How to get quails to tend their eggs?

[Masaj Mahrhad]

It seems that quail hens will neglect their eggs after laying them. I want to raise another generation of quails, but my quails don’t seem to care. Do I have to buy an egg incubator? Or can I trust my hens to care for their eggs?

 

[Whiskybear]

If it’s Coturnix, you’ll need an incubator.

 

[le_bwah]

Not only will some hatch out whatever eggs are under them, they can raise the chicks too. Here's my first broody hatch of the year. The mama is a naturally hatched bird herself. It's not genetics, as none of the birds are related. If you aren't seeing broody behavior, you may be having bad genetic luck. But it's more likely that they don't have the right environment.

 

[le_bwah]

Or can I trust my hens to care for their eggs?

Incubator as backup isn't a bad plan, but if your hen is unmistakably broody, giving her space to nest in peace should be all it takes if she's the sort to see it through. Are your hens building nests out material in their pen? If so, let them lay a good clutch before they are ready to sit.

If not, you could try adding more cover to their cage—things like low boxes, plants, anything a hen can feel reasonably protected lying under. Chopped straw and dried ornamental grass make up the majority of the nests I've seen. Once they start to sit the eggs, don't bother them except to change food and water, and keep them separate from other birds without disturbing the nest.

I hope you get to see a hen do her thing—it's very fun to watch her interact with the chicks.