour of light

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9 – Winter Lighting

Winter is when artificial lighting becomes particularly valuable

In southern New Zealand, natural daylight becomes considerably shorter during autumn and winter If the flock is allowed to follow the natural day length, egg production will normally decline

This is not necessarily a problem

It is simply the natural reproductive response of the bird

If you want eggs throughout the year, however, artificial lighting can maintain the longer photoperiod required for continued production

The easiest method is to use a timer to top up natural daylight to approximately 15–16 hours

For example, if natural daylight provides only 9½ hours, the timer might provide approximately another 6 hours

As spring approaches and natural daylight increases, gradually reduce the artificial-light period so that the total remains around the same target

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10 – What Happens If You Use No Artificial Light?

There is nothing inherently wrong with allowing quail to follow the natural seasonal cycle

In fact, this is the simplest and most natural system

Under natural daylight, you should expect

Spring: Egg production increases as day length increases

Summer: Production is generally high

Autumn: Production gradually declines as days become shorter

Winter: Production can fall substantially, and some hens may stop laying

This is a normal biological response rather than a disease or nutritional deficiency

The advantage of natural lighting is simplicity and allowing the flock to follow its natural seasonal rhythm

The disadvantage is that you will have less consistent egg production throughout the year

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11 – Lighting and Feed Must Work Together

Light stimulates the reproductive system, but light alone cannot produce eggs

Once the hen is stimulated to lay, she needs adequate energy, protein, amino acids, minerals, vitamins and water to support egg production

This is particularly important with Coturnix coturnix because they are capable of remarkably high production

Do not use additional lighting to push birds into high production if their nutrition is inadequate

A well-balanced layer feed, constant access to clean water and appropriate housing must accompany the lighting programme

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12 – Keep the Lighting Programme Consistent

Quail respond well to routine

I recommend using a reliable automatic timer rather than manually switching lights on and off

The timer should provide approximately the same

• Time the lights come on
• Total daily photoperiod
• Time the lights go off
• Dark period

every day

A difference of a few minutes is of no practical importance What should be avoided is regularly changing the lighting programme by several hours

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The Bottom Line

Lighting is one of the simplest and cheapest ways of controlling quail production

You do not need complicated equipment or expensive lighting systems

For a productive Coturnix coturnix flock, the basic principles are

• Young birds need appropriate lighting for growth and development

• Increase day length gradually as pullets approach maturity

• Maintain approximately 15–16 hours of total light for laying hens

• Give the birds about 8 hours of proper darkness every night

• Keep the lighting programme consistent

• Use artificial light during the shorter days of autumn and winter if you want year-round egg production

• Morning supplementation is my preferred method because it allows the birds to settle naturally at sunset

• Bright light is not necessary – moderate, evenly distributed light is preferable

Most importantly, remember that lighting is a management tool, not a substitute for good genetics, good feed, clean water, suitable housing and good flock management

When these factors are combined, a well-managed Coturnix coturnix flock can maintain excellent egg production for a large part of the year**