Best Chicken Breed to Raise Game Bird Chicks?

[Spud40]

Hello!
After raising quail and partridges I have found that it is a FACT that they very rarely go broody. It's clear that most of their motherly instincts have been lost through commercial raising. I would love to change that, but what breed of chicken would be best to help raise game bird chicks?

My plan is to raise a small flock of chickens that I would use to foster quail, partridge and pheasant chicks in hopes that being raised this way, rather than in an a brooder, will help bring back some of their motherly instincts. The chicken mother and game bird chicks will be kept in flight pens in the spring so I want a chicken breed that is active and protective.

I've read that Silkies, Cochins, Orpingtons and Brahmas are great foster mothers, but it has to be an active breed that can resemble a Game Bird hen. Out of the box ideas are more than welcome!!

 

[rural mouse]

The most birds I've had go broody are my wyandotte/wyandotte mixes and speckled sussex. Specifically my golden wyandotte and my BLRW x OE mix have both raised chicks. The mix went out on the hillside and came back with babies that she hung on to until the babies walked away at about 4 months. She was hatched under a partridge rock who was killed when she was 3 weeks old. She stayed with the flock.

I think for your project, I'd start looking for free range backyard mutt flocks and try to get some mixes that are broody raised in a semi-wild type setting (like my mix). The sort of hens who were hatched and brought back from the brush. They're going to have the activeness you're wanting for the game birds and likely the broodiness you're also wanting.

 

[Spud40]

The most birds I've had go broody are my wyandotte/wyandotte mixes and speckled sussex. Specifically my golden wyandotte and my BLRW x OE mix have both raised chicks. The mix went out on the hillside and came back with babies that she hung on to until the babies walked away at about 4 months. She was hatched under a partridge rock who was killed when she was 3 weeks old. She stayed with the flock.

I think for your project, I'd start looking for free range backyard mutt flocks and try to get some mixes that are broody raised in a semi-wild type setting (like my mix). The sort of hens who were hatched and brought back from the brush. They're going to have the activeness you're wanting for the game birds and likely the broodiness you're also wanting.

I think you’re right with looking for some backyard mutts. I did find a channel on YouTube where the guy uses Old English Bantams to raise Mearns Quail. I’ll do some research, but the main trait I’m looking for is an active mother that’ll get the chicks up and moving around.