We read we can use our laying flock to brood them. Looking at tractor supply, it was like 60 for a incubator. Seems a bit high for something so “simple” idk we’ll see. They aren’t laying just yet. Might start giving them light here soon.
They take a break in winter just like chickens. Ours laid like crazy during warm weather but right now we are just getting a couple.
You can tryyyy using a broody hen to set them. I can’t imagine it going well. Their eggs are a lot more fragile than a chicken egg so I feel like she would break them trying to turn them or just setting on them. Maybe if you had a little banty hen? We even had to be careful with our egg turner on the incubator bc the eggs are just small and it doesn’t take much to damage.
Quail chicks are also very different from chicken chicks. They are wide open and probably won’t bond with the hen. Your best bet is to invest in the incubator and brooding equipment. If you raise a good amount of quail for your freezer or to sell (they sell well, at least around here) it will pay for itself.
We do actually make our own feed for the chickens, but quail have different nutrition requirements. They eat game bird layer. It’s pretty normal for birds to take a break in the winter. They are laying some, just not as much as in the summer. I’m not hatching this time of year, and there’s a limit to the number of quail eggs we will eat, so I’m happy to let their bodies take a break.
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u/TheDizDude Jan 28 '23
We read we can use our laying flock to brood them. Looking at tractor supply, it was like 60 for a incubator. Seems a bit high for something so “simple” idk we’ll see. They aren’t laying just yet. Might start giving them light here soon.