Quail Breeding

[MrMe3257]

My CPQs have hatched and are currently raising 5 chicks. They are 9 days old and today the hen decided to lay another egg, should I leave the egg or remove it and allow her to brood a second clutch?

 

[Marigold]

Hi MrMe and welcome to the Forum. And congratulations on getting a quail hen to sit - it's fairly uncommon for quail to incubate so successfully. I would remove the egg and any subsequent ones, to give her a chance to recover fully from incubating the first clutch. Sitting tight for 16 days means she will have lost some weight and really deserves to recuperate fully, don't you think? Is she still looking after the chicks?

 

[MrMe3257]

Your right she should be allowed recover fully.
she does look after them occasionally but its more so the father whose the main carer

 

[Marigold]

Agh, bless him! Human partners take note!

 

[MrMe3257]

Haha I find this amusing even though Im a male

 

[MrMe3257]

If I remove the eggs will the hen not become broody in a month or two maybe next year?

 

[Marigold]

Possibly, but she wouldn't start to sit until she had laid a complete clutch, because that's what all birds do. They lay one egg a day until the right number for their species is in the nest, then start incubation so all the chicks hatch on the same day. So by removing the eggs you will be giving her a break from sitting even if she goes on laying daily.
If you kept coturnix quails, or chickens for that matter, you would want them to lay an egg every day, wouldn't you, and would remove it to keep them laying? And if you wanted the maximum number of chicks, you would probably hatch in an incubator.
If you want her to sit another clutch, you might let her try once she's had a month off, maybe?

 

[MrMe3257]

I understand what your saying and the chicks will be a month old in two and a half weeks so when the next cluth is hatched out it will be autumn so hopefully laying will stop for this year.
Thanks for the advice and info

 

[MrMe3257]

Update..
Finally got myself an incubator and currently have the two previous birds in the thread, their two sons and two females. In the incubator I have 6 eggs from either of the two sons and two females. The Parents have as natural as possible run and hopefully will raise their own chicks again soon

Sent from my SM-G360F using Tapatalk

 

[Marigold]

That's very interesting. Well done to raise such a large family!
Had you considered selling or exchanging the younger birds, if you want to continue breeding from them as a flock? Maybe they might get a bit inbred if you kept breeding from such close relatives?

 

[MrMe3257]

I'm gonna be swapping a few of the next gen with a bird guy I know, he has different mutations so I'll swap most of the babies maybe keeping one or two to carry on the line.

Sent from my SM-G360F using Tapatalk

 

[MrMe3257]

Lock Down has BEGUN

Sent from my SM-G360F using Tapatalk

 

[Marigold]

Oh great! Keep us posted! Quail babies are so lovely!
I gather you're using an inci this time, not relying on a hen to brood them?

 

[MrMe3257]

I was using an inc but only one was fertile and my first time incubating so it never hatched, my hen that hatched eggs last year is now sitting on at least 5 at the moment

Sent from my SM-G360F using Tapatalk

 

[Marigold]

I wonder how high you had the humidity? Quail eggs are usually easy to hatch so long as you incubate dry, it with no water at all in the inci until 24 hours before hatching. Of course, they do need to be fertile!

 

[MrMe3257]

I increased the humidity 3 days before hatch date :/ There was very small amount of yoke left so maybe he drowned?? I was incubating dry

Sent from my SM-G360F using Tapatalk

 

[Marigold]

Well, anyway, good luck with your hen, then! She sounds a little sweetie. Do let us know how she gets on.