Are quail able to set and brood by themselves?

Question

Can they lay eggs in a nest and set on them till they hatch and raise the young like a chicken would, or do they not?

Answer 1

Yes, quail most certainly can brood and raise their chicks by themselves.

However I did have supreme frustration with the Button Quail I use to raise.  The little hen quail was wonderful, laying eggs, and taking fantastic care of the eggs.  However when they would finally hatch, she would immediatly peck all the chicks to death.

If you are trying to raise quail, and having some sort of problem, you need to address the problem.  Quail are quiet a bit "shyer" than chickens.  So less likely to do a good job raising the chicks if they are overcrowded, or have humans peering at them too often.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Answer 2

Yes, just like most birds.

Answer 3

Of course they do, where else do you think quails might have come from?