Quail broody's

[Daniel Grey]

Hello,
I have found various threads but none with the answer I am looking for. I was wondering if it is possible to hatch out quail eggs under quails themselves? I thought perhaps the reason why most quail don't go broody is because lots of them are kept on wire floors which I believe are used as an anti broody coop for chickens. Seeing as I will be keeping my quail in a few range environment, do you think it might be possible for me to hatch out some quails?
Daniel

 

[Rock17]

Quail rarely go broody either way. They have just lost the wild instinct to sit on their eggs. You can hatch them under silkie but they have to go straight into the brooder. You can use an incubator. @Nabiki do you know a way to make quail broody?

 

[Daniel Grey]

Keep them separate. Chickens can give deadly diseases to quail.

Not to be rude, but what about this?

 

[Nabiki]

Coturnix quail rarely go broody, but if they are going to, it will be in as close to natural an environment as you can make. An aviary with lots of hiding places would be your best option.

I hope that you meant a large aviary when you said free range. If you actually free range your quail, you are going to lose them. They will either be eaten or fly away, never to be seen again.

There are people who hatch quail under a broody small breed chicken, but the chicks are taken away as soon as they hatch to be put into a brooder. This reduces exposure to possible diseases and keeps the chicks safe from the hen that is likely to try to kill the "runt". It's not ideal, but it is possible.

 

[Rock17]

Not to be rude, but what about this?

Not to be rude, but what about this?

Just use them to hatch. As soon as they hatch remove them and put them in the brooder

 

[Daniel Grey]

I hope that you meant a large aviary when you said free range. If you actually free range your quail, you are going to lose them. They will either be eaten or fly away, never to be seen again.

Yes. A fully enclosed run.

 

[le_bwah]

I've had three natural hatches in my aviary—all the quail in my curent flock were hatched under their broody Coturnix mothers.

 

[Daniel Grey]

I've had three natural hatches in my aviary—all the quail in my curent flock were hatched under their broody Coturnix mothers.

Oh! That's good! How good mothers do they make?

 

[le_bwah]

Oh! That's good! How good mothers do they make?

They all sat diligently the whole time, and made peculiar calls when the babies hatched.

Aside from the first mama (who seemed to sometimes forget that her babies were not in fact weird little mice), all three were excellent mothers. Sheltered chicks, led them to food and water, tidbitting for them the whole time. Second two mothers (both naturally hatched themselves) became very defensive of their chicks—I had to screen off sections of the aviary or they'd attack the other hens.

I think the quail who had a mother make for better mothers themselves. Four of my hens went broody (on infertile eggs) late into last summer, so I'm expecting more hatches this spring.

 

[Daniel Grey]

They all sat diligently the whole time, and made peculiar calls when the babies hatched.

Aside from the first mama (who seemed to sometimes forget that her babies were not in fact weird little mice), all three were excellent mothers. Sheltered chicks, led them to food and water, tidbitting for them the whole time. Second two mothers (both naturally hatched themselves) became very defensive of their chicks—I had to screen off sections of the aviary or they'd attack the other hens.

I think the quail who had a mother make for better mothers themselves. Four of my hens went broody (on infertile eggs) late into last summer, so I'm expecting more hatches this spring.

What breed quail are they?