I felt bad taking away her egg.

[Emquails]

Hi Guys,
Hope u all been alright. This is about my attempt raising quails at the backyard. The first few attempts wasn't successful. All my quails has been foxes dinner. But this time I managed to raised them until one of them lay an egg. Yay!!

I have 4 quails here thought at first it was 3 female unfortunately only one. I separated the 2 male and leave the couple alone. First few days I collected 2 eggs thinking of hatch them in incubator. Today , I was spying my bird when it's time to lay the egg. I found it a bit different then other quails I've read online where they were just pop their egg everywhere. But this couple apparently work together. I've waited good 15min to see their behaviour when I knew slightly what time she gonna lay. She's a bit unsettle trying to hide. As I put them in greenhouse where I have few crops and plants around but I kind a hide away from her seeing me out side the glass. She was digging a hole and gather dried leaves within her reach to make a nest while the male close by doing watch out. Eventually she got up and lay her egg not in a hole it self but at the top. After that she continues gather dried leaves and when it's enough she push the egg down the hole and start covering it up.
When I came with my phone to take a photo, the egg has been covered. I wouldn't know it was there if I weren't spying. Haha.
Now, my issue is I feel bad to collect it. I felt like wanted to put the other 2 eggs i had collected together there.

So, anyone can advised me should I do that? Would she really will sit on the eggs? Since autumn and winter approaching and I wasnt sure what to expect.

The quails are from tuxedo breed. Any advise would be much appreciated.

Thank you

 

[AngelaY]

I've never had quail before but my duck always buries her eggs, broody or not she buries them. I know that quail and ducks are VERY different but I figured I'd say my piece.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Don't feel bad. Coturnix quail barely ever go brood and if they do, barely ever raise chicks successfully

 

[NatJ]

Now, my issue is I feel bad to collect it. I felt like wanted to put the other 2 eggs i had collected together there.

So, anyone can advised me should I do that? Would she really will sit on the eggs? Since autumn and winter approaching and I wasnt sure what to expect.

I suggest you take the real egg, and put a fake one in its place. If she does go broody and try to hatch fake eggs, you can put the real ones back and let her hatch them. But if she does not go broody, you can hatch the eggs in an incubator as you were already planning.

 

[Fenrisulfr]

Don't feel bad. Coturnix quail barely ever go brood and if they do, barely ever raise chicks successfully

I haven't had a broody hen in two years.

But a breeder friend of mine had 2 broody Coturnix hens this year (for the first time).
One unfortunately died short before the hatch, the other successfully hatched 16 chicks and raised them accordigly.

A friend of her has regulary broody hens.

Also in the german poultry forum one member got a hen hatched and raising chicks at the moment.

It does happen.
Maybe there are some lines becoming more common, which still have the broody instinkt, ... at least here in Germany.

 

[Ravenlover]

Hi Guys,
Hope u all been alright. This is about my attempt raising quails at the backyard. The first few attempts wasn't successful. All my quails has been foxes dinner. But this time I managed to raised them until one of them lay an egg. Yay!!

I have 4 quails here thought at first it was 3 female unfortunately only one. I separated the 2 male and leave the couple alone. First few days I collected 2 eggs thinking of hatch them in incubator. Today , I was spying my bird when it's time to lay the egg. I found it a bit different then other quails I've read online where they were just pop their egg everywhere. But this couple apparently work together. I've waited good 15min to see their behaviour when I knew slightly what time she gonna lay. She's a bit unsettle trying to hide. As I put them in greenhouse where I have few crops and plants around but I kind a hide away from her seeing me out side the glass. She was digging a hole and gather dried leaves within her reach to make a nest while the male close by doing watch out. Eventually she got up and lay her egg not in a hole it self but at the top. After that she continues gather dried leaves and when it's enough she push the egg down the hole and start covering it up.
When I came with my phone to take a photo, the egg has been covered. I wouldn't know it was there if I weren't spying. Haha.
Now, my issue is I feel bad to collect it. I felt like wanted to put the other 2 eggs i had collected together there.

So, anyone can advised me should I do that? Would she really will sit on the eggs? Since autumn and winter approaching and I wasnt sure what to expect.

The quails are from tuxedo breed. Any advise would be much appreciated.

Thank you

From all the peoples experiences i read on here i suggest leaving the egg she burried and let her lay up to 3-4 if she wants to and collect extra and see if she goes all the way with the hatch cuz i read if u mess up there attempts at going broody a few times then they just drop the habbit and the brood all the way habbit is rare. I say give it a shot let her and incubate some ur self good luck keep us posted

 

[Quaicken108]

Considering the things she hid it with I’d say that your encloser is very natural which encourages broodiness. Maybe leave it and see if she goes broody and if not then... take it. Also if they’re a couple/pair and they’re fine than that also encourages broodiness. My friend has pairs of Japanese and they are very relational and go will often broody. Where are you located also because if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere like me than I’d encourage you to leave the egg in there because that can also encourage broodiness and she might go broody throughout this spring summer breeding season.
If not and you’re like many people on earth and in the Northern hemisphere than it’s more likely that she won’t go broody because of the season. (Weather, daylight hrs, etc).

 

[Quailobsessed]

Considering the things she hid it with I’d say that your encloser is very natural which encourages broodiness. Maybe leave it and see if she goes broody and if not then... take it. Also if they’re a couple/pair and they’re fine than that also encourages broodiness. My friend has pairs of Japanese and they are very relational and go will often broody. Where are you located also because if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere like me than I’d encourage you to leave the egg in there because that can also encourage broodiness and she might go broody throughout this spring summer breeding season.
If not and you’re like many people on earth and in the Northern hemisphere than it’s more likely that she won’t go broody because of the season. (Weather, daylight hrs, etc).

Some go broody in autumn (like Clux)

 

[Quailobsessed]

I keep pairs of quails, and their mate helps them build nests. These quails are more likely to go broody. Personally, I try to encourage broodiness rather than discourage it, but it's up to you what you do with your quails.

 

[ButtonBag]

If pairs of button quails are building nests together and burying eggs, but you don't want them to actually hatch any for the time being, do you think it's kinder to collect the eggs every day, or leave it until there are a few then take them?