My beautiful quail incubated and hatched her own eggs around 3 weeks ago she had way too many eggs mind you, she hatched 3 but 2 died. Anywho! Couple days ago I cleaned out the cage and she has a bunch of eggs already, how did I miss this!? Dismorning I thought I'd refresh their food and water and take a few eggs and already there are 11 eggs. Please tell me how this is possible? I have left her with 3eggs and removed the rest. Why has she already started to lay so many eggs and why does she insist on having outrageous amounts of eggs before wanting to sit?
Any chance you missed the eggs while cleaning or did you remove everything from the cage? 11 eggs in a 'couple of days' sounds rather unbelievable, is that really what you are saying? Or did you leave eggs in there while you were cleaning a couple of days ago? 11 is not really outrageous though, they can sit on that many. Some buttons never go broody, they just keep laying, so I don't really think she's insisting 'on having outrageous amounts of eggs', I just don't think she's becoming broody right away when she has a clutch. I try to remove eggs from my buttons when there are 12 in a nest, if there is still no signs of a hen being broody. Then they can start over again with a fresh clutch.
The hen should go "broody" about once a month or so. She will lay one egg per day until she does go, so the best thing to do is let her keep the eggs and she will push the ones she wants into the nest and sit tightly when ready if there are any she kicks out or that are left around the cage you should remove them and toss them. Momma knows best. I remove the eggs every day from my hen as I don't want any chicks. She still gets broody but all I do for her is to be sure she can have as many cooling sand baths as she wants. The sand helps cool her breast like the eggs do, that is what broody is. Hot breasted! lol anyway good luck!
I think I just missed them to be honest.. I clean their main eating side often but leave the other side for a couple weeks, they keep their sleeping/egg laying side really clean. I removed the eggs but I left 2 in there for her. She didn't push any eggs what so ever aside with her last clutch she was pretty adamant she wanted to nest them all even after I put her sick chick back with her she just wanted to love them and protect them. She isn't happy I removed her eggs at all though and both mother and father are protective of them.. she let's me look at them and put them back just not happy they are removed.. I knew she would lay an egg a day if she is happy but I was shocked that she was already laying so many eggs I didn't even think to look thank you for clearing that up for me.. these are the eggs I removed and she still has 2 with her.
