Quail sitting on unfertilized eggs

[TurtletheCoturnix]

Hi! So my quail got broody and started sitting on some eggs, but when I checked if the eggs were developing, I saw that none were. I couldn't find anyone who was selling fertile quail eggs, so she's just sitting on empty eggs.
So do quails keep sitting on the eggs after 3 weeks? I don't want to take away the eggs, because that might cause depression.

Just a quick question: If I introduce a male button quail to two other male button quails, will they fight? The current two buttons are best buddies, so I'm wondering if they will fight a new one.

 

[ashlierami]

Hi! So my quail got broody and started sitting on some eggs, but when I checked if the eggs were developing, I saw that none were. I couldn't find anyone who was selling fertile quail eggs, so she's just sitting on empty eggs.
So do quails keep sitting on the eggs after 3 weeks? I don't want to take away the eggs, because that might cause depression.

If they eggs aren't fertile I imagine she would sit on them as a hen does and wait for hatch. She will need to be broken if they eggs aren't developing. How many females per male do you have?

 

[TurtletheCoturnix]

Ok, I guess I'll take the eggs away. And I keep her separate from the male.

 

[ashlierami]

Ok, I guess I'll take the eggs away. And I keep her separate from the male.

How old are the eggs and how long has she been sitting on them?

 

[TurtletheCoturnix]

She's been sitting on them for about 5 days, and still no sign of life.

 

[DK newbie]

With regards to the male buttons: It depends on their personalities, the enclosure and several other factors. If you put the two buddies in the enclosure of the lone male and not the other way around, it's more likely to work. If you let them get to know each other through a single layer of wire for a week or so before actually putting them together, you have even better chances.
I have a 2x6 ft enclosure I use as button bachelor pen and usually I can just put a new bird in there without more than a few minutes of running around - depending on the birds, there might not be any running at all. If the new bird is very different in color from the old birds, they might take a few days to accept it (if I'd introduced them through wire first this might have been easier). If I introduce several new birds at a time, it's easier. Right now there are only two birds in there, but I've had as much as ~8-10.

 

[blackoaktammy]

I have several bachelor pens as well. I add new birds when I'm cleaning cages, and the original birds are in a carrier. Once the cage is clean, I put all the quail in at once. Occasionally there is a jerk in the bunch, but most of the time it works. I usually have all colors together, but if there is a bird that will be picked on, most of the time it's a cinnamon. One time a silver was bullied, either way it was the one odd colored bird in a group. When I've had groups of evenly mixed colors, I haven't had a problem.

 

[TurtletheCoturnix]

How old are the eggs and how long has she been sitting on them?

Sorry this is a little late; I've taken the eggs away, but she still lays down in the corner as if there are eggs under her, but there are no eggs. She still acts broody but she isn't sitting on any eggs!

 

[ashlierami]

Sorry this is a little late; I've taken the eggs away, but she still lays down in the corner as if there are eggs under her, but there are no eggs. She still acts broody but she isn't sitting on any eggs!

She might need to go in a seperate area so she will be broken much like a chicken.

 

[TurtletheCoturnix]

She might need to go in a seperate area so she will be broken much like a chicken.

I have broken her, but she is very light and her poop is much smaller from not eating very much when she was broody, and she has lost a lot of feathers, probably from her minimal diet. Is this normal? Should I feed her some probiotics to help her gain back her weight?