incubating quail eggs under little chicken hens!!!???

[featheredfriendlover]

i was just reading on a website that said button quail will lay large numbers of eggs without sitting on them. well i have some serama hens and i was wondering if there small enough to incubate them without smashing them??? im asking to make sure because ive had standard cochin hens squish guinea keets!!

thanks cole.

 

[monarc23]

Hi Cole,

yes you can. Chinese used silkies (silkies larger htan our US silkies) to brood quail eggs. So yes you can use tiny seramas to do the same. I've never done it before but i do have some tips and warnings for you.


tip one, either keep serama mama with her eggs in a pen that is small enough that the chicks cannot escape through (because theyw iill if they can).

tip two, i've seen some breeders use tall cardboard boxes to nest the hens in, then when teh coturnix chicks hatch they cant escape.

tip three may be best to remove them from her as soon as they are born unless you cantrust her to care for them well and keep them in an unescapeable pen

I think a serama would be perfect for the job

 

[quailbrain]

Buttons are pretty small so you may just see what she does. She may not be so use to baby buttons and wonder what they are. I have read that chickens do fine with coturnix quail so maybe buttons too...

 

[featheredfriendlover]

there not babies. there full grown. im not even sure if i have any females. they both have white throats. i was just asking because it says they lay large numbers of eggs and dont sit usually because they get scared easily!!!!!!!!!

 

[featheredfriendlover]

come on BuMp BuMp!!!!

 

[quailbrain]

What colors are the buttons. If they both have white throats it could mean males unless they are blue faced. You wont have any eggs anytime soon if they are males.....

 

[quailbrain]

Quote:
If she did hatch them I'd probably take the chicks and brood them. I would worry she wont know what to do with such small little ones. You can sometimes get hens to brood. It's not to my knowledge because they are scared that they wont sit. They need the right enviroment to stimulate them like nature.

 

[featheredfriendlover]

oh thanks for the help. yes they both have white throats.

 

[quailbrain]

White throats doesn't always mean male.... Blue faced hens can have white markings too. They will not be that beautiful defined bib but they can have white.

 

[citalk2much]

I would use a hen that has brooded before and I would take the chicks away