Thinking about accepting Coturnix hatching eggs, but I have chickens

[DeckDuck]

My mother just got some mixed coturnix quail for eggs, and I love them! What wonderful little guys. She has offered to send me the eggs they lay this week to hatch for myself.

So I'm thinking about it and have been doing some research, and I thought I should ask the quail people what they think. I keep chickens and ducks already. I understand that it's not wise to keep both chickens and quail because of coryza, but is that the only disease of particular concern? My small flock doesn't carry it as far as I know and I always quarantine new birds. I don't bring them to shows or swaps. I have some small bantam chicken hens that might go broody again soon, and I was thinking of letting them hatch and raise the quail eggs because I don't have much experience with an incubator. The hens' eggs aren't much larger than the quail's so I thought it might work. Is that crazy? Or would it be possible, as long as there (supposedly) was no coryza involved?

I'm still thinking about it and I could go either way. The breeder my mother's quail came from kept large numbers of both chickens and quail on her farm. That is encouraging to me, but I know from experience that just because someone else does something with their animals doesn't mean it's a thing I should do. I'm considering also that there is always the risk that a disease could come along and wipe out any species of my livestock, even when one practices good biosecurity, and especially when there are so many wild birds and animals around the farm.

I don't want to be careless with any animals and if it would be too unfair to the quail then I wont do it. But I wanted to see what the general opinion is about this. I'm quite tempted to accept the eggs if the risk is reasonable in a situation like mine. What do the people with experience think? What should I do?

 

[Quail Jailer]

Ahh go for it, Your bantam hen will probably do just fine...

of course if you should suffer some unforeseen catastrophe, forget I said anything...

 

[Sill]

I'd try it with the broody but only if there was a place to keep her separate from the other poultry during incubation, brooding and raising. Otherwise try your hand at incubating yourself. It's a great skill to learn! Once they hatch brood and keep them separate from your other poultry and always service them first and wash your hands before doing so. I keep my quail equipment separate from the chickens' and if I have to use an incubator or brooder for the quail that was used for chickens I disinfect it very well first.

 

[dc3085]

Chickens can catch/develop new diseases every day of the week. Most of the disease that quail get from chicken can be picked up from eating bugs or they eat some soil it was incubating in. As far as them not having coryza, its hard to test for, the results may not be accurate but will be expensive, and most chickens can carry it for their entire lives and show no symptoms.

On another note, everyone says to use broody bantams and in all the years I've done this no one has showed me chicks that hatched under one. Not once. I have twice seen coturnix that miraculously incubated their own eggs, but have never seen a successful bantam hatch. Not saying it doesn't happen, where there is so much smoke there has to be some fire, but I don't think the hatch rate is worth the effort and potential risks. Just my opinion.

 

[member 129538]

This woman has done it succesfully:

I've read online about people attempting this. Seemed like some people had great success and others didn't. Even the smallest chicken can crush the babies because they're just soooo tiny. Proceed at your own risk!

 

[Quail Jailer]

I've seen it DC, and a guy from my church has a broody hen, so I'm going to give him some eggs, If it shakes out I'll try to shoot a little video.

 

[Chickety Charcoal]

Was thinking of putting some quail eggs under a broody standard chicken- scratch that idea.

 

[dc3085]

I was recently discussing this with someone else who has tried it. Disease transmission aside one of the main problems seems to be keeping the chickens from crushing the quail eggs.

 

[Quail Jailer]

We will have to wait DC, My buddy's hen went off the nest before he got the eggs under her....

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

What if you used a bantam duck? They are fierce moms and their webbed feet allow even weight distribution across the eggs if they are stepped on....anyone heard of doing that?