Disappearing quail eggs!

CarleeG

Chirping
Jan 31, 2020
55
76
60
My quail have been laying eggs for awhile now, I noticed one acting broody and sitting on her eggs so I decided to leave her some. There were two. They were there for a couple days, one morning I checked, they were still there then I checked a couple hours later and they were gone. Without a trace. They are in an enclosed ground pen with no signs of entry (also I would have found egg shells if something ate their eggs I’m assuming). I thought maybe she buried them so I digged up some straw and dirt and nothing! Where did they go?
 
If she left the nest, one of the other hens may have moved them. Mine lay anywhere, but if I leave them and check back later, they will all have been moved to one corner.
I can’t find them anywhere in their pen. Would they have buried them somewhere? Is that a thing?
 
I can’t find them anywhere in their pen. Would they have buried them somewhere? Is that a thing?
If they're in loose soil or deep enough shavings, they will absolutely bury them given a chance. They also might have been eaten. They will eat the shells too (I feed mine egg shells as a calcium supplement). Mice, snakes, or other small predator/scavengers could also have eaten them.
 
It could have maybe been a snake might want to put some sticky traps around the enclosure. Weird though for sure update if you ever find the missing eggs.
 
Update... the eggs are back :eek:
Maybe she buries then during the day because it’s so hot here?
Additional question. If I want her to hatch them out. Do I need to separate her from the rest of the flock? It’s 16 sqft pen with 9 birds. 2 are male at the rest female.
 
Update... the eggs are back :eek:
Maybe she buries then during the day because it’s so hot here?
Additional question. If I want her to hatch them out. Do I need to separate her from the rest of the flock? It’s 16 sqft pen with 9 birds. 2 are male at the rest female.
She's not likely to hatch them out. You can watch her and see what happens, but Coturnix quail have been incubated for so long that they rarely go broody.
 
She's not likely to hatch them out. You can watch her and see what happens, but Coturnix quail have been incubated for so long that they rarely go broody.
Ok. I’ll just let her keep a few for an experiment. She built a nest and everything and was sitting in them so here’s hoping!
 
while we're on the subject of quails hatching their own chicks, do you think a button quail could hatch coturnix and give the coturnix an instinct to hatch its own or not? just wanted to know your thoughts !

Thanks in advance
Josh
 

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