Celadon coturnix quail cries after laying an egg

[FloorCandy]

If you have the space, you can put 2 females together in a cage and try to combine the males where they can’t see and hear the females. Some will get along some won’t. I currently have a male pen because I’m raising hens for sale next month and I wanted to be able to offer some males if people want them. It’s easier in winter because the mating instinct is lower, but the male pen is for sure a rougher place than the mixed pens. You could look into selling one of the males, or both, and getting some more females, I’m sure you and the birds would be happier with just one, large, pen.

 

[Nabiki]

I recommend against putting a male in with a single female. She will get overbred. There are very rare exceptions, but a male almost always needs at least 3 hens, preferably 5.

If you get oyster shell, as @shrimpsilkies said, the pieces may be too large. I crush mine into quail size pieces in a stainless steel mortar/pestle set that I have.

 

[Quail 66]

The first time I heard the call I was terrified . I thought she was in great pain. She was also biting some wire beside the nest every time. Later, when she went - kind of -
broody, when she layed she would try to yank out the male's chest feathers and, to my surprise, he was allowing her to do it. I came to the conclusion she was instinctively trying to gather suitable parts for a nest. He was so sweet. He even sat on the eggs when she was out eating. I'm also very happy today . That male, which is my original male, started having mating behaviour after a long time. I just wanted to share!
By the way, my other male, who lives with 4 hens, mates only with one, ignores her best friend and attacks the other 2, just because she is not fond of them.

 

[faymine]

The first time I heard the call I was terrified . I thought she was in great pain. She was also biting some wire beside the nest every time. Later, when she went - kind of -
broody, when she layed she would try to yank out the male's chest feathers and, to my surprise, he was allowing her to do it. I came to the conclusion she was instinctively trying to gather suitable parts for a nest. He was so sweet. He even sat on the eggs when she was out eating. I'm also very happy today . That male, which is my original male, started having mating behaviour after a long time. I just wanted to share!
By the way, my other male, who lives with 4 hens, mates only with one, ignores her best friend and attacks the other 2, just because she is not fond of them.

Thank you for sharing - I'm glad to hear about your experiences. Sweet she was building a nest. It is unfortunate not all quail get along.

 

[faymine]

@Nabiki Hello, I decided to record a few short clips of my girl quail after laying an egg. Her egg-calls continued for around 30 minutes - do they sound ordinary? Thank you in advance.

 

[Nabiki]

@Nabiki Hello, I decided to record a few short clips of my girl quail after laying an egg. Her egg-calls continued for around 30 minutes - do they sound ordinary? Thank you in advance.

Those sound pretty normal to me.

 

[shrimpsilkies]

@Nabiki Hello, I decided to record a few short clips of my girl quail after laying an egg. Her egg-calls continued for around 30 minutes - do they sound ordinary? Thank you in advance.

She doesn’t sound like she’s in too much discomfort, but it seems unusual to me that she keeps calling for that long. Almost all of mine just whistle once and leave the egg. Does she show any desire to hatch eggs or sit on them? Collecting straw or feathers?

It may just be elevated hormones in the first few months of laying and not real broodiness, my hen that I thought might go broody at six months old suddenly stopped rolling her eggs and collecting grass, just laid and left like the others did.

 

[faymine]

She doesn’t sound like she’s in too much discomfort, but it seems unusual to me that she keeps calling for that long. Almost all of mine just whistle once and leave the egg. Does she show any desire to hatch eggs or sit on them? Collecting straw or feathers?

It may just be elevated hormones in the first few months of laying and not real broodiness, my hen that I thought might go broody at six months old suddenly stopped rolling her eggs and collecting grass, just laid and left like the others did.

After laying the egg she will sometimes place some straw onto her back -- maybe she does not feel comfortable in the moment and would like to hide. However, she will only sit on the egg for 1-2 minutes, and leaves her nesting box unattended for the rest of the day. She seems to not mind while I collect the egg. I also present the egg to her before fully retrieving it as a form of appreciation, in which she does not show broody behavior.

It is likely you're right she may be experiencing elevating hormones, as she is just over three months old. Thank you!

 

[faymine]

Update: Her egg-calls have been decreasing in length. Today she cried for a maximum of two minutes, and yesterday no crying at all. Perhaps it had been the elevating hormones.