Companion fowls for quail

[Aussie92]

G'day all!

My wife is looking into a companion fowl for quail - what is a good companion fowl? She was thinking silkie hens (I read they can be used to help incubate quail eggs)

Thankyou in advance!

 

[JaeG]

Not if you have Coryza in your country. Chickens can be carriers and show no symptoms but it's nasty when quail become infected and more difficult to treat. They then become carriers of it for life. But if you hatched the chickens yourself in an incubator they won't have been anywhere to get Coryza and you shouldn't have a problem.

Silkies are also not the best to use to hatch quail as the chicks will crawl right up into their feathers (right up under their wings) and become tangled in their fluff. I'd go with OEGBs or something similar with hard feathering. They cannot raise them though as quail chicks are a lot needier than chicken chicks in that first week. Chicken mothers want to be up scratching about, finding food. Quail chicks mostly want to cuddle and will get stood on by the hen as they try to snuggle and she fusses about.

You could set them up in an aviary with gentle birds such as grass parakeets and finches, or cockatiels, or budgies. Just avoid lovebirds as they can be very aggressive. It'll become your favourite place to sit and relax.