Quail - 3rd Brood in One season

[Chiquk]

What kind of quail do you have?? How many eggs is she actually sitting on each time? My coturnix quail could sit on like 3 eggs max I think. Even my silkies, who I use to hatch the quail eggs, can only sit on about 6. Also I didn't think quail were usually very broody?

I have coturnix quails and I did also thought about getting a silkie to brood them but had no space. she can site on about 15. Some do occasionally sits around her in the cold. In the 2nd brood a few chicks where dying because the nest box was smaller then the flowerpot maybe, but they one was squashed and some left the nest and was almost dying of cold. So I took he remaining eggs indoors and put them into the incubator and three hatched 4 and 5 days after the natural hatching outside. Maybe they where the onesnot getting enough heat. From the first brood she will continue to sit on the eggs days after lots of chicks hatch. This caused a problem of them being squashed and left the chicks unprotected when they wondered outside if the nest. Because she was still sitting on the eggs. So once a few had hatch I take a few indoors to free up some space in the nest. I leave a couple of chicks with her all the time. Once enough has hatched in 2-3 days. I introduce all her chicks back. And take the remaining eggs away. So she can move around with all her chicks. Seems to work.

 

[Rooapalooza]

I have coturnix quails and I did also thought about getting a silkie to brood them but had no space. she can site on about 15. Some do occasionally sits around her in the cold. In the 2nd brood a few chicks where dying because the nest box was smaller then the flowerpot maybe, but they one was squashed and some left the nest and was almost dying of cold. So I took he remaining eggs indoors and put them into the incubator and three hatched 4 and 5 days after the natural hatching outside. Maybe they where the onesnot getting enough heat. From the first brood she will continue to sit on the eggs days after lots of chicks hatch. This caused a problem of them being squashed and left the chicks unprotected when they wondered outside if the nest. Because she was still sitting on the eggs. So once a few had hatch I take a few indoors to free up some space in the nest. I leave a couple of chicks with her all the time. Once enough has hatched in 2-3 days. I introduce all her chicks back. And take the remaining eggs away. So she can move around with all her chicks. Seems to work.

Don't you think if you reduced it to less than 8 eggs she would be able to hatch them all on time without any struggling and with a lot less hassle?
Just the day before yesterday my broody silkie hatched 6 coturnix eggs for me. It's the second time I've hatched them with a silkie. Last time I did 6 too. I probably could have done up to 10, but even with 6 she kept leaving eggs behind or getting them stuck under her legs where it isn't as warm. I had to check on her daily and move any cold eggs back under her. I'm sure that would have been a bigger problem with more eggs. Still, they all hatched on day 17 and are very healthy and energetic.
I really like hatching them with silkies, since they can free range together while they are little.

With chicken eggs, my silkies will TRY to sit on as many as they see (the first time almost 20!), but they can't do more than around 4-7. When they've tried more than that, some are cold. Then the eggs don't hatch on time and the ones that do hatch sometimes die suddenly. I've had much more success limiting them to fewer eggs: healthier chicks and chickens, closer to 100% hatch rate, on time hatches, etc.

 

[Chiquk]

Don't you think if you reduced it to less than 8 eggs she would be able to hatch them all on time without any struggling and with a lot less hassle?
Just the day before yesterday my broody silkie hatched 6 coturnix eggs for me. It's the second time I've hatched them with a silkie. Last time I did 6 too. I probably could have done up to 10, but even with 6 she kept leaving eggs behind or getting them stuck under her legs where it isn't as warm. I had to check on her daily and move any cold eggs back under her. I'm sure that would have been a bigger problem with more eggs. Still, they all hatched on day 17 and are very healthy and energetic.
I really like hatching them with silkies, since they can free range together while they are little.

With chicken eggs, my silkies will TRY to sit on as many as they see (the first time almost 20!), but they can't do more than around 4-7. When they've tried more than that, some are cold. Then the eggs don't hatch on time and the ones that do hatch sometimes die suddenly. I've had much more success limiting them to fewer eggs: healthier chicks and chickens, closer to 100% hatch rate, on time hatches, etc.

Yes I would agree with you, smaller brood size is more manageable. Lack of experience and got a bit carried away with it. I did take a few chicks away to assist which prove the point. Otherwise more would of died. This 3rd brood only had 8 before she quickly sat on them. Could be she sense the weather was getting colder or there were less hens this time to add to her eggs. Normally there would be another hen so another four eggs but I moved her away as she was a golden hen. I paired her with a white male so I’m hoping to get a golden tux. Might have to try a few times. So will be easier with an incubator now and give the broody hen a nice rest over winter.