Why arnt they fertile???

[GBov]

I have one male, four female, coturnix quail.

They are 5 months old.

For the second time I have set 20 eggs and only gotten three babies.

All the rest of the eggs when opened are just runny white and yolk. Duds!

Any ideas why?

Am collecting eggs again to try for the third and final time with my breeders but I cant keep raising two or three chicks at a time. How am I going to get enough for dinner at this rate?!?

The batch I have right now are such pretty colors, blond and white and cream but when I had normal colors my hatch rate was 94% so this sucks! Finally got the colors I wanted but I cant get CHICKS!!!

 

[speedy2020]

It time to add or replace the male.

 

[GBov]

It time to add or replace the male.

What is up with him?

The three latest babies are doing fine and am collecting more eggs to set next week so I hope to have a male to replace him with.

But if they are his offspring, will they be any good?

 

[speedy2020]

What is up with him?

The three latest babies are doing fine and am collecting more eggs to set next week so I hope to have a male to replace him with.

But if they are his offspring, will they be any good?

Some male just don't like to mate. It wouldn't hurt to go with what you have or just add another new blood to the line to prevent inbreed.

 

[GBov]

I have the three that hatched from the last batch of eggs that are doing well. One kinda looks like a male but at three weeks its still a bit hard for me to tell.

When the guinea eggs finish I will do another batch of quail eggs. By ones and threes my little flock will grow and when I see any for sale in my area I will get a few to add to my numbers.

Its just taking a little longer to get to dinner than I had expected lol.

But its funny, these three are the tamest quail I have EVER had but the others at this age were basket cases.

 

[spikennipper]

I had one male with 6 females at one point and even though he mated with all of them and seemed rather active none of the eggs were ever fertile from him, I know he may have had too many females but this does not account for not one egg being fertile! I deemed him to be infertile in the end so I no longer have him, one thing I must add is that he was poorly as a chick, never seen anything like it, he was runty, didn't get feathers for ages, seemed to be stunted and weak yet he pulled through and then appeared fine if some what smaller, so not quite sure what happened but yes I would replace your male.