is this normal?

[ColinDelsink]

so i have 4 coturnix quail from this year they are probably around 6 weeks now,
i have 3 roosters and 1 hen, and a few days ago i saw the roosters fighting over the hen and trying to get on top of her and i was wondering is this normal at their age or are they just trying new things?

 

[le_bwah]

1:3? That poor hen! Get rid of two or more of the roos, ASAP, and find some more hens. This is the age that breeding normally starts—that comes with stress to the females and fighting between the males. Aim to keep at least 3 hens for every 1 rooster, but more hens is better for flock harmony.

 

[ColinDelsink]

1:3? That poor hen! Get rid of two or more of the roos, ASAP, and find some more hens. This is the age that breeding normally starts—that comes with stress to the females and fighting between the males. Aim to keep at least 3 hens for every 1 rooster, but more hens is better for flock harmony.

okay i'll seperate them tomorrow morning and look for some more hens.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Yup yup yup WAY too many boys now that they are starting to hit breeding/fighting age. I would only keep about 1 male per 6 square feet of enclosure (if you have smaller cages for a single male it's fine, it's just that they need room to get away from each other), with 3-4 hens per male.

 

[ColinDelsink]

Yup yup yup WAY too many boys now that they are starting to hit breeding/fighting age. I would only keep about 1 male per 6 square feet of enclosure (if you have smaller cages for a single male it's fine, it's just that they need room to get away from each other), with 3-4 hens per male.

I seperated them now and tomorrow i’m picking up some extra hens, btw when do the females start laying eggs and can those eggs be fertile in the beginning?

 

[CoturnixComplex]

I seperated them now and tomorrow i’m picking up some extra hens, btw when do the females start laying eggs and can those eggs be fertile in the beginning?

Sweet! They'll be much nicer to have around.

Between 6 wks and 12 wks is pretty normal, but plenty take longer for whatever reason (not enough light, lower protein feed, etc). They can be fertile at first but I tend to wait until at least 12 wks before I set eggs from them because the first eggs tend to be smaller and have more random malfunctions.

 

[ColinDelsink]

Sweet! They'll be much nicer to have around.

Between 6 wks and 12 wks is pretty normal, but plenty take longer for whatever reason (not enough light, lower protein feed, etc). They can be fertile at first but I tend to wait until at least 12 wks before I set eggs from them because the first eggs tend to be smaller and have more random malfunctions.

I got 2 extra hens and gave every male 1 hen for now,
Can I put them back together later my cage is pretty big.

 

[le_bwah]

I got 2 extra hens and gave every male 1 hen for now,
Can I put them back together later my cage is pretty big.

It can depend a lot on the bird's individual temperaments—I wouldn't risk it. Also, how big is "pretty big?" Anything less than adequate just isn't fair to the birds.

 

[007Sean]

Even adequate is not big enough. Go larger than minimum or adequate and you and your birds will be happier.

 

[mogollon]

Still to many males. 1:5, 1:6 is a good ratio. 3 roos with 4-6 hens is still an accident waiting to happen unless you enjoy fighting. The hens will be worn out from all the mounting that will be taking place.