Bobwhite Question

[ginnboy]

I have 13 Bobwhite i4 males and 9 females in a flight pen on the ground with good cover. What's the odds that they will lay and hutch they own eggs? Thanks for any input.

 

[TwoCrows]

The odds are very poor really. Most quail have lost that ability to become broody, for many reasons. And being that you have many pairs together, the odds will drop even more. If you only kept one pair in the most natural enviromnent you could provide, it MIGHT happen.

HOWEVER!! There are folks that have had quail go broody, so it is not entirely possible. But it is very rare that it does happen. Good luck with your Bobs!

 

[bwhite28]

I had a hen go broody when she was paired with a male in 3x8 pen. She laid 8 eggs and had 6 little ones. It was pretty neat to see her raise them. They used to hide in her wings for the first week or so to keep warm. I've only had it happen once in about 8 years but i don't typically have just a pair in that pen. I have also found that if you put pairs in a small breeder pen they will sometimes fight and even injure the females they are paired with. Never had much luck with them becoming broody other than that time but it was pretty neat.