Looking at getting a small game breed to use as a broody for my quail eggs as all my standard chooks are far too large. Had a light sussex successfully hatch 3 quail chicks but had no idea what to do with them, she is just too big. I tried various cross bred bantams such as silkie crosses, pekin frizzles and they just never went broody from having them over 2 years.
I used to own OEG bantams years ago and I know they are pretty ruthless broodies but due to living in a place far from the poultry scene they seem to be hard to get hold of plus they are as close to the size of a big quail on stilts so I think they would serve as great surrogates. However I am going for a drive interstate to pick up some birds in July and I know somebody with Modern Game bantams, which look similar but have quite long legs in comparison so I don't know if they are too big for the job. D'uccles and/or Sebrites look like another small bird I could try but they seem even harder to find in my area.
Anyone had good (or bad for those who don't like broodiness) experience with these breeds and give me an idea what to go for? Anyone managed to surrogate quails to chickens successfully? I've had quails naturally hatch their own before but with the number of quails I have, I am usually too late with catching them during the hatch and the other quails kill the chicks, and if I remove the broody quail from the aviary to a save place with her eggs they always go off the brood. A chicken just sounds so much easier.
Silkies are no good, the baby quails stick to the silk and die. Great mothers I know, just not any good for baby quail.
I used to own OEG bantams years ago and I know they are pretty ruthless broodies but due to living in a place far from the poultry scene they seem to be hard to get hold of plus they are as close to the size of a big quail on stilts so I think they would serve as great surrogates. However I am going for a drive interstate to pick up some birds in July and I know somebody with Modern Game bantams, which look similar but have quite long legs in comparison so I don't know if they are too big for the job. D'uccles and/or Sebrites look like another small bird I could try but they seem even harder to find in my area.
Anyone had good (or bad for those who don't like broodiness) experience with these breeds and give me an idea what to go for? Anyone managed to surrogate quails to chickens successfully? I've had quails naturally hatch their own before but with the number of quails I have, I am usually too late with catching them during the hatch and the other quails kill the chicks, and if I remove the broody quail from the aviary to a save place with her eggs they always go off the brood. A chicken just sounds so much easier.
Silkies are no good, the baby quails stick to the silk and die. Great mothers I know, just not any good for baby quail.
