Serama hen hatching quails

[Synkou1]

Hi all. Before trying I was researching all over for seramas or bantam hens hatching and raising quails. Couldn’t find much information.

To start with. I have 4 quails hen and a roo it’s their second year.
Also, I have bantam chickens pekin, serama(I assume as that’s what seller said, when I bought eggs to hatch ), sablepoots and serama/pekin mix.
They have separate enclosures.

Once the weather started to warm up and we had a spell of hot weather, guess what all hens gone broody one by one.
Trying to break some is easy but two ladies my little serama and lavander pekin are hardcore broody hens. Nothing will break their broodiness. Last year alone my lavander went 5 times broody and it took me long time to break her each time.

Last year little serama hatched chick and raised him up until he was bigger than her twice in size and went in raising another 5week chick that hen already left. She was born to be momma.

So, given the weather and hardcore broody (plus being obsessed with chicks) At some point I gave up and decided to do a small experiment and gave quail eggs to my little serama. She accepted them straight away and day in and out was sitting like a good broody hen. I had to keep the nest locked and once or twice a day take her out to eat and stretch her legs. She is the lowest on pecking order and was getting kicked out of the nest and would just on my knees and ask me to get her back in the nest (well assume so, as everytime she would see someone in nest she would go to me and as soon as I get up run to nest and look at me).

I have tried to move her to a brooder cage, no luck decided not to disturb.

Anyways, eggs developed amazing. Out of 9 eggs one was squashed by other hens fighting for nest another was not fertilised.

Day 16 I started seeing pips, excited, waiting all day, nothing. Next day woke up went to check, nothing.

Had to go run some errands for 3hours. Came back all the quails hatched in sync.

Welcome 7 quail chicks to the world!

I was cautious if she would accept them and I had to move them in brooder cage so my ladies and my rooster won’t accidentally or intentionally kill them. I had a brooder with heat plate and mat ready just in case.
All great she went with them in brooder and was sitting on the new nest.

When I took away her quail chicks and they get lost and start screaming she would call them and they would run straight to her and under.

Today I moved her closer to water and feed and it seems like they found common language and she is teaching how to eat and what to eat.

For anyone who is searching for is it possible. I have done it and it seems to go all well so far.

I have another lavender pekin sitting on eggs which are still incubating will see how that goes.

She is the top hen, so I am not worried of her being kicked out of nest. She will kick roosters if she wants.

Will see how she will accept her surrogate babies, where she is a lot bigger but very dedicated broody hen.

And when I figure out how to upload videos on here with her mama baby bonding moments I will.

 

[sourland]

Great pictures. Well done.

 

[Livia Ammon]

Those Serama moms are so cute! I admire and appreciate their dedication. Hope it all goes well from here!

 

[Synkou1]

Those Serama moms are so cute! I admire and appreciate their dedication. Hope it all goes well from here!

Not all seramas. My second serama is not that into. She wanted to leave the chick last year after 3 weeks by week 4 had to release to flock both as she wanted nothing to do with chick. Second serama took over.

 

[Susan Skylark]

That’s great but extreme caution and care and supervision is needed in such cases, which you’ve taken, in general letting a chicken raise quail can be a disaster! They are so tiny and can easily get stepped on or cold or lost or eaten! They sure are cute though, cool!

 

[Synkou1]

That’s great but extreme caution and care and supervision is needed in such cases, which you’ve taken, in general letting a chicken raise quail can be a disaster! They are so tiny and can easily get stepped on or cold or lost or eaten! They sure are cute though, cool!

Thank you. The serama I have is tiny no much bigger than a grown quail. She is very careful and attentive. Second day now and she will stand up for 5-10 min feed the chicks then go back sitting and warming them up. The chicks are growing

 

[Livia Ammon]

That’s so sweet! Do Serama moms do as well on full size chicks, or is it better to match chick and hen sizes? Like, what the chick will be full-grown is what its mom should be, size-wise. Anyhow, I hope they continue to do well and I look forward to any future updates

 

[Synkou1]

That’s so sweet! Do Serama moms do as well on full size chicks, or is it better to match chick and hen sizes? Like, what the chick will be full-grown is what its mom should be, size-wise. Anyhow, I hope they continue to do well and I look forward to any future updates

I think is all hen based. I can only tell out of my two seramas hen this one is very dedicated mum. The other serama was not very interested or as attentive to chick, tho sat thru hatching and looked after for a little while.
Serama is very tiny, like I said no bigger than quail. She won’t manage full sized eggs well to sit on. Personally, I think some bigger breed. I only have bantams.
I will see soon how my pekin bantam do with quails. She seems more dedicated to sit on eggs and I have to physically kick her out of nest and block it for her to eat and drink and most days she won’t drink just eat few treats and run back. I know I should leave it be and let nature take care but she is too precious for me and each are a character.

 

[Livia Ammon]

I think is all hen based. I can only tell out of my two seramas hen this one is very dedicated mum. The other serama was not very interested or as attentive to chick, tho sat thru hatching and looked after for a little while.
Serama is very tiny, like I said no bigger than quail. She won’t manage full sized eggs well to sit on. Personally, I think some bigger breed. I only have bantams.
I will see soon how my pekin bantam do with quails. She seems more dedicated to sit on eggs and I have to physically kick her out of nest and block it for her to eat and drink and most days she won’t drink just eat few treats and run back. I know I should leave it be and let nature take care but she is too precious for me and each are a character.

Silly mama hen. I think you’re right to take care of her; she sounds like a good hen and very dedicated

 

[Synkou1]

Silly mama hen. I think you’re right to take care of her; she sounds like a good hen and very dedicated

Not long to wait for her. The first pip is here for the second batch under pekin bantam