Male Coturnix quail rolling eggs!

[shrimpsilkies]

Sometimes I notice a hen will roll a recently laid egg around or a hen that just laid or is looking to lay will steal nearby eggs and make a clutch. Mine are in a ground pen and also grab straw or pine needles and sometimes make a makeshift nest. I find getting quail to raise their own young fascinating and hope to one day make a separate pen for a broody, and when I have an egg in hand and notice a hen is sitting in her egg laying spot, I’ll give her the egg to see if she’ll take it.
Well today I saw my big male griping at the hens for sitting in his little pine needle pile, and once he got comfy I decided to play a trick on him and handed him an egg. I was so surprised to see him take it! Later he did it again.

I know bobwhite regularly share egg duty and raise chicks cooperatively, but they’re hardly related to Cots. Button quail are closer to coturnix, and I’ve heard stories of males sitting on eggs while the female takes a break. Has anyone whose had broody cots experienced a male helping nest before? Or is this just a weird occurrence that happened because he was sitting and feeling cozy, and instinct made him grab that egg? His mother is the best “brooder” and will guard her eggs for up to twenty minutes, especially when she was indoors after an injury, if that’s relevant.

 

[FloorCandy]

Sometimes I notice a hen will roll a recently laid egg around or a hen that just laid or is looking to lay will steal nearby eggs and make a clutch. Mine are in a ground pen and also grab straw or pine needles and sometimes make a makeshift nest. I find getting quail to raise their own young fascinating and hope to one day make a separate pen for a broody, and when I have an egg in hand and notice a hen is sitting in her egg laying spot, I’ll give her the egg to see if she’ll take it.
Well today I saw my big male griping at the hens for sitting in his little pine needle pile, and once he got comfy I decided to play a trick on him and handed him an egg. I was so surprised to see him take it! Later he did it again. View attachment 2405531View attachment 2405532View attachment 2405534
I know bobwhite regularly share egg duty and raise chicks cooperatively, but they’re hardly related to Cots. Button quail are closer to coturnix, and I’ve heard stories of males sitting on eggs while the female takes a break. Has anyone whose had broody cots experienced a male helping nest before? Or is this just a weird occurrence that happened because he was sitting and feeling cozy, and instinct made him grab that egg? His mother is the best “brooder” and will guard her eggs for up to twenty minutes, especially when she was indoors after an injury, if that’s relevant.

Yes my males sit on eggs while the females eat and such, and they are more willing to fight my grabber to keep the eggs, the hens usually just give up. Ive actually lifted my roo Aragorn with the grabber and moved him across the pen so I can get the eggs, only to have him growl and charge head first t-rex style back at the grabber. I’ve been considering letting them try to brood next summer when it’s warm, because they are terrible at it and sometimes sit and miss an egg or two, so the eggs stand no chance in winter. They lightly cover them with chips and leaves usually, before they leave the man to guard them, and that won’t keep them warm enough.

you can’t really tell but heres Aragorn sitting on the eggs:

Here are 2 in the other pen, the female is sitting on the eggs, the male standing guard, but she missed an egg lol.

 

[shrimpsilkies]

Yes my males sit on eggs while the females eat and such, and they are more willing to fight my grabber to keep the eggs, the hens usually just give up. Ive actually lifted my roo Aragorn with the grabber and moved him across the pen so I can get the eggs, only to have him growl and charge head first t-rex style back at the grabber. I’ve been considering letting them try to brood next summer when it’s warm, because they are terrible at it and sometimes sit and miss an egg or two, so the eggs stand no chance in winter. They lightly cover them with chips and leaves usually, before they leave the man to guard them, and that won’t keep them warm enough.

you can’t really tell but heres Aragorn sitting on the eggs:
View attachment 2405545

Here are 2 in the other pen, the female is sitting on the eggs, the male standing guard, but she missed an egg lol.
View attachment 2405546

Haha! That’s so cute. Mine hasn’t shown any interest in eggs before this, although he is pretty young. I wonder if he’ll guard the eggs once the hens start up again in spring.

 

[Quailobsessed]

I've had male japanese quails share the incubation with their mates. It's so cute to watch!

Here's one of my pairs that went broody.

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

Sometimes I notice a hen will roll a recently laid egg around or a hen that just laid or is looking to lay will steal nearby eggs and make a clutch. Mine are in a ground pen and also grab straw or pine needles and sometimes make a makeshift nest. I find getting quail to raise their own young fascinating and hope to one day make a separate pen for a broody, and when I have an egg in hand and notice a hen is sitting in her egg laying spot, I’ll give her the egg to see if she’ll take it.
Well today I saw my big male griping at the hens for sitting in his little pine needle pile, and once he got comfy I decided to play a trick on him and handed him an egg. I was so surprised to see him take it! Later he did it again. View attachment 2405531View attachment 2405532View attachment 2405534
I know bobwhite regularly share egg duty and raise chicks cooperatively, but they’re hardly related to Cots. Button quail are closer to coturnix, and I’ve heard stories of males sitting on eggs while the female takes a break. Has anyone whose had broody cots experienced a male helping nest before? Or is this just a weird occurrence that happened because he was sitting and feeling cozy, and instinct made him grab that egg? His mother is the best “brooder” and will guard her eggs for up to twenty minutes, especially when she was indoors after an injury, if that’s relevant.

SOO CUTE!
My roosters don't even give a darn to hens sitting on eggs, but I didn't know quail worked together to raise babies!

 

[ButtonBag]

You should check out 007Sean’s post—his bobwhite male took over incubating and raising chicks after the hen died. Not coturnix, but very cute!

 

[shrimpsilkies]

You should check out 007Sean’s post—his bobwhite male took over incubating and raising chicks after the hen died. Not coturnix, but very cute!

Yes, bobwhite males are very good with kids. Apparently, the masked bobwhite males are the primary providers and bachelor males are given a batch of chicks to raise and released together to conserve the species! Article here

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

One of my roosters tried to brood one single egg all by himself. I let him go for it and he sat motionless on it for a week solid, but then gave up! I guess it was too much to hope for... Lol

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

Yes, bobwhite males are very good with kids. Apparently, the masked bobwhite males are the primary providers and bachelor males are given a batch of chicks to raise and released together to conserve the species! Article here

Loved this! Thank you for sharing!