Foster Moms

Sometimes, eggs need incubated. Sometimes we just don’t have the equipment, energy, or motive to incubate them… Sometimes we don’t want to brood them.

Well, luckily… nature has some birds that will incubate eggs that aren’t theirs or raise chicks of different species.

Lets go over some of these foster moms.

Bantams

Cochins and silkies are the main of the bantams prone to brooding. They can successfully incubate quail, pheasants, and even guineas.

Watch out with the first two as disease can spread between the chickens and birds, so make sure she’s healthy.

Pigeons

Good incubators for quail, but bad rearers, as they nest in air and quail may fall off, but a nesting box with high walls, can be good enough, until the chicks are fluffy and can be moved to a brooder.

Chickens

Broody hens, like Australorps, Sussex, and Brahma hens, make good foster mothers to ducklings, guinea keets, turkeys poults, and even geese, but for the waterfowl, don’t give them water to swim in, because the hen won’t be able to water proof the chicks.

Geese

Make good fosters for ducks without any work needed.

Ducks

Make good fosters for geese without extra work needed.