The tiny serama; a Hatching adventure

[WoDia]

You really try to give every hen and pullet you have a fair chance, it's inspiring.

I'm sure Clovie will be a wonderful foster mum to the little quail chick. I wonder if the small size of seramas and adjacent breeds helps when raising other small bird species, such as quail

This was only the 2nd time I chose cross-species brooding. The first was with my Blue Slate turkey hen, Astrid, who did an amazing job with incubating an EE egg, Molly the 1st. But, I did take Molly to hand-raise after hatch and let Astrid finish incubating and raising her 2 poults soon after.

With very close monitoring, I think Clovie will be great.

 

[ElfenLied89]

He’s so adorable, Elfen! Congratulations!

He's a sweet baby. Problem is catching him first

 

[fluffycrow]

This was only the 2nd time I chose cross-species brooding. The first was with my Blue Slate turkey hen, Astrid, who did an amazing job with incubating an EE egg, Molly the 1st. But, I did take Molly to hand-raise after hatch and let Astrid finish incubating and raising her 2 poults soon after.

With very close monitoring, I think Clovie will be great.

I'm sure she will be

Would also be interesting to see what will happen with the chick's imprinting; will it consider itself a quail, or a chicken as an adult?

 

[ElfenLied89]

I'm sure she will be

Would also be interesting to see what will happen with the chick's imprinting; will it consider itself a quail, or a chicken as an adult?

Don't mis-label that chicken quail! Quail chicken? I mean...if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it must be a turkey!

 

[WoDia]

He's a sweet baby. Problem is catching him first

Awwwww I’m sure he will make gorgeous babies someday!

 

[WoDia]

I'm sure she will be

Would also be interesting to see what will happen with the chick's imprinting; will it consider itself a quail, or a chicken as an adult?

Well, I think that it will imprint on Clovie, but a quail is still a quail and will act primarily that way. Clovie will be a great mother regardless of differences… for as long as the chick needs her. It will look to her as its mother for warmth, protection, and learning to find the food and water. They will have to learn to communicate in their own chicken-quail way also.

I do have a serama cockerel and bobwhite male that gave me a lot of grief at separation time. I had to place them back together several times before they were both okay being with their own kind. While growing up together, the serama became sweeter and the bobwhite became a little flighty. Neither one really acted like the other, but it was obvious they were bonded.

 

[fluffycrow]

Well, I think that it will imprint on Clovie, but a quail is still a quail and will act primarily that way. Clovie will be a great mother regardless of differences… for as long as the chick needs her. It will look to her as its mother for warmth, protection, and learning to find the food and water. They will have to learn to communicate in their own chicken-quail way also.

I do have a serama cockerel and bobwhite male that gave me a lot of grief at separation time. I had to place them back together several times before they were both okay being with their own kind. While growing up together, the serama became sweeter and the bobwhite became a little flighty. Neither one really acted like the other, but it was obvious they were bonded.

A serama and a quail bonded pair...sounds a bit like a Romeo and Juliet type of situation...without the death of course

 

[WoDia]

A serama and a quail bonded pair...sounds a bit like a Romeo and Juliet type of situation...without the death of course

Mellow (the Serama cockerel) is finally accepting a particular group of other young Seramas in the grow-out room. These 5 (3 females and 2 males) spend the majority of their time together in their own little flock away from the rest of the pullets and cockerels.

The bobwhite, Toffee the 4th, integrated in with his parents and siblings. That took awhile to accomplish, since he cried out constantly for his Serama broodermate in the beginning. It took several attempts of separating the 2 (giving them both time with their own species) for the separation to work without stress to them both.

These issues happen for me, Fluffy, because I incubate small numbers of different species and brood them all together. Some special bonds come out of it though.

Clovie and her chick will bond, regardless of their differences. It’ll work to an extent. It’s these types of pairings where I have to pay closer attention to the individual needs.

 

[fluffycrow]

It’s these types of pairings where I have to pay closer attention to the individual needs.

Shows how much you care about them.



Your love for them is evident with every post, you wouldn't go through all that trouble otherwise

 

[WoDia]

Shows how much you care about them.



Your love for them is evident with every post, you wouldn't go through all that trouble otherwise

Thank you, Fluffy. I have raised birds all of my life. It’s kind of funny that I’m an Anthropologist/Archaeologist , whose career is mainly the study of everything human! But this is my way of balancing both passions, I guess!