Do quail always have to sit on their eggs in order for them to hatch?

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Shellybean02

Shellybean02

Chirping
Aug 30, 2015
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I have one of my button quail hens in a separate environment than the other quail with her roo, since he is aggressive to the others. I've noticed that most of the day, at least one of them was inside the little house I made them out of a shoebox. They have about seven eggs in there by now, with the hen probably still adding eggs. I know freshly laid eggs should be left in room temperature for a day. But these quail sometimes sit next to each other and take a nap out of the house, or eat and drink at the same time. Do they have to be sitting on the eggs 24/7 in order for them to hatch? I'm not sure if this is logical or not but here in southwest florida the weather is pretty hot so maybe in the quail home the eggs are being incubated? Just a theory... All answers appreciated!
 
My buttons would sit on the eggs most of the time during the day and night but they would go outside and to eat, drink and poo and then go back to sit on the eggs. It wasn't really hot at the time, probably just spring or autumn. I know it wasn't summer because summer gets really hot here in Australia. But from my experience, 7 eggs seems like they're trying to hatch them. I guess you can only wait and see if they hatch.
 
Thank you! I really hope they hatch them... raising them is fun but I'm sure that watching them being raised is much more awesome. I love seeing the chicks change, especially red breasted chicks. I know button quail rarely go broody so it really would be a pleasure if mine hatched their eggs.
 
The hen will lay an average of 8-12 eggs before she sits tightly. Meaning she stays on the nest except to eat and poop. And as you have stated it is rare but not unheard of, my hen is a great brooder and mom. I have to take the eggs out of the cage so I don't get over run with buttons! I also like her to rest so I save a few eggs, about 7 and mark them and when she has laid about 20, which I have removed all of , I place the 7 duds that I have marked in the cage so she can gather them and sit. She takes a break from laying and I don't have to collect eggs! win win! Good luck hope she hatches some for you. Do watch the male to be sure he is happy with the chicks as sometimes they see them as a threat. Not always but sometimes. It is best to leave him with mom and chicks as he helps raise them up.
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Thanks GrandmaBird. I noticed my hen started to chase the male a bit... Does that mean she wants a bi of privacy for her and her eggs? I can't exactly put the male back in the hutch with my friendly birds, so I wouldn't know what to do about that. Any suggestions?
 
GrandmaBird said:
The hen will lay an average of 8-12 eggs before she sits tightly. Meaning she stays on the nest except to eat and poop. And as you have stated it is rare but not unheard of, my hen is a great brooder and mom. I have to take the eggs out of the cage so I don't get over run with buttons! I also like her to rest so I save a few eggs, about 7 and mark them and when she has laid about 20, which I have removed all of , I place the 7 duds that I have marked in the cage so she can gather them and sit. She takes a break from laying and I don't have to collect eggs! win win! Good luck hope she hatches some for you. Do watch the male to be sure he is happy with the chicks as sometimes they see them as a threat. Not always but sometimes. It is best to leave him with mom and chicks as he helps raise them up.
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I don't think it is rare for buttons to hatch chicks anymore. I hear a load of stories about peoples buttons 'always' hatching chicks than peoples stories of their buttons never hatching chicks. My buttons certainly went broody easy and were great parents, so have many of my friends button quails.
 
Eggs on Toast said:
I don't think it is rare for buttons to hatch chicks anymore. I hear a load of stories about peoples buttons 'always' hatching chicks than peoples stories of their buttons never hatching chicks. My buttons certainly went broody easy and were great parents, so have many of my friends button quails.
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Buttons brood easier than other species but its still not something you can rely on them doing or being good at. Ive raised a ton of them and some brood easily and some never even try.
 
Do not take him out they need to work together to hatch and raise the chicks. The only reason to remove the male is if and that's a BIG IF he hurts the chicks. The hen will let him know she is done mating for now and it will take him a bit to get used to it then things will calm down.
 
Current event: I woke up to see two hatched eggs, and I caught a glimpse of one of the babies! I noticed the mom found a new spot to warm the babies, and moved an egg to sit on it there. I'm guessing that egg is about to hatch any moment, because she is not sitting on the rest of the eggs currently. Or maybe she moved on from the newer eggs and decided only to care for the chicks and eggs about to hatch. So excited!!!
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