Only one egg daily in a four hen flock

[-Chanticleer-]

took my girls 20 weeks to see a egg.

Quails? Or chickens?

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Quails? Or chickens?

Quail

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Quail

I was replying to the other user because I think they got confused. Then I scrolled down and saw they realized it was quail not chickens. I was going to say there’s no way it took 20 weeks for a quail to pop an egg out

 

[lagrange chicks]

Sorry chickens.

 

[HutchButch]

Make sure they're getting at least 14 hours of light per day.Two, make sure that nothing is stressing them. Having your boy separated might be causing them some stress, but look for predators hanging around, or other issues.

I have them in an aviary of sorts. It's walled off with a high enough wall that they can't fly away. They live in a wooden hutch in there, and I have a tarp over it to prevent rain from ruining the wood or getting into their living space. Even when I let them out into the aviary, they prefer to stay under the tarp. Either way, they're not cooped up inside or anything. They can see daylight just fine.

Two, make sure that nothing is stressing them. Having your boy separated might be causing them some stress

I initially separated him so he won't breed with the hens. I don't want fertilized eggs, much less more quail than I can currently handle. Also, I've tried bringing the roo for a visit to the ladies while I watch, and one of them gets very nasty when he's around, pecking him and the other hens if he's even near any of them. They're all visible to each other, though. The divider has a screen so they're able to see each other just fine.

but look for predators hanging around, or other issues.

I have cats, but they never get within a yard of the hutch because of the way the aviary is built. The quail walk around just fine, even when the cats are nearby.

 

[Nabiki]

If these are coturnix hens, you don't have to worry about them raising their own chicks. While it's possible for them to go broody in an aviary setting, it's not common.

Since they are in an aviary, you might look for buried eggs. They will bury them if the dirt is loose enough.

 

[HutchButch]

If these are coturnix hens, you don't have to worry about them raising their own chicks. While it's possible for them to go broody in an aviary setting, it's not common.

Since they are in an aviary, you might look for buried eggs. They will bury them if the dirt is loose enough.

I still don't want them to breed. I don't want fertilized eggs period.

What do you mean about them not raising their own chicks though? And what does broody mean?

 

[Patiocoturnix]

I still don't want them to breed. I don't want fertilized eggs period.

What do you mean about them not raising their own chicks though? And what does broody mean?

They will most of the time not sit on and hatch their own eggs and even if they do the usually don’t make good parents. Broody is the term you use when a hen is sitting on/hatching their eggs.
Why don’t you want fertilized eggs?

 

[Nabiki]

I still don't want them to breed. I don't want fertilized eggs period.

What do you mean about them not raising their own chicks though? And what does broody mean?

Coturnix quail are terrible parents for the most part. Even if the eggs are fertile, they won't sit on them (go broody), so they won't hatch. If you don't want fertile eggs, have you considered getting rid of the male? They will still lay eggs without him.

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Coturnix quail are terrible parents for the most part. Even if the eggs are fertile, they won't sit on them (go broody), so they won't hatch. If you don't want fertile eggs, have you considered getting rid of the male? They will still lay eggs without him.

Agreed even if you have fertile eggs they are perfectly safe to eat and don’t change the taste or anything it just means if you throw them in the incubator they will develop.