Broody button quail

[2 many chickens]

I have a broody buton quail, don't know when this happened but I noticed her start sitting on 4 eggs three days ago. She piled all the shavings sky high, literally all the shavings in her house is now piled in the corner. She gets off the nest a few times a day. I noticed she has starting leaving HUGE piles of crap near her nest.. how come she won't get off the nest to poop?? She gets all pissy when I have to clean it away..
Also, the male that is with her is now depressed. He stands on the side of the house and crows and crows.. anytime he goes to her corner she screams at him and chases him away from the nest. If she gets up to get water and he goes on her side, he's screamed at and pecked. He walks around her and kicks shavings now, she is uninterested in him now. He just stands there all bug eyed and sad, his friend is not his friend anymore... is this normal??
I have never had a broody quail before. She seems determined. Should I give more eggs to her or leave the four alone? Also, is it okay to cut their light off at night or will she abandon the nest if I do?? Sorry for sounding naive..

 

[2 many chickens]

And just because it's cute here's mrs.broody

 

[DK newbie]

She leaves the nest as little as possible, because that's her instinct - the eggs are safer that way, less risk of being detected by a predator if you don't move. It's completely normal. So is the pile of shavings - it's her way of building a nest. I rarely see a hen getting aggressive with a roo just because she's broody, but it's not unheard of. The chicks will hatch in a couple of weeks if everything goes well, the roo will be fine being ignored that long 4 eggs is okay. I'd keep the cleaning to a minimum - leave the huge poops there if it bothers her that you remove them. She should be fine without a light.

 

[2 many chickens]

She leaves the nest as little as possible, because that's her instinct - the eggs are safer that way, less risk of being detected by a predator if you don't move. It's completely normal. So is the pile of shavings - it's her way of building a nest. I rarely see a hen getting aggressive with a roo just because she's broody, but it's not unheard of. The chicks will hatch in a couple of weeks if everything goes well, the roo will be fine being ignored that long 4 eggs is okay. I'd keep the cleaning to a minimum - leave the huge poops there if it bothers her that you remove them. She should be fine without a light.

Thank you for replying!!!
When the chick's hatch (if, I hope) are they okay with the roo being around them??

 

[DK newbie]

That depends on the roo. In the wild, the roo helps mom raising the chicks. Most of my roos do as well, but I have one incubator hatched roo that will sometimes peck the chicks and definitely doesn't help raising them. The experienced dads will usually sit beside mom on the nest once the chicks have hatched, before they are ready to leave the nest - that's often the first sign I see that the chicks have hatched. Though your hen might not let him sit there. But usually the aggressive moms calm down 1-2 days after the chicks have hatched and accept the help of dad.

 

[2 many chickens]

That depends on the roo. In the wild, the roo helps mom raising the chicks. Most of my roos do as well, but I have one incubator hatched roo that will sometimes peck the chicks and definitely doesn't help raising them. The experienced dads will usually sit beside mom on the nest once the chicks have hatched, before they are ready to leave the nest - that's often the first sign I see that the chicks have hatched. Though your hen might not let him sit there. But usually the aggressive moms calm down 1-2 days after the chicks have hatched and accept the help of dad.

Thankfully she has now allowed him to sit next to her at the nest! He stands guard when she gets up to drink or eat. She occasionally chirps angrily at him but not as much as before.
They are the cutest couple, I'm excited for some babies! She's such a great broody for a button quail!!
I hope out of the four eggs that are there two will hatch at least!!

 

[fishforbrains]

Good luck. I have a button quail pair that get broody all the time and have never yet managed to hatch a single chick. After a month I take the dehydrated dead eggs away so they can try to return to normal for a bit before they start up again.

 

[2 many chickens]

This momma did it! 2 hatched, one still zipping. I'm unsure about the last egg though.. had to remove the dad. He was dragging one baby around by the foot and pulling it out under mom.. I thought he'd be okay with them but I guess not. So proud of this girl! She's awesome.

 

[DK newbie]

Congratulations! Too bad the roo was clueless, but most likely the chicks will be better dads than he is, as they are getting the experience of being raised by their mother

 

[nchls school]

After reading these posts I am wondering, does it really make a difference if the quail are raised naturally as compared to incubator hatched when it comes to being good parents/brooding. I have a Japanese quail that was hatched and raised by a bantam hen. She is now brooding 11 eggs. I have never had a Japanese go broody and I have been raising birds for 50 years.