Help Broody Quail!

[Soph_quail]

A few days ago one of my females began sitting on some eggs. I’ve never had my quails become properly broody before so assumed she’d give up quickly. However, we are now on day 5/6 and she is still very determined to sit on these eggs. We’ve checked them and they are very warm and she rarely gets off of them - only for food. I am still unconvinced she won’t give up but she seems very determined for now. My issue is she is stressing out the other birds and being rather defensive of her eggs. I am happy for her to hatch these eggs however I’m worried about the tension with the other birds. Would it be a good idea to move her to a different environment, we have an indoor rabbit cage we can make suitable for her however I’m not sure if this would disturb her too much? And what should we do when the eggs are ready to hatch? Do we let her hatch them or put them in an incubator? Any advice on what to do would be great.

So we moved the bird as she scalped my male and was being very defensive. Since then she has just sat next to the eggs and not on them. We’ll give her until tomorrow however I can imagine the eggs have gone cold already.

 

[Quailobsessed]

So we moved the bird as she scalped my male and was being very defensive. Since then she has just sat next to the eggs and not on them. We’ll give her until tomorrow however I can imagine the eggs have gone cold already.

The eggs can actually last a while. I had a hen who was broody for a week, but then stopped sitting on her eggs. I left them with her for about half a day (a pretty cold day too) before collecting them and putting them in my incubator. They hatched out fine. Another time, I had a quail who went broody, but gave up after about 22 days because nothing hatched. I didn't bother removing the eggs yet, but a few days later, a chick hatched on it's own.

 

[Quaicken108]

The eggs can actually last a while. I had a hen who was broody for a week, but then stopped sitting on her eggs. I left them with her for about half a day (a pretty cold day too) before collecting them and putting them in my incubator. They hatched out fine. Another time, I had a quail who went broody, but gave up after about 22 days because nothing hatched. I didn't bother removing the eggs yet, but a few days later, a chick hatched on it's own.

Yes! Quail eggs can be very good with the temperature sometimes. That’s why it’s not a big fuss with having two million thermometers in an incubator.

 

[Livvy0987]

A few days ago one of my females began sitting on some eggs. I’ve never had my quails become properly broody before so assumed she’d give up quickly. However, we are now on day 5/6 and she is still very determined to sit on these eggs. We’ve checked them and they are very warm and she rarely gets off of them - only for food. I am still unconvinced she won’t give up but she seems very determined for now. My issue is she is stressing out the other birds and being rather defensive of her eggs. I am happy for her to hatch these eggs however I’m worried about the tension with the other birds. Would it be a good idea to move her to a different environment, we have an indoor rabbit cage we can make suitable for her however I’m not sure if this would disturb her too much? And what should we do when the eggs are ready to hatch? Do we let her hatch them or put them in an incubator? Any advice on what to do would be great.

Possibly move the other quails? Just leave her and move the others? (If you don't have a huge amount)

 

[Quaicken108]

Possibly move the other quails? Just leave her and move the others? (If you don't have a huge amount)

Yes, you could try that if you think that’s an option. Sometimes solitude helps because no one’s annoying them to bits!

 

[Soph_quail]

Possibly move the other quails? Just leave her and move the others? (If you don't have a huge amount)

We thought about that but we just don’t have the space to move all of them

 

[Livvy0987]

We thought about that but we just don’t have the space to move all of them

I understand, good luck!