Help for possibly broody hen

[coffee_and_quail]

A little background...we built a large outdoor aviary for all our quail. Currently have 4 males and 12 females. Over the months there are a few spots they would lay eggs and sit in them here or there, but never continously.

Yesterday I found our favorite hen in one of the new "nest" spots. She hasn't moved much since then, and looks pretty pissy when I check on her. I want to encourage broody behavior if possible. Should I move a small food and water source closer to her? I don't want to move her nest and risk disrupting her. I also have a movable cage with an open bottom that I can plop over the area. Will other quail be a problem?

 

[sourland]

Other hens adding eggs to her clutch would cause a problem,

 

[Nabiki]

If she's sitting on eggs, mark what she has so you can remove new ones that get added. If she's seriously broody, she will collect more than she can sit on.

 

[coffee_and_quail]

If she's sitting on eggs, mark what she has so you can remove new ones that get added. If she's seriously broody, she will collect more than she can sit on.

We marked them a few days ago, there's around 7. Is that a good amount or too many? It seems like shes covering them all.

 

[Nabiki]

We marked them a few days ago, there's around 7. Is that a good amount or too many? It seems like shes covering them all.

Seven seems like a good number. I've seen them try to cover as many as 20+, which just doesn't work. Good luck!

 

[007Sean]

@sourland and @Nabiki have given you good advice. The other quail shouldn't be a bother, you might try to candle a few of the eggs to see if they are fertile.

If she's still sitting after 18 days and no hatches, then I would get her off the nest and throw away the eggs, and put something on or around the nest area so she won't keep sitting on the nest...break her from being 'broody'.

 

[coffee_and_quail]

Update - unfortunately while she was broody, our new hatch hit sexual maturity and we had way too many males. This caused chaos for a few days and she was too busy running away from incompetent roos to sit. We candled the eggs before tossing and it's a shame, they seemed to be developing well and may have hatched given a few more days (were already cold when we found them so too late for the incubator). Culled several of the males 2 days ago so now our ratio is way better. We'll let her try again if she feels so inclined.

 

[Nabiki]

Update - unfortunately while she was broody, our new hatch hit sexual maturity and we had way too many males. This caused chaos for a few days and she was too busy running away from incompetent roos to sit. We candled the eggs before tossing and it's a shame, they seemed to be developing well and may have hatched given a few more days (were already cold when we found them so too late for the incubator). Culled several of the males 2 days ago so now our ratio is way better. We'll let her try again if she feels so inclined.

Good luck!

 

[Cool-breeze7]

Your post seems quite similar to my situation. Sorry to hear she got ran off. Hopefully it works out next time.