Wild Quail laying eggs in chicken nesting boxes

[17 chickens]

I have been raising chickens for 48 years now and this is a first for me... In my large chicken run I have 2 coops a small one that houses my older girls who are set in their ways and a much larger coop for the other chicken and ducks, a total of 100 birds all together. My run is made of 1' chicken wire placed over portable 7 foot tall dog kennel panels, I have covered the top with heavy netting once and with the heavy and large amounts of snow it just crashed down, so no longer do that and have never had a problem with wild critters.
Anyways, The last few days I have been getting these really small eggs and when I broke them open they looked just like a regular egg inside. Today I went out a few times to get eggs for customers orders and their was a couple of wild quail in the nesting boxes under my broody hens. They were full size quail and she was treating them as they were her chicks. I put a glove on to get the eggs from her and there was 4 quail eggs in with a couple chicken eggs. Has anyone ever come across this before? should I let her hatch them out?

 

[ChickNanny13]

That must have been something to see, take your camera with you tomorrow My first instinct would be concern about any disease the quail may carry & transmit to the chickens. It would be interesting to leave the eggs, wonder if the quail will stick around & hatch her eggs under the Broody? Keep us updated

 

[17 chickens]

I put worm meds in the water and dust meds in the dusting and the quail use them both, have not had a problem yet I might say.... knock on wood! it has just been so cold here so I think they are try to come in out of the cold. It is amazing that my hen Named Silly Sally is sitting on the quail and the quail eggs because she has a mean temper when it comes to her nesting box. She will not let any other hen use it or go near it. She will attack, thats why I have to use a winter glove to get the eggs out from her.

 

[lazy gardener]

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.

 

[aart]

I'll be darned!

 

[ChickNanny13]

Did the quail return? Under the Broody?

 

[17 chickens]

I checked on Silly Sally tonight as I closed up the coops and put my winter glove on to reach under her and behold Mr and Mrs quail were snuggling up all warm under Silly Sally, They didn't even move or were scared just really calm. I think I will try leaving the eggs both the quails and Silly Sally's for her to hatch out. Need to do research on how long quail eggs to sit under her to hatch.

 

[ChickNanny13]

OMG, that is simply amazing! Keep us updated, this is really interesting.

 

[17 chickens]

Do you know anything about Quail?

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I am melting in the cuteness of this!!

So she's actually sitting on the grownup quail as if she hatched her herself, and she thinks the teeny quail eggs are also hers? This would be such a charming story for the local news, a cheery pick me up for the doldrum days of January.

I absolutely adore quail. My favorite book is 'That Quail, Robert.' I read it at least once a year. Robert, as it turns out, was a girl.

I'm so delighted with your nesting quail who's now being cared for by your ornery hen that I can't stop giggling. Photos are a must, please!!!!!!!