Quail hen broodiness, and how to make a quail broody

[Tea_Birbs]

Due to the history of quails, quail hens have started to lose their broodiness but it doesn’t mean they aren’t broody at all. From my experience with quails, hens will lay one egg in a safe area and leave the egg/s. Everyday she will stockpile eggs in the same spot for about 10-13 days and then sit and brood. To provide a hen with a safe space I recommend giving her a lot of space to choose her own special spot. Every time we go egg hunting for our hens special egg laying spot we noticed she laid in shrubbery and plants. Especially with floor covering plants our hen manages to almost dig a spot underneath the plant and lay there. You most likely will not get successful results if you keep quails in a small cage/area. I’d recommend providing all quails SAFE plants for them to hide in. To ensure a hens/eggs safety look out for potential predators such as Lizards/reptiles. Make sure to cover a brooding hen to protect her and provide her with food and water nearby.I’d recommend creating a weather proof and dig-proof cage/protection to give everyone the best chance possible.Simply wait a normal incubation period and the eggs will soon hatch and you will have naturally born quails. Motherly quails will get aggressive and will protect her chicks from every that moves, id recommend to refrain from unnecessary stress and actions. The hen will then raise the chicks for about 2-4 weeks. The hen will then stop being aggressive and completely ditch her chicks. You can then either look after the chicks until you feel comfortable with letting them out in the big world.This is my experience and my results. Please do ask any questions/concerns. I simply want to provide some answers to a few of y’all’s questions about broody quails. Please do let me know if anyone found this helpful in any way

 

[SpotTheCat]

Any idea how to get a broody quail with out plants? Do they act broody at all while laying the eggs?

 

[Tea_Birbs]

Any idea how to get a broody quail with out plants? Do they act broody at all while laying the eggs?

in my experience, our quail hen and all our other quails enjoyed plants that can cover themselves so they can blend in and hide. I've only noticed two of our hens start brooding/ laying in their own nest. I'll have to wait for laying season to observe our other younger hens. Its somewhat also depends on your hen I believe. Due to their history they generally usually just drop an egg anywhere and never return to that spot. Even our hen that brooded one time just drops eggs randomly at the moment. you can try making/building a small box but I still can't guarantee a broody quail hen. These boxes that we have made ourselves only had 1 or 2 eggs in them at a time before the hen decided it wasn't a good enough spot though our quails enjoy sitting and resting in them. you might have luck getting them to lay and hopefully brood. I've noticed that quails are somewhat picky and enjoy choosing their own spot so it might be a good idea to put down a couple of little areas that you want them to brood in. Just give them an area, some nice spots, and just experiment and see what happens

This is a small material list that we used for this following box/hut thing (no one has brooded in this but we have had someone lay some eggs in here)
-a wireframing to keep up that fake moss/grass
-the fake moss/grass/plant
this was easy to make and our quails enjoyed it, it was easy to clean and its simple

the second one is in their coop and it’s a small wooden set of boxes that made ourselves. They don’t really use there top so just keep it close to the ground. We used sun shades to provide more cover and ‘privacy’. We have seen eggs in these but that’s on a few occasions. This can be easily remade with maybe a cardboard box, some grass/hay and maybe some cloth to replace the sun shade. I’ve noticed our quails prefer the boxes with the sun shade implemented in it. I apologise for writing a massive lecture. But I really hope it helps you and answers your questions. Feel free to ask me anything else about quails. I am somewhat a newbie quail owner but I was able to experience something that not many quail owners can experience and I just want to allow more people to understand and share experiences about these birds

 

[SpotTheCat]

in my experience, our quail hen and all our other quails enjoyed plants that can cover themselves so they can blend in and hide. I've only noticed two of our hens start brooding/ laying in their own nest. I'll have to wait for laying season to observe our other younger hens. Its somewhat also depends on your hen I believe. Due to their history they generally usually just drop an egg anywhere and never return to that spot. Even our hen that brooded one time just drops eggs randomly at the moment. you can try making/building a small box but I still can't guarantee a broody quail hen. These boxes that we have made ourselves only had 1 or 2 eggs in them at a time before the hen decided it wasn't a good enough spot though our quails enjoy sitting and resting in them. you might have luck getting them to lay and hopefully brood. I've noticed that quails are somewhat picky and enjoy choosing their own spot so it might be a good idea to put down a couple of little areas that you want them to brood in. Just give them an area, some nice spots, and just experiment and see what happens

This is a small material list that we used for this following box/hut thing (no one has brooded in this but we have had someone lay some eggs in here)
-a wireframing to keep up that fake moss/grass
-the fake moss/grass/plant
this was easy to make and our quails enjoyed it, it was easy to clean and its simple

the second one is in their coop and it’s a small wooden set of boxes that made ourselves. They don’t really use there top so just keep it close to the ground. We used sun shades to provide more cover and ‘privacy’. We have seen eggs in these but that’s on a few occasions. This can be easily remade with maybe a cardboard box, some grass/hay and maybe some cloth to replace the sun shade. I’ve noticed our quails prefer the boxes with the sun shade implemented in it. I apologise for writing a massive lecture. But I really hope it helps you and answers your questions. Feel free to ask me anything else about quails. I am somewhat a newbie quail owner but I was able to experience something that not many quail owners can experience and I just want to allow more people to understand and share experiences about these birds

Thank you! Unfortunately I am allergic to plants (if I bump them I get slightly itch) so I am avoiding plants specially ones that quail can hide under in my quail aviary

 

[Tea_Birbs]

Thank you! Unfortunately I am allergic to plants (if I bump them I get slightly itch) so I am avoiding plants specially ones that quail can hide under in my quail aviary

ahhh, I hope you can find something that works for you and your quails. The best of luck to you! have an extraordinary day!

 

[SpotTheCat]

ahhh, I hope you can find something that works for you and your quails. The best of luck to you! have an extraordinary day!

Thank you!

 

[FloorCandy]

Mine went broody with no plants. After she was inside I gave her long grass which she pulled over herself. Outside, she sat on them in her little flower pot house for a couple days before I brought her and the eggs inside.

 

[Lilyofsalen]

SpotTheCat I use "nest caves" as an alternative to plants. A pot or bucket turned on its side and covered in clay. The hens like to lay eggs and go broody in them. The males really like to stand on top of them and crow. I have had several quail go broody in them and 5 became mothers.

 

[SpotTheCat]

SpotTheCat I use "nest caves" as an alternative to plants. A pot or bucket turned on its side and covered in clay. The hens like to lay eggs and go broody in them. The males really like to stand on top of them and crow. I have had several quail go broody in them and 5 became mothers. View attachment 2798586

Oooh, thank you! I will have to try that!

 

[Bird fanatic]

SpotTheCat I use "nest caves" as an alternative to plants. A pot or bucket turned on its side and covered in clay. The hens like to lay eggs and go broody in them. The males really like to stand on top of them and crow. I have had several quail go broody in them and 5 became mothers. View attachment 2798586

That's a great ideas I will give that a try