How to breed Quails using chickens?

[Lobodugald]

Hatch is the key word here I'm sure it doesn't say hatch and brood/raise with chickens. And as quail eggs are so small along with the size of hatchlings there is many things that can go wrong but can and is done. But quail hatchlings are usually taken away at hatch time not only to prevent incidents, but the needs of quail and chickens are different and should also be taken into consideration. If you do use your chicken to HATCH your quail, I would remove hatchlings as they hatch and brood them separately yourself until old enough to introduce to your pair.

Oh yes I see what you are saying, how dumb of me lol, thank you for this. I've also had a few people in my town tell me that their chickens raise their quail since they can't afford electricity but mine clearly won't do it lol so I think you are 100% correct on this.

 

[Lobodugald]

I agree with the other posters that, once they've hatched, the quail should be taken away from the bantam and brooded separately.

Without electricity, using a hot water bottle is probably the best way to brood the quail chicks, assuming you can get hot water by some other means.

Yes I'm seeing that you are the second person to mention the hot water bottle, I wonder how to get hot water, if it would not rain every single day then we could make a fire but the wood is always all wet, I'll try think of something. I myself am freezing to death here so this is a dreadful nightmare. If only someone could invent a geyser that did not require electricity, I think that would then work, perhaps I should try invent one. I've heard of solar power before but when I tried to get it it was far too expensive.

 

[Nabiki]

Thank you, I would love to. Do you have any idea how to make an incubator and/or brooder warm/hot?

I use plastic totes with most of the top cut out and replaced with hardware cloth for the brooder, then I use a heat lamp with a reptile heat bulb for warmth. You want a warm end at about 99 degrees for newly hatched chicks and the cool end at room temperature. As the chicks grow, you can raise the heat lamp to gradually lower the temperature at the warm end. They should be comfortable at room temperature by 3 weeks, and ready to go outside by 6 weeks.

There are tutorials on how to make an incubator online, but I purchased mine. Where are you located?

 

[saysfaa]

The wool hen works with the chicks' body heat. You would need to adjust the size of everything - let the wool strips hang lower, maybe use smaller wool strip. If you don't have wool, fleece may work - most people used that.

If you don't have either wool or fleece then feathers might be an option. I think would wok best if they could be hung. I saved nearly all of the feathers from when my hens molted to try using them but have tried using them yet. It wouldn't take very many for quail so you might be able to find enough in your chicken coop.

The biggest issue with the wool hen is that the chicks' instinct is to move until they find a warm spot and the wool hen needs them to stay in one spot for their body heat to warm the tiny space between the wool strips. I used the hot water bottles to help the chicks know where to go to get warm. You might be able to use something like a rice bag under your shirt to warm it.

 

[saysfaa]

if it would not rain every single day then we could make a fire but the wood is always all wet,

I don't have ideas for getting the wood dry other than stacking it under over. But it might help the over all situation to build a rocket stove. It is the most efficient wood stove, uses small pieces of wood, doesn't require wood be cut to length, and is easy to build.

 

[Beathebutton]

Yea I don’t think you’ll have any luck with the hen, she may be rejecting/ killing the chicks as birds kill offspring that seem deformed or weak and quail are obvs small. As for a heating idea… odd one IK but maybe try making a kind of pouch to strap onto you to keep them warm and then let them walk around and eat drink every now n again as that’s what they’d do naturally. Hope this helps

 

[CliftonQuail]

Can you tell us what country you're in? As @saysfaa indicated, a rocket stove could work. I've even seen them made out of a log. Put whatever you're burning at the bottom of the chamber and adjust the lower entrance towards whatever prevailing wind. They burn very hot and would quickly heat water.

You could also try a solar water kettle like this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2042311359...81046493084967&abcId=9375682&merchantid=51291

That would work to heat the water.

 

[saysfaa]

This is the rocket stove I built to make maple syrup. It worked really well.

They can be made big enough to heat homes or with a coffee can and four soup cans. I think hikers have smaller designs than that to boil a cup or two of water with a few twigs.

Insulating the elbow helps get the fire started but it is the airflow path and keeping the burn at the tips of the sticks that makes them work. I got proportions and such from a book but could probably find that online if you are intested and need help with that.

 

[Lobodugald]

I

I use plastic totes with most of the top cut out and replaced with hardware cloth for the brooder, then I use a heat lamp with a reptile heat bulb for warmth. You want a warm end at about 99 degrees for newly hatched chicks and the cool end at room temperature. As the chicks grow, you can raise the heat lamp to gradually lower the temperature at the warm end. They should be comfortable at room temperature by 3 weeks, and ready to go outside by 6 weeks.

There are tutorials on how to make an incubator online, but I purchased mine. Where are you located?

Im located in SA. I understand all of this as I did it many years ago when there were such things as electricity but what I'm wondering is how do you power the heat lamp so that it can turn on? I have one here from years ago but I just don't know how to get hold of electricity ever since everything fell apart just after the lockdown lol.

 

[Lobodugald]

Yes

The wool hen works with the chicks' body heat. You would need to adjust the size of everything - let the wool strips hang lower, maybe use smaller wool strip. If you don't have wool, fleece may work - most people used that.

If you don't have either wool or fleece then feathers might be an option. I think would wok best if they could be hung. I saved nearly all of the feathers from when my hens molted to try using them but have tried using them yet. It wouldn't take very many for quail so you might be able to find enough in your chicken coop.

The biggest issue with the wool hen is that the chicks' instinct is to move until they find a warm spot and the wool hen needs them to stay in one spot for their body heat to warm the tiny space between the wool strips. I used the hot water bottles to help the chicks know where to go to get warm. You might be able to use something like a rice bag under your shirt to warm i

This is the rocket stove I built to make maple syrup. It worked really well.

They can be made big enough to heat homes or with a coffee can and four soup cans. I think hikers have smaller designs than that to boil a cup or two of water with a few twigs.

Insulating the elbow helps get the fire started but it is the airflow path and keeping the burn at the tips of the sticks that makes them work. I got proportions and such from a book but could probably find that online if you are intested and need help with that.

Wow this is very interesting, I think I would like to try this, now I just need to find out how to get hold of dry wood since the rain has not stopped in 7 years, but there are a few places inside the house where the water does not pour in so I can probably gather some cardboard and old paper from those areas that should be dry and might ignight, this is so interesting, thank you so much, definitely something to study about yeehah.