3rd Brood in one season

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Chiquk

In the Brooder
Sep 23, 2020
10
51
38
Hi all, I’ve been keeping quails for last 2 yrs for their eggs. This year I wanted my kids to experience raising some quails from chicks. I only had females left from my old flock. So I ended up buying 12 one day olds of various colours. I put all the Italians in the outside cage (2ftx5ft)1M & 3F. One of the females decided to site on the eggs and used her beak to tuck the eggs under her. I knew this was a good sign. Funny thing was another went in the flowerpot nest behind her and was sort of doing the same, but taking it from her clutch. They both been laying eggs there so she wasn’t really stealing the eggs. I may of had two broody hens, but I decided to separate the enclosure into half and leave just one of the hens to brood the eggs. Two other females and a Male could just be too much disruption for her. She even accepted two eggs from another batch I put afront of her (15 eggs) most hatched and some died due to getting squashed I think. I put some in the indoor brooder whilst the others hatched. Then re introduced a few days later. It was amazing watching how the chicks tucked amongst Her feathers, knowing too well they won’t all fit in there within a week. My broody hen flew over the other side once chicks were 2.5-3wks. Then started mating again and as soon as there was enough eggs (I collected other eggs and put in one nestbox ) she started brooding again. I took out the remaining Male chick and moved the nest box into the female chick area hoping to expose it brooding. By the time the second lot started to hatch the female chicks was already mature and broody hen was being protective, after a few fights I moved the 1st lot of chicks to separate unit. And the 2nd lot chicks in indoor brooder and the Un-hatched Eggs in the incubator. Surprisingly some hatched 4-5days after the natural hatching(18day) this could be due to the large batch size that she couldn’t site on them all. Well 2wks later she is sitting on her 3rd brood. Smaller batch this time (6-8) half eggs from another hen. I bought this broody baby in May 2020 at 1 day old. Since then she has just started sitting on her 3rd brood 22nd Sep 2020.
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Wow, Congrats on the chicks and broody quail! Coturnix quail? Quail don't go broody all that often, you must be doing something right! Definitely stop by our Quail forums for sharing and quail chat... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/quail.48/

Welcome to our community!
 
TwoCrows said:
Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Wow, Congrats on the chicks and broody quail! Coturnix quail? Quail don't go broody all that often, you must be doing something right! Definitely stop by our Quail forums for sharing and quail chat... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/quail.48/

Welcome to our community!
Click to expand...
Yes Coturnix quails. That was what I originally read and heard. That’s why I also bought an incubator, then just a week after I noticing The hens behaviour. Also I’ve been searching on you tube and found other successful quail brooding, most was in foreign language but you know it does happens. Think my key was giving it plenty of space and I put plants and branches there to hid the entrance to the nest. Also reduce distractions by the Male, by providing other females for him or to separate him. I’ve seen it with my caged pairs, the Male goes in the nest box with Female and eggs and tries to mate in the egg box. The hen never sat on it long enough and the eggs just piled up to 20 and you know it’s not going to happen.
 
Chiquk said:
Yes Coturnix quails. That was what I originally read and heard. That’s why I also bought an incubator, then just a week after I noticing The hens behaviour. Also I’ve been searching on you tube and found other successful quail brooding, most was in foreign language but you know it does happens. Think my key was giving it plenty of space and I put plants and branches there to hid the entrance to the nest. Also reduce distractions by the Male, by providing other females for him or to separate him. I’ve seen it with my caged pairs, the Male goes in the nest box with Female and eggs and tries to mate in the egg box. The hen never sat on it long enough and the eggs just piled up to 20 and you know it’s not going to happen.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a nice set up, natural environments definitely encourage brooding!! Great job!
 

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