Partridge breeding (paired up but no eggs)

[tadimaali]

I hope maybe someone could have any good tips or idea for me. I have a pair of grey partridge (hungarian), they have been paired up since the beginning of May, but the female has not started to lay eggs. All my other 4 pairs are laying for weeks now, some since the beginning of May.
I wonder, what might be wrong. I do think, that if they would not match, one of them would be dead by now, right? At least they usually start killing the other one, if a mismatch. Or might this be a case of a very mellow female - does not like the male, but still does not go after it? They seem to get along fine ...

Am I right, even if the male would be infertile, not mounting her (inseminating) the female would still lay eggs, if she feels like it?

Could it be that the male is eating the eggs - would I be able to see some empty shells in that case - now I can`t really see any shells?

I am trying to figure out, if this is a female or male problem - I have another free male that I could try this female, if this would be maybe about the male that she is together. The male she is paired up right now also seems to limp somewhat, looks like he has sprained its leg maybe. But would that influent the female laying eggs (even if he is not mounting her)?
If this would be anything wrong with the female, then I would not bother to stress all of them and try another male ...

Thank you for any ideas.
Maybe somebody with the experience on chukar would have some ideas.

 

[Tony K T]

They may be eating their eggs.You need to look around your pen closely to see if you can find any pieces of shell.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[tadimaali]

Ok, would there be anything I can do, to prevent it? They have complete food for layers.

Edit: Ok, maybe I should put an empty egg from last year in there, to see if they break it (if they try to peck) or maybe
that will encourage her to start to lay ... ?

 

[tadimaali]

Well, interestingly so, I did put one of last year`s egg that I had blown empty in there.
And today I found this pair`s first egg! Interesting. The egg is quite much smaller, though, about
half the size of a normal egg. I have not seen my partridges or quail lay eggs that are that much
smaller. I wonder if it worth to try to incubate it ... hmm.