Broody coturnix hen looking like a fluffy pancake

[Gigachad poultry]

Hello everyone and good afternoon, I came back from vacation to find that one of my coturnix hens Sweetpea had gone broody in the ivy and she looks like a fluffy pancake! I think by the fact that she had an egg or two that are sticking out of her. Now the question I have is, should I mess with her and mark any developing eggs or should I leave her? I don't know when she went broody but with how many eggs she has I'm scared if a strangered hatch is happening? I put some photos of her so you can see. Also I did put some chicks in with the flock and I'm wondering if that might have set something off causing her to go broody?

 

[The crazy Poultry hoarder]

If she hops of when you feed them you could check otherwise leave it alone

 

[Gigachad poultry]

If she hops of when you feed them you could check otherwise leave it alone

Ok I will keep my eyes open!

 

[Oob Child]

I have no proper advice, but that is the cutest pancake I’ve ever seen!

 

[Gigachad poultry]

I have no proper advice, but that is the cutest pancake I’ve ever seen!

I know it's just so stinking cute

 

[Cool-breeze7]

I’d suggest offering some meal worms or other treats to entice her off the clutch. You want to mark the eggs. I suggest drawing a line all around the eggs you leave her. My hens continuously add eggs when they’re brooding.

I usually leave 8-10 (depending on my mood and the nest she’s built. Most days I find 20 or so under her. My last two hatches took till day 21 (day 0 being when I noticed her sitting on them). They won’t be kept at a perfect 99.5f/37.5c like in an incubator. I figure that’s why it’s a later hatch date than you’d expect.

Mind if I ask how many birds you have and size of your enclosure? I suspect that has a lot to do with getting them broody in the first place.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

I’d suggest offering some meal worms or other treats to entice her off the clutch. You want to mark the eggs. I suggest drawing a line all around the eggs you leave her. My hens continuously add eggs when they’re brooding.

I usually leave 8-10 (depending on my mood and the nest she’s built. Most days I find 20 or so under her. My last two hatches took till day 21 (day 0 being when I noticed her sitting on them). They won’t be kept at a perfect 99.5f/37.5c like in an incubator. I figure that’s why it’s a later hatch date than you’d expect.

Mind if I ask how many birds you have and size of your enclosure? I suspect that has a lot to do with getting them broody in the first place.

I have them in a huge aviary that's about 30-40 feet by 55-75 feet or so and it has a huge concrete bottom and it goes about 2 feet upwards to stop digging! It fits about 400 birds and I have about 200 different birds of a few types. I can take some photos of it.

 

[Cool-breeze7]

I have them in a huge aviary that's about 30-40 feet by 55-75 feet or so and it has a huge concrete bottom and it goes about 2 feet upwards to stop digging! It fits about 400 birds and I have about 200 different birds of a few types. I can take some photos of it.

Sounds like you have one heck of an operation going on there and I really appreciate the response. My guess is quail going broody is a combination of semi natural environment, total space and space per bird. But you’re one of just a few people to answer my question.

Im wanting to better understand what conditions allow a hen to get broody. I’d hate to make a change to my set up and get less brooding.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

Sounds like you have one heck of an operation going on there and I really appreciate the response. My guess is quail going broody is a combination of semi natural environment, total space and space per bird. But you’re one of just a few people to answer my question.

Im wanting to better understand what conditions allow a hen to get broody. I’d hate to make a change to my set up and get less brooding.

I actually had my birds breed so much I'm being forced to sell some! I have so many born.every month Im literally thinking of selling on bulk to a pet store and be their supplier! I hate it when I see people who put ten or more poor quail in a fot by fot cage for their whole life. In my aviary I only have six coturnix quail and that includes Sweetpea! When one is getting bullied they usually hide in the vines or they will hide behind the feed bins. I also feed them a mixed diet of lettuce three times a week and I give them millet mixed with a dove mix and some mealworms! They all act really natural and I'm sp happy my birds have a life like this.

 

[Cool-breeze7]

I actually had my birds breed so much I'm being forced to sell some! I have so many born.every month Im literally thinking of selling on bulk to a pet store and be their supplier! I hate it when I see people who put ten or more poor quail in a fot by fot cage for their whole life. In my aviary I only have six coturnix quail and that includes Sweetpea! When one is getting bullied they usually hide in the vines or they will hide behind the feed bins. I also feed them a mixed diet of lettuce three times a week and I give them millet mixed with a dove mix and some mealworms! They all act really natural and I'm sp happy my birds have a life like this.

overall I definitely agree. I’m personally trying to figure out a balance between quality of life and efficiency. I’m not running a business but I’m not exactly running a charity either.

That being said I’ll never recoup the initial costs for my aviary. And I’m fortunate enough not to care about that.

Keep us posted on hopefully some chicks hatching out in a few weeks.