question

[someusername]

I'm hatching some quail in an incubator, but i have a mother hen who looks like a good parent to the chicks. when they hatch who should the chicks imprint on? Me? or the mother hen? I don't want then to be scared of me, since I raise them as pets. But, i also want them to have a bond with the mother hen. What should I do? Who should the chicks imprint on? Or should they see me and the mother hen at the same time, and we both raise them?

 

[cavemanrich]

THE MORE YOU INTERACT, AND HANDLE THE LIL ONES, THE MORE TAME THEY SHOULD BECOME.
Do joint custody method,,, I think you will have good results.
WISHING YOU BEST............................... and

 

[lomine]

Giving chicks to a broody hen is risky. I’ve had hens (chickens) take every chick I’ve given them but I’ve also had some kill the chicks.

I personally would never attempt it with a hen that isn’t broody.

 

[someusername]

the hen is anotehr quail

 

[lomine]

I understood you were referring to a quail hen. My point is that giving chicks to broodies has risks. If that hen isn’t broody I wouldn’t even try.

 

[MROO]

If that hen isn’t broody I wouldn’t even try.

Double that! If you seriously want her to "mother" them, put their cages/brooders/whatever-you-use right next to each other so they can only see and possibly touch through the wire. DON'T rush putting them together. Even if they don't develop the mama hen/chick bond, they'll be so accustomed to each other that integration should be a breeze.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Chicks don't really imprint like in cartoons, where they see a "mother" and immediately adopt it. They also don't need a bond with a mother. They need other quail to socialize with, which they'll get from each other, but they don't need a family in the sense that we understand one.
The mother hen is unlikely to adopt them. Go with @MROO's suggestion if you plan to put them together in the future. A non-broody quail isn't just going to look at baby chicks and go "oh, babies" and adopt them.

 

[someusername]

Don't chicks imprint on the first thing they see?

 

[someusername]

And also, the hen I'm talking about has raised chicks in the past(she got broody one time)

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

Don't chicks imprint on the first thing they see?

Nope, that's not true at all. Just something you see in cartoons ect. It's sort of a myth.