button quail

[skyape38]

I have 2 hens in a cage together Ive had them since September no egg laying, Well I ordered eggs that 2 hatched out of at christmas (nice christmas present for me) Well any way the Hens started to lay eggs like crazy ever since the chicks hatched out, today I go to clean the hens cage and one of them is setting on eggs and was nasty to the other hen pecking her when she went to go in the box i have for them and pecked at my hand. Is this Normal when they are sitting on eggs? The eggs are not fertile since i have no male in with them should I just let her set in them for a while its not hurting anything except when the other hen wants to nest too. The baby quail that i hatched are 4 weeks old now not sure if they are male or female or one of each
Kathy

 

[citalk2much]

they can be a little testy when on nest I thnk it is fine to let them set them it will slow down the egg laying for a time. As for your chicks at 4 weeks old you should be able to flip them over and look at there vent if there are reddish vent feathers it is a male

 

[silkydragon]

im getting buttons next month and have been studying up ive read that you should let them go broody twice a yr becouse it stops them from laying eggs and there eggs are so big in comparison to there body it is the biggest egg in the bird world and takes alot of protein
so i would let her sit on the eggs for awhile