Some lineages/individuals "remember" better than others how to produce offspring; this ability was systematically eliminated by breeding, but not totally lost. There are some things you can do to encourage nesting - and won't do harm anyway... Raise quail chicks from at least two different families (not very incestuous ones). Make sure the chicks are not traumatized: separate the sexes well in advance of sexual maturity (before 3 weeks of age)!! This ensures that the quails can focus on breeding - if they have the inclination - rather than being easily dominated by trauma behavior. Never combine roosters after sex separation; you have to keep them also separate, unless you have a really big space for them. Never combine quails under the age of 2 months. Always take care of comfortable conditions: lots of space, hiding places, good quality lighting, varied food, etc. Happy quails might get inspired! Give the chickens a rooster they accept = less stress. Prefer a rooster with dark legs. Let the rooster do the rooster's job and take care of his chickens by offering the treats. Otherwise he will rape every time YOU feed HIS chickens -> chaos and stress -> less changes to get excited about nesting behaviour.
