Hi, I'm an Agriculture teacher in Australia and have a pair of Button quails in my classroom for my Agriculture class. This pair have previously seemed like an amazing set of parents- female has already successfully raised 11 babies in 2 separate clutches by incubating her own eggs and the father has been really great too (alway standing guard and helping her keep them warm when they turn into needy teenagers) However, about a week ago she layed 5 eggs and shows no interest in sitting on them. I don't feel that anything else has changed about their housing situation and they have a nesting box available so that they can hide their eggs from predators/students. I have a few questions in relation to this: 1. Is this due to a change in the seasons? (She was laying + sitting in spring and summer and it's just starting to get colder and become autumnal at the moment 2. Are there any others reasons that she might not be sitting? 3. If I use an incubator to raise the eggs, will she help raise them when they have hatched or will she and the father not recognise them as their own young Thankyou for your help - I'm a bit stumped at the moment so anything is appreciated Hayley
It is probably the change of seasons. they generally do not lay as often in the winter as spring and summer but there are lots of factors in why this is so, from the length of natural day light to the air temperature and even what they feed on. As responsible pet owners we provide lots of great food and water and of course see that they are in a safe cage or enclosure. The birds will do the rest. My female will not sit until she has 10 eggs in the nest and I know that the first 3-4 will not hatch because they are only viable for 7-8 days, she knows this too. Mine has not hatched an eggs and I am glad as I would be over run with button quail! The female lays 1 a day. If you incubate them the parents might recognize the young but I would just set up a brooder and raise them by them selves its more fun that way, they will follow your hand around to the water and food. In the classroom I would use a glass brooder so the chicks could see the children and not be so jumpy when they approach the brooder. Good Luck
