Can A Chicken Hatch Quail Eggs?
Inside: Can a chicken hatch quail eggs? This is a question that many people have. The answer is yes! Chickens can absolutely hatch quail eggs.
Can a chicken hatch quail eggs? This is a question that many people have. The answer is yes! Chickens can hatch quail eggs. Chickens make great foster mothers for all eggs. The chicken will sit on the eggs and keep them warm, just as she would with her eggs.
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Can A Chicken Hatch Quail Eggs?
If you are lucky, you will have a great broody hen who can do the work of hatching your quail eggs for you. If not, you will need to incubate them. For the most part, broodiness has been bred out of the quail that we are getting.
I have not had a chicken hatch quail eggs, I use my incubators religiously. I have only given hens eggs a couple of times. I am a control freak, I own it, I want to know what is happening at all times. I'm working on it, kind of.
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Important Things to Know About Chickens Hatching Quail Eggs
You need to consider what breed of chicken you are going to have to sit on your eggs. You aren't going to want a large breed chicken like a Standard Brahma or an Orpington. And not all breeds are going to go broody either.
Silkie chickens are probably the best option for sitting on quail eggs for a couple of different reasons:
- they are smaller
- they have amazing mothering instincts and want to sit on eggs
- they want to care for whatever they hatch
There is a good size difference between chickens, even bantam or silkie chickens, and quail, both full-grown and chicks.
If you are going to put quail eggs under a chicken I recommend a bantam or a silkie chicken as they are smaller and are less likely to break eggs.
A mother knows best, is often said. Chicken moms-to-be follow their maternal instinct to sit on eggs. They only leave the nest shortly to eat, drink and take a bathroom break.
Your fertilized eggs are in great hands! Don’t disturb her too often; it can cause stress to the hen, which can hurt her staying on the eggs.
Hatching Quail Eggs Under A Chicken
Once the quail start to hatch, you should probably take them and brood them on your own.
It seems like chickens and quail don't speak the same language and the quail won't go back to momma hen for warmth even when she calls them. Which will lead to them not staying as warm as they should. They also eat different foods, quail are so tiny their food needs to be tiny as well.
A few different things can happen to the baby quail if you leave them with the hen:
- she may step on them, they are very tiny
- they may not get the warmth they need
- baby quail need their food to be tiny or they can't eat it, and they will actually choke
If you decide to try and leave the babies under momma hen to see what happens I'd recommend watching them closely, maybe even bringing the maternity ward into the house where the babies won't get as cold as they would outside.
Remember, quail are a bird that is going to hunker down in cold weather where as chickens seek shelter. And that is just one of the many differences between chickens and quail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to do when quail eggs hatch? Quail do best at 95° F after hatch in a brooder.
How long do quail eggs take to hatch? Coturnix quail eggs hatch in 18 days on average.
More on Raising Chickens and Quail
How to Grow Fodder for Chickens
