Bobwhites

[MrMe3257]

First Bobwhite egg today 4th may after I spent ages thinking they wouldn't lay at all. Are bobwhite's known to go broody or would th eggs need to be placed in an incubator? I only have two hens at the moment and had them since January.

 

[TwoCrows]

Do you have any males? If not, these eggs are not fertile.

Bobs generally will not set full term. They do go a bit broody, both male and female sharing the duties of incubation, however rarely will they stay on the nest for the full 23 days. So yes, you will need an incubator if you have fertile eggs. Females will lay fertile eggs for about 2 weeks after the last mating from a male.

 

[MrMe3257]

Ive no male but my hen has started to go broody. She took over the nestbox and theres a cup shape at the bottom where she sits. If I introduce a male now will she stay broody and lay fertile eggs?

 

[dc3085]

Maybe but i wouldnt be too hopeful. Just being broody doesnt mean she knows how to brood or raise chicks. Most often peoples broody bobs and coturnix do it a couple times for a few days then quit.

Introducing a roo to a bob hen isnt just as easy as it sounds. Youll need to cage him next to her but in full view for a couple weeks, then move both birds to a new cage so niether gets territorial over their current cage. Quail are very territorial and an improper introduction can easily lead to dead or seriously injured birds. Even doing it the proper way doesnt insure youll have no issues

 

[MrMe3257]

If I leave her to go broody and she does can I introduce a male the way you described at the end of autumn/ start of winter so by spring she will be well paired with the cock bird? I had cpq's hatch their own chicks on the 15th Who have been with eachother since end of Autumn.

 

[dc3085]

Not to be rude but if you search byc youll find this type of questions asked a million times. The answer is basically always no, no one can say what might work or not because like one in millions of quail keepers have ever it had it happen. cage raised quail have severely damaged instincts. You have a one in a zillion chance that she even actually knows how many days to sit on a nest. People really dont seem to realize the odds stacked against them when it comes to quail brooding. In all the years ive been doing this ive seen proof of two broody coturnix hens hatching eggs and never any bobs, its just a really crazy long shot when they do at all. Buttons are the only quail left with any instinct to raise young and it happens maybe one out of ever couple hundred thousand. It is not ever a method of propagation that can be relied upon.

 

[MrMe3257]

I understand, thanks for your help

 

[dc3085]

I am not suggesting you give up. If i were you id keep with your plan and see what happens. Worst case you end up with one moe bob that cant brood but you could also be that one in a million...

 

[MrMe3257]

Yeah Im gonna see if she stays sitting and if she does ill introduce a roo when theyll be forming a covey to reduce violence. Then next year ill use the exact same box etc but plant grass over winter as they stripped it bare.
If they raise a clutch ill be over the moon

 

[MrMe3257]

Heres the hen shes been here for over an hour