Damn Quail!!!

[ShrekDawg]

They do have the best dust bath in the world and love using it.

Their behavior really is no different than almost any fowl. It's just that any fowl I previously had were to lay eggs. I never even thought about stopping egg laying with fowl. I know you cannot eliminate it, but I am sure that it can be mitigated.

Hmm I’m not sure then! Just out of curiosity, why do you want to eliminate the egg laying? Do you think it’s causing the crazy behavior? The broodiness? If anything, laying made my birds calmer. And most of mine never go broody. Though that’s chickens but still. I have Cots too. All were flighty until after they started laying and laying calmed them down. So I can’t imagine stopping it would make yours any calmer. It might just be their particular personalities.

 

[muddy75]

If I’m understanding correctly, you are interested in breaking the broody behavior. To do this, remove the fake eggs and any nest material. You will have to collect any new eggs and attempts at a new nest frequently before they attempt to brood them. Restricting their light and/or changing their environment would be the only options to delay/decrease the frequency of laying new eggs.

 

[Quaicken108]

Wow! You should see my buttons! They’re nuts, just turned 1 yesterday on the 16th and every time my male makes a nest my female will lay in the dirt bathing box! I jUsT wAnT hEr To Go BrOoDy!

 

[gwboolean]

Hmm I’m not sure then! Just out of curiosity, why do you want to eliminate the egg laying? Do you think it’s causing the crazy behavior? The broodiness? If anything, laying made my birds calmer. And most of mine never go broody. Though that’s chickens but still. I have Cots too. All were flighty until after they started laying and laying calmed them down. So I can’t imagine stopping it would make yours any calmer. It might just be their particular personalities.

No, I am just tired of it. But yes, their behavior is entirely hormonal. It's a direct relationship.

So any effort to mitigate egg laying (probably not possible except by taking their ovaries out) is to define what actions drive the hormones.

 

[gwboolean]

If I’m understanding correctly, you are interested in breaking the broody behavior. To do this, remove the fake eggs and any nest material. You will have to collect any new eggs and attempts at a new nest frequently before they attempt to brood them. Restricting their light and/or changing their environment would be the only options to delay/decrease the frequency of laying new eggs.

That's kind of what I thought. I already pulled their nests and they are both wandering around and haven't yet noticed it. Should I expect a lot of mournful button quail calls or button quail bitching for the next day or two?

 

[ShrekDawg]

No, I am just tired of it. But yes, their behavior is entirely hormonal. It's a direct relationship.

So any effort to mitigate egg laying (probably not possible except by taking their ovaries out) is to define what actions drive the hormones.

I don’t think the egg laying is the problem but rather the broodiness. I think if you can break the broodiness, it will solve it. Broodies can be quite temperamental and b*tchy but once they break that they’re fine even if they lay.

 

[007Sean]

Removing their nests and collecting the eggs may break their broodiness, as @muddy75 mentioned.

I kept some of mine in a darkened room, not even ambient sunlight nor incandescent light, (I did add VitD3 to their feed for that reason) but even under those conditions they continued to lay eggs and although their broodiness was diminished, occasionally they would try brooding a clutch, if I didn't remove the eggs fast enough....although they are pets, you might consider rehoming them if you can't/won't just accept their behavior or break them of their behavior.

ETA-They will still call for a mate but the hens call isn't nearly as loud or scary as the males.

 

[le_bwah]

If the birds being birds is bothersome to you, it might be time to find them another home.

 

[Quail 66]

Exchange them with Italian quails. If you manage to turn them broody too, please send them to me . Seriously now, maybe it's time for a change. Give them away and keep a hamster. They need about the same space I think. Post some pics from your cage.

 

[Quailobsessed]

My king quails go broody all the time! They're pretty much constantly broody. I have a group of three females (mother and daughters) who always go broody, but become aggressive towards each other. Removing eggs and nests seems to be the best way.

I have since introduced a lone male to them who they all get along with, so there seems to be less fighting.