Anyone else's deep litter quail lay in each other's nests?

[USAmma]

I have had my quail on deep litter for over a month now and really finding that they are happier and healthier. Finally got my system down.

So every night I throw a new layer of straw on top of the litter and they love it. In late evening a few of them will dig out little round deep nests and lay there happy as can be. The nest locations are random and they are abandoned by the next day. They have started to prefer their own nests to the shoe box nests I had provided when they were on wire. I collect eggs right after dark, and notice that most of the time I will shoo a bird out of the nest and find lots of eggs. Like today I collected 9 eggs from one nest and 5 from another. And then there were 2 eggs randomly lying out.

I was told that Coturnix quail are so domesticated they don't sit on eggs or make nests, but I see it with several of mine. And also in the wild do they lay eggs in one big communal nest like that? Or are my quail just seeing that it's a safe place to lay since they are vulnerable during that process? But then one is always sitting on the nest of eggs being broody, too.

 

[TwoCrows]

The reason most Coturnix quail are quoted as "just laying anywhere" is most people do not provide nesting material. All quail will make nests if given the opportunity. And because Coturnix are raised so communally now, they will lay in each others nests. And they will set on eggs if they feel their environment may be right for a brood. It is getting them to stay on the nest is the hard part. LOL But lots of people have hens that have hatched out broods.

Oh, and I am glad your birds are doing so much better on bedding! I knew they would.

I love to watch them make nests. I have had some really creative nests built by my Bobs. Here is one that was about 2 feet tall, the entrance hole about 1 foot off the ground. Very intricately done and they both built this thing in quick order. At the time I took this pic, the female was inside as the male waited on the outside...

 

[GD91]

I'm actually trying to persuade my quail to go broody & hatch chicks as a hobby. I've got 2 monogamous pairs of Jumbo Coturnix together in 2 large separate pens.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/852979/can-i-breed-broodyness-back-in-inky-poroblem-to

They are only about 3 months old or so now.