best results for fertile eggs

[birddogsc]

Flocking birds in pen with a 1/3 rooster to hen ratio or brooding pens with same ratio? Wich one has seem too have the best results for yall

 

[Ellaluvsbirds]

I have tried a 1/2 ratio and pairs. The 1/2 ratio has worked out well for me. I think that having more than 1 female to a male is a better idea then just having a pair because then not as much harassment that goes on. At the start of my time keeping quail I kept them in pairs and I had a hen that jumped as an attempt to get away from the male and she bashed up her head from the roof of the cage to the point that you could see her skull. She ended up living which was lucky but ever since I have had more then 1 female to a male.

 

[ThaJuicyJuice]

The roos over mount the hens. It is consistent and observable at several times within a 30 minute period. I would see 1-2 ration may even still be too much for some hens. Until further research is unveiled we must rely on the industry standard of 1-3 or 1-4.

 

[dc3085]

Because in the wild these were covey birds the roosters are too aggressive to leave with just a couple hens. 1:3 is the low end of where you want to be. I run 1:6 and still have a 95% fertility rate so there really isn't much to gain by running them with less hens. If you plan to add more than 1 rooster to a cage you'll need to go from 1sq ft per bird to about 3-4 sq ft per bird and if you try to run multiple roosters with anything less than 1:5 (even that is too low really) you will have dead birds on you're hands. These roosters will only get along if raised from birth together and eventually there will com a point where they start to fight (sometimes they'll go a whole year but eventually it happens) unless you give them a ton of space and a lot of hens. There is no need to force these things to breed in an un-natural way to them, to increase fertility. Breeding cages increase fertility but if you notice no one puts up pics of their birds in breeding cages because the birds look like junk after a few months in a 9"x18" cubby with three other birds.

 

[sniper338]

I run 1:4 because of space... hens stay firtile for a week and a half after being breed... thats why you can easily run 1:6... if the roo breed one hen once a day they would all be firtile still.. and we know they like to tap it like rabbits sooo.. should have problems...