Broody quail behavior?

[Vonchmessica]

Hi Everyone. I’m from Melbourne Australia and I’ve had caturnix quail for around 4 months. It’s spring time here and they’ve been laying now for around 3 weeks. I have 2 roosters and 6 hens in a large rabbit hutch. One of the females has laid 4 eggs in the same place in the sheltered part of the hutch. The straw looks like it has been arranged a bit like a nest. There are a few other spots in the cage like this too. I’ve seen her sitting on them a few times but not continuously. Some of the hens lay their eggs randomy anywhere, but these ones look strategic. Does this sound like good broody behavior?

 

[DK newbie]

It could be. I sometimes leave the eggs for a couple of weeks if I notice them being laid in 'nest like' locations, but I haven't had one go broody yet. It's worth the try though. But in a rabbit hutch and with two roos around, I don't think it's likely to have one go broody. When it does happen, it's usually either in big planted aviaries or in rabbit hutch like structures with only 2-3 birds.

 

[Vonchmessica]

Thanks. I’ve just about finished building them a big pen with plants and shrubs, so maybe that will do the trick. I need to move them in their so that will probably disrupt things for a while.