Male quail mates with all the hens but one ?

[teensie]

I have 4 button quail. 3 hens and 1 roo. All are 3 months old.

The roo mates with 2 of the hens but ignores the 3rd female who interestingly enough, has not laid a single egg. The 3rd hen is much lighter and smaller than the other 2 hens.

Do you think the roo perceives she's not healthy enough or that she's not ready for mating?

 

[muddy75]

I have 4 button quail. 3 hens and 1 roo. All are 3 months old.

The roo mates with 2 of the hens but ignores the 3rd female who interestingly enough, has not laid a single egg. The 3rd hen is much lighter and smaller than the other 2 hens.

Do you think the roo perceives she's not healthy enough or that she's not ready for mating?

That is a possibility…..but they can also play favorites. When I had buttons, the male had favorites and there was an odd hen out. Or, Is there a possibility that 3rd is a late-bloomer male?

 

[Nabiki]

Buttons will mate with more than one female, but they normally pair up with a favourite.

 

[teensie]

That is a possibility…..but they can also play favorites. When I had buttons, the male had favorites and there was an odd hen out. Or, Is there a possibility that 3rd is a late-bloomer male?

She's definitely a hen, but smaller and lighter than the 2 other hens, and she's not laid an egg. She's a darth vader hen. The roo mates with the other 2 girls but not this cute little 3 mth old vader.. The other hens began laying 4 weeks ago.

 

[Ravenlover]

Chance she's not respective to it and fights or runs cuz she's not ready a female who took extra long to lay for me didn't mate or pair up till she laid

 

[Ravenlover]

I've literally seen females to a head bob back to the male asking for mating

 

[Jiggi]

Buttons will mate with more than one female, but they normally pair up with a favourite.

Lol. Guys do tend to have a favorite outta all the ladies!