Her Babies Aren't Even A Month Old And She's Gone Broody Again!(Button Quail)

[strawberricatt]

My Button quail hen TNT went broody. On October 4th she hatched six beautiful chicks. Sadly, one didn't make it, but with the love and care received from their parents, the rest have thrived. So, to the point: I went to feed them five days ago and noticed an egg on the floor of the tank. I picked it up and put in in their little loft. So TNT saw that as an opportunity to bring more chicks into the world... She has been laying an egg in her nest (Which is in the loft) everyday for the past four days. She now has five, and is doing what she did last time(preparing the nest)

Her mate, Rusty isn't very happy now that he has been left to raise the chicks. So, what do I do? Do I just let this play out? I've been told to leave the button chicks with TNT and Rusty until they turn 8 weeks old, but of she's going to hatch more, what do I do!? I'll have to buy a bigger tank or something, there is just not enough room for two clutches in their tank...
I plan on keeping two chicks when they're mature, separating them, and finding a mates for them.
So, has anyone had this happen before, I'm fine with TNT hatching more chicks, I'm just worried that it will put too much of a strain on her body...
Here's a cute pic of Rusty(the dad) with the babies when they were only a day old:

 

[AlleysChicks]

I don’t know anything about quail but I’ve had a few chickens do this. They raise both groups together. Currently have a silkie with a 8 week old chick and a 2 week old chick. And had a Easter Egger with 2 different ages chicks also.

 

[DK newbie]

I agree with JaeG. In two weeks when new chicks might hatch, the older ones should be completely independent, so there would be no problem removing them.
If they are fed game bird feed and not seeds, they actually should be fine without additional heat indoors already at 4 weeks. If they are fed seeds, they grow and feather out a lot slower so in that case they should stay with their parents a bit longer.
8 weeks with the parents can be a bit too much in my experience - I had a clutch of around 6 males and one female last year, which I left with the parents till they were 8-9 weeks old and the boys were actually pecking their dad at this point.
I usually remove the chicks at 6 weeks, as I'm having trouble telling the females from their mother if I leave them any longer. They are also way past being able to sit under their parents at this point.
I've had small clutches (1-2 chicks) which I've left in an aviary with their parents when the next clutch hatches and this has worked out fine. I've always removed the big chicks in smaller cages though.
I had a hen last year who seemed to sit every time she had 7 eggs - hatch chicks, start laying again, 7 egg = start sitting. That was pretty much the same as what you are experiencing - she had 7 eggs when the old chicks were about 4 weeks old. The big chicks were fine without her and she went back to her nest once I removed them.

 

[strawberricatt]

well you should wait and see and if she leaves them then you should raise them yourself

I suppose it's just a waiting game... My only worry is that if she does hatch more, she'll probably be aggressive to her already hatched ones. Her mate will probably raise them (with button quail both parents raise the young) but then again, he'll probably be protective of any new chicks as well.
@DK newbie
@JaeG
Have either of you had a 'double clutching' button quail?

 

[JaeG]

They may help to raise the younger ones when they hatch. Hopefully they won't be viewed as a threat until they mature so there's a bit of time before that happens.

At a month old they are pretty independent, only needing warmth at night. I've had a young one help to raise her older sisters babies before but they were out in a big aviary.

Otherwise you'll have to set them up separately with a heat lamp for a couple more weeks, or when the next lot hatch they should be big enough to cope without their parents and could be moved to another cage. I've had to move 3 week old before because their father started plucking them. They were fine and just needed a heat lamp.

You may have to limit their daylight hours because otherwise TNT will just keep brooding and raising chicks, thinking that it's summertime. I'd limit them to 10 hours of light a day then darken the room as day length is the trigger for breeding.

 

[JaeG]

Forgot you were in NZ and the breeding season has only just begun! The only thing you could do to stop her constantly brooding is to separate her from her mate but that's no guarantee she'll stop laying and sitting. Just make sure she always has oyster shell grit when she's laying. They can breed like rabbits when you get a good pair!

 

[strawberricatt]

They may help to raise the younger ones when they hatch. Hopefully they won't be viewed as a threat until they mature so there's a bit of time before that happens.

At a month old they are pretty independent, only needing warmth at night. I've had a young one help to raise her older sisters babies before but they were out in a big aviary.

Otherwise you'll have to set them up separately with a heat lamp for a couple more weeks, or when the next lot hatch they should be big enough to cope without their parents and could be moved to another cage. I've had to move 3 week old before because their father started plucking them. They were fine and just needed a heat lamp.

You may have to limit their daylight hours because otherwise TNT will just keep brooding and raising chicks, thinking that it's summertime. I'd limit them to 10 hours of light a day then darken the room as day length is the trigger for breeding.

Thanks for the insight! How many clutches would it be safe for her too raise?(I don't want her to drain her body of calcium)
I'm hoping that the older chicks will be okay around the little ones, but I'll just wait and see. Her mate is currently sitting outside of the loft, and I occasionally see her head poke out from the loft, so she can pull the rest of the hay into her nest.
One of her babies is snuggled under her feathers at the moment, it's very sweet.

 

[strawberricatt]

Forgot you were in NZ and the breeding season has only just begun! The only thing you could do to stop her constantly brooding is to separate her from her mate but that's no guarantee she'll stop laying and sitting. Just make sure she always has oyster shell grit when she's laying. They can breed like rabbits when you get a good pair!

Okay, I'll buy some shell grit ASAP, thanks!

 

[JaeG]

Our little Spicey would sit with her big sister on the nest too. It was so cute. I've got a photo somewhere of them sitting together. She was actually the reason her babies survived as, on her own the older sister was a useless mother.

 

[karissapaul]

has she abandoned them?