Will button quail hatch thier own eggs?

[paddock36]

Or do I need to incubate them? If so what temp and how long? They seem to just lay anywhere and don't seem to pay attention to the egg after they lay it.

 

[shelleyd2008]

They will, under the right circumstances. And the laying eggs wherever thing is normal, the hen will 'collect' the eggs when she is ready to set them.

How do you have them housed? If they are in pairs, or in a very large area, I would say just leave them, and let the hen set them. I had 2 hens go broody on me this past spring/summer, and I gave up on them hatching and took the eggs away. 2 days later the eggs started hatching

Obviously you can incubate them, but buttons are probably the most broody of all the 'domestic' quail

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
IF YOU CHOOSE TO INCUBATE SAME SETTINGS AS CHICKEN EGGS USUALLY TAKES 16-17 DAYS TO HATCH.

 

[paddock36]

Yes, they are in a pretty large cage. Two hens and one roo. The top is covered by the sides and bottom are just wire. We add grass clippings inside to help keep them off the wire because someone told me it would hurt their feet. They seem to be doing fine. How many eggs do they usually lay before they go broody? The eggs look almost as big as thier body.

 

[shelleyd2008]

They really shouldn't be on wire, especially if you plan to let them hatch their eggs. They can injure their feet/legs very easily being on wire.

 

[quailbrain]

If they are happy they will brood their eggs. I agree that wire is not a good option. If your cages are wire I would suggest that you go to a dollar store or department store and buy plastic non-skid shelving cover. Then use pine shavings on top of that. (NO cedar shavings). They also need proper lighting to stimulate their natural brooding cycles. A high protein food and some finch seed and you should have broody birds. My hens have laid and sat on up to 15 eggs successfully.