Can A Chicken Hatch Quail Eggs?
Can a chicken hatch quail eggs? This is a question that many people have. The answer is yes! Chickens can absolutely hatch quail eggs. In fact, they make great foster mothers for all eggs. The chicken will sit on the eggs and keep them warm, just as she would with her own 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.
I have not had a chicken hath quail eggs, I use my incubators religiously. In fact, 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 sort of working on it.
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
Important Things to Know About Chickens Hatching Quail Eggs
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 silkie chicken as they are smaller and are less likely to break eggs.
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.
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
- also, baby quail need their food to be tiny or they can't eat it
You can definitely try to leave the babies under momma hen and 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.
More on Raising Chickens and Quail
How to Grow Fodder for Chickens
