Damn Quail!!!

[gwboolean]

I have a pair of button quail hens (pets). They started laying eggs and after awhile were not such fun anymore. Eventually I allowed the little hard heads to brood their eggs and it just will not end. They sit in their nests almost all day long and when they come out all they do is creech at each other and me. I never dreamed that such small birds could be such hard cases (they live in my office).

Anyway, I thought that after a couple of weeks sitting on the (dummy) eggs that they would finally quit and go back to normal. Apparenly not. One of them is now over 4 weeks on the nest.

I am considering just taking their nests away and hoping that this egg nightmare will end for awhile. Does anyone have any ideas about how to make them stop cold turkey (cold quail if you will).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@TwoCrows may be able to give you some tips.

Are you asking how to break their broodiness?

No judgement here, but you mentioned "after a while were not such fun anymore". I know some may disagree, but if you are finding them to be a royal pain, then it may be better to re-home them? Likely someone in your area also raises Quail and will take in a couple of hens.

 

[TwoCrows]

I am so sorry you are dealing with the broodiness! I have never kept Button Quail so I am not really sure on the best way to deal with this.

I will move this thread over to our Quail forums here on BYC, lots of Button keepers there. Good luck!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@Nabiki

 

[Ravenlover]

I have a pair of button quail hens (pets). They started laying eggs and after awhile were not such fun anymore. Eventually I allowed the little hard heads to brood their eggs and it just will not end. They sit in their nests almost all day long and when they come out all they do is creech at each other and me. I never dreamed that such small birds could be such hard cases (they live in my office).

Anyway, I thought that after a couple of weeks sitting on the (dummy) eggs that they would finally quit and go back to normal. Apparenly not. One of them is now over 4 weeks on the nest.

I am considering just taking their nests away and hoping that this egg nightmare will end for awhile. Does anyone have any ideas about how to make them stop cold turkey (cold quail if you will).

Most people would pay you for broody button quail that have such devotion that they sit for 4 weeks

 

[gwboolean]

@TwoCrows may be able to give you some tips.

Are you asking how to break their broodiness?

No judgement here, but you mentioned "after a while were not such fun anymore". I know some may disagree, but if you are finding them to be a royal pain, then it may be better to re-home them? Likely someone in your area also raises Quail and will take in a couple of hens.

I don't want to get rid of them. I want them to quit brooding (or even better, stop the egg production).

They are sitting on dummy eggs and they are not laying eggs anymore. But both of them should have given up by now. One of them has been on it for a month. (Their eggs usually hatch at about 2 weeks).

That is why I was wondering if my plan to just yank their nests is going to get me where I want to go?

 

[gwboolean]

Most people would pay you for broody button quail that have such devotion that they sit for 4 weeks

I thought it was pretty cool too.... for awhile. When they first started laying eggs I thought is was fun and cute. Then the bitchiness and bickering started. Then when they started brooding all that is left is two very small bitches that come out 2 or 3 times a day to yell at me the whole time they are out, cause they are in a bad mood.

 

[Aunt Angus]

You won't be able to stop egg laying. You might be able to stop the broodiness, though. Keeping chickens from setting works for my hens. I don't know that it's that way for quail....

 

[Aunt Angus]

I thought it was pretty cool too.... for awhile. When they first started laying eggs I thought is was fun and cute. Then the bitchiness and bickering started. Then when they started brooding all that is left is two very small bitches that come out 2 or 3 times a day to yell at me the whole time they are out, cause they are in a bad mood.

I have to say, you don't sound like you enjoy having them. Maybe rehome these and get males.

 

[Xouie]

I have a pair of button quail hens (pets). They started laying eggs and after awhile were not such fun anymore. Eventually I allowed the little hard heads to brood their eggs and it just will not end. They sit in their nests almost all day long and when they come out all they do is creech at each other and me. I never dreamed that such small birds could be such hard cases (they live in my office).

Anyway, I thought that after a couple of weeks sitting on the (dummy) eggs that they would finally quit and go back to normal. Apparenly not. One of them is now over 4 weeks on the nest.

I am considering just taking their nests away and hoping that this egg nightmare will end for awhile. Does anyone have any ideas about how to make them stop cold turkey (cold quail if you will).

Well I have no idea how to break broody buttons, so I’m following this thread. Not sure what was funnier “not such fun anymore “, or “little hard cases”! I just wish I had your problem!