Bonded male, not so bonded female...

[shrimpsilkies]

This might be only case ever of a male quail having too many hens...

So recently I noticed my only male becoming extremely territorial towards his hens. He wasn’t mating them, just chasing them until they ran to the other end of the pen. Then I noticed he was following my jumbo Pharaoh hen and mating with her exclusively. Last night he was squished up next to her like two loaves of bread, and my quail never sleep next to each other, even in the cold.
This morning I caught him turning eggs in a makeshift nest, frantically calling (very similar to tidbitting but higher pitched) for her to come and sit on them. She sat by him, completely oblivious.
I highly doubt she will make him happy and hatch some chicks for him.

I brought them indoors this morning to give the rest of the hens a break, and everywhere that hen went this boy was right by her side. This is them in a plastic tub where I put some bugs for him to tidbit, he fed every single one to her. I’m confused as what to do here, since I doubt he’ll stop mate guarding her, and she definitely won’t raise chicks. I’d like to keep him, since broody Coturnix are an eventual goal of mine, and he’s extremely gentle with mating, but separating them together won’t produce chicks, and if I put them back in the flock, he’ll keep pecking the rest of the hens!

 

[shrimpsilkies]

Oh, he’s also the son of my most broody hen (she sat on eggs for about two hours a day last year, he is one of those eggs artificially incubated). I wonder if genetics or hormones that she passed down to him have anything to do with this.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

Had one like that, except that I was dumb enough to put two males in the cage and she became the "prize." Even after I culled one of the males, the remaining male just couldn't get enough of her. She finally flipped out and ended up injuring herself trying to escape. She's okay now, but in a different cage.

They do pick favorites. Personally, I think he has great taste. The attraction just wasn't mutual.

 

[Quail 66]

This might be only case ever of a male quail having too many hens...
View attachment 2569166
So recently I noticed my only male becoming extremely territorial towards his hens. He wasn’t mating them, just chasing them until they ran to the other end of the pen. Then I noticed he was following my jumbo Pharaoh hen and mating with her exclusively. Last night he was squished up next to her like two loaves of bread, and my quail never sleep next to each other, even in the cold.
This morning I caught him turning eggs in a makeshift nest, frantically calling (very similar to tidbitting but higher pitched) for her to come and sit on them. She sat by him, completely oblivious.
I highly doubt she will make him happy and hatch some chicks for him.

I brought them indoors this morning to give the rest of the hens a break, and everywhere that hen went this boy was right by her side. This is them in a plastic tub where I put some bugs for him to tidbit, he fed every single one to her. I’m confused as what to do here, since I doubt he’ll stop mate guarding her, and she definitely won’t raise chicks. I’d like to keep him, since broody Coturnix are an eventual goal of mine, and he’s extremely gentle with mating, but separating them together won’t produce chicks, and if I put them back in the flock, he’ll keep pecking the rest of the hens!

I was just talking to another thread about a couple I have when I saw that. They live separated from the others, she went broody last summer for a week and he was sitting on the eggs when she went out to eat! She shows again broody behaviour and I've seen him today trying to take a bath without messing with her nest. So sweet . My other roo is like yours. Mates only with one hen and sleeps beside her, ignores her girlfriend and chase the others. There is something on the air here that makes my birds monogamous? I made a second "floor" to both cages so the females can escape when stressed. But she acceptes him every time and doesn't run upstairs like the others. The others have perfect plumage and she looks so ruffled even though he is very gentle! I don't know what else to do. I don't expect to have chicks the natural way though. So I incubate. Maybe you should keep them as a couple and put another male with the rest like I did? ( With poor results as I've just said). Maybe if she finds herself in a limited space with less competitors will go broody again. I think it's better because they become "soft" when broody, and the others find the opportunity to attack. Not an expert. Others know better, but I study them a lot because I keep them at my balcony.

 

[janiedoe]

I don't know anything about quail but I wonder what would happen if you separated him with a different female?
Would he fixate on the new female?

 

[shrimpsilkies]

I don't know anything about quail but I wonder what would happen if you separated him with a different female?
Would he fixate on the new female?

He chases off other hens and makes his distress crowing sound to call his hen back.

I was just talking to another thread about a couple I have when I saw that. They live separated from the others, she went broody last summer for a week and he was sitting on the eggs when she went out to eat! She shows again broody behaviour and I've seen him today trying to take a bath without messing with her nest. So sweet . My other roo is like yours. Mates only with one hen and sleeps beside her, ignores her girlfriend and chase the others. There is something on the air here that makes my birds monogamous? I made a second "floor" to both cages so the females can escape when stressed. But she acceptes him every time and doesn't run upstairs like the others. The others have perfect plumage and she looks so ruffled even though he is very gentle! I don't know what else to do. I don't expect to have chicks the natural way though. So I incubate. Maybe you should keep them as a couple and put another male with the rest like I did? ( With poor results as I've just said). Maybe if she finds herself in a limited space with less competitors will go broody again. I think it's better because they become "soft" when broody, and the others find the opportunity to attack. Not an expert. Others know better, but I study them a lot because I keep them at my balcony.

I don’t have another male. It doesn’t really matter since I don’t need fertile eggs from my main flock, but if I separated them, I worry he may overmate her even though he is very gentle. Since she definitely won’t hatch chicks and won’t care for any if I incubate eggs and try to get her to accept them, I don’t want to have these two separated forever...

 

[Quailobsessed]

This sounds like my some of my males. My bonded quail pairs will sleep snuggled together.

Broody pairs are the cutest though.

 

[shrimpsilkies]

This sounds like my some of my males. My bonded quail pairs will sleep snuggled together.

Broody pairs are the cutest though.
View attachment 2571972

I thought he put my Rosetta hen’s eye out today (just blood, but she’s pecked badly). I think I’ll have to separate them, although I worry they’ll be worse if I put them back. Do you ever find that the hen in a bonded pair gets overmated, and does the roo ever forget her and go back to being a polygamist?

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

I thought he put my Rosetta hen’s eye out today (just blood, but she’s pecked badly). I think I’ll have to separate them, although I worry they’ll be worse if I put them back. Do you ever find that the hen in a bonded pair gets overmated, and does the roo ever forget her and go back to being a polygamist?

Just like humans, quails don't handle rejection well. I usually end up switching them up. Out of sight out of mind. Then yes the males go back to trying to hump all the ladies.

 

[Quailobsessed]

I thought he put my Rosetta hen’s eye out today (just blood, but she’s pecked badly). I think I’ll have to separate them, although I worry they’ll be worse if I put them back. Do you ever find that the hen in a bonded pair gets overmated, and does the roo ever forget her and go back to being a polygamist?

Some have overbred their females, but the two pictured above haven't had any issues and are very sweet together. I bought the male when he was four months old and he had been previously living with about 10 hens. I put him with two females and he never overbred them. One of his females went broody and wanted nothing to do with him, and the other died a little while later. The female pictured above was a rescue given to me. I decided to put the two together, since the male was lonely, and they've been a great pair.

I never had any overbreeding issues with another well bonded pair I had. Eventually, the female died, so I put the male with a group of four females I had (who beat up the previous male I gave them). He bonded pretty well to all of them, but he definitely had a favourite. I had to move this group and introduce some more males (because of lack of space). Now the original male seems to of paired up with his favourite.

If keeping them together causes trouble, you should probably separate them.