Quail broody's

[le_bwah]

What breed quail are they?

Coturnix (Japanese quail).

 

[Daniel Grey]

Coturnix (Japanese quail).

Thankyou. That is the breed I am getting so hopefully I will get some good broody's!

 

[Nabiki]

Coturnix are the ones that are the least likely to go broody. They are, however, also your best layers and the most common that you'll find.

Good luck, though! It's not impossible, just very difficult.

 

[le_bwah]

Thankyou. That is the breed I am getting so hopefully I will get some good broody's!

Every broody Coturnix I've seen, mine or otherwise, was on clean bedding with lots of space and places to hide.

I'm not sold on the idea that broodiness has been "bred out" of these birds. What if the reason we don't see brooding often is because few people keep Coturnix in an environment conducive to brooding in the first place?

Regardless, I wish you luck. It's terribly fun to see little birds do the "mom thing" up close.

 

[Daniel Grey]

Every broody Coturnix I've seen, mine or otherwise, was on clean bedding with lots of space and places to hide.

I'm not sold on the idea that broodiness has been "bred out" of these birds. What if the reason we don't see brooding often is because few people keep Coturnix in an environment conducive to brooding in the first place?

Regardless, I wish you luck. It's terribly fun to see little birds do the "mom thing" up close.

Thankyou! I will post a picture when they go broody!

 

[le_bwah]

Thankyou! I will post a picture when they go broody!

I really hope they do! But I also don't want to deceive you and say it will happen every year...it took my first hens a year before they felt safe enough to make nests and sit clutches. But the hens who figured it out went on to try every year after, regardless of whether or not I had fertile eggs ready for them.

Please do post pics of your setup once you're up and running—love to see what other quail peeps are doing!

 

[Daniel Grey]

I really hope they do! But I also don't want to deceive you and say it will happen every year...it took my first hens a year before they felt safe enough to make nests and sit clutches. But the hens who figured it out went on to try every year after, regardless of whether or not I had fertile eggs ready for them.

Please do post pics of your setup once you're up and running—love to see what other quail peeps are doing!

Of course! If you are in the UK, please go to this thread! If not, if you know any British quail keepers please tell them about that thread! (but not pspaniel or Ali T as they have already joined the thread)

 

[Daniel Grey]

on clean bedding

What type of bedding?

 

[le_bwah]

What type of bedding?

For an outdoor cage exposed to the elements, I've found wood mulch and/or chipped bark on dirt to be great at both controlling droppings and avoiding mold. I fully change out my aviary bedding 2-3 times a year and turn it over (scoop and flip, or muss it up with a metal rake) at least every other month. This has proven workable for a more arid climate and 5-15 quails at 10-20 square feet per bird. Less space or more birds means more turning and more frequent changes.

This side of my aviary has seen little use all winter—the birds preferred the tarped-up side full of long straw. So I'd wait til after their molt and just rake up the very top layer. It's a flexible system.

If your cage's base material is dirt, you also have a lot of options re: plants. The quail seem comfortable with muhly grass, oat grass, hummingbird mint, and rosemary, but have eaten pretty much everything else I put in there.

I planted these muhly grasses four years ago, and am not entirely sure I haven't killed them this year. The quail love them regardless. The grasses get bigger each year, and I've read you can divide them once they fully establish but have never tried. Here's round little Katniss from five minutes ago standing in the middle for scale. I had an accidental broody in that top left grass last fall, and cut some of the grass away so I could get a look at her:

This is my most fearful bird, Brandy, and even she wants to be a mama. To brood, they just have to feel safe enough to form a clutch (with or without other hens' help) in their own territory. Once they start sitting (you will know by the massive droppings), sneak in when they take a drink and mark the eggs/replace them with eggs of your choice.

Meandering back to substrate/bedding, alternatives I've seen work in other people's setups include washed sand, mature compost, and plain soil. It's very contextual—your climate, land, budget, number and density of quail, etc. all play into what you pick. In the end, if their feet are clean and you don't have to fuss with the bedding more than a couple times a month, I'd call that a good fit.

 

[Daniel Grey]

For an outdoor cage exposed to the elements, I've found wood mulch and/or chipped bark on dirt to be great at both controlling droppings and avoiding mold. I fully change out my aviary bedding 2-3 times a year and turn it over (scoop and flip, or muss it up with a metal rake) at least every other month. This has proven workable for a more arid climate and 5-15 quails at 10-20 square feet per bird. Less space or more birds means more turning and more frequent changes.

View attachment 3774752

This side of my aviary has seen little use all winter—the birds preferred the tarped-up side full of long straw. So I'd wait til after their molt and just rake up the very top layer. It's a flexible system.

If your cage's base material is dirt, you also have a lot of options re: plants. The quail seem comfortable with muhly grass, oat grass, hummingbird mint, and rosemary, but have eaten pretty much everything else I put in there.

View attachment 3774755
I planted these muhly grasses four years ago, and am not entirely sure I haven't killed them this year. The quail love them regardless. The grasses get bigger each year, and I've read you can divide them once they fully establish but have never tried. Here's round little Katniss from five minutes ago standing in the middle for scale. I had an accidental broody in that top left grass last fall, and cut some of the grass away so I could get a look at her:

View attachment 3774760
This is my most fearful bird, Brandy, and even she wants to be a mama. To brood, they just have to feel safe enough to form a clutch (with or without other hens' help) in their own territory. Once they start sitting (you will know by the massive droppings), sneak in when they take a drink and mark the eggs/replace them with eggs of your choice.

Meandering back to substrate/bedding, alternatives I've seen work in other people's setups include washed sand, mature compost, and plain soil. It's very contextual—your climate, land, budget, number and density of quail, etc. all play into what you pick. In the end, if their feet are clean and you don't have to fuss with the bedding more than a couple times a month, I'd call that a good fit.

Thanks