The nesting material in our chicken nesting boxes was getting raked out leading to dirty and cracked eggs so this is how I fixed the problem. Also in this video, I show my latest experiment of trying to use broody hens to hatch out quail eggs.
Blog: http://www.selfsufficientme.com/
Forum: http://www.selfsufficientculture.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SelfSufficientMe-260782203958500/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SufficientMe
Subscribe to my channel: http://goo.gl/cpbojR
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Please watch: “5 Fruit Tree & Veggie Patch Questions”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50HgG0yBX80
-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
too bad you don't have access to Raw sheep wool fresh from a sheer. I've seen a few YouTubers use it the chickens seem to prefer that over straw. actually I hear that quite often chickens scratching straw out of the box they don't seem to like it at all. I would even suggest some alfalfa hay rather than using straw with the added benefits nutritious for them.
I've hatched a bunch of quail using my bantams. The big girls always ended up breaking the quail eggs they where just to heavy.
It looks nicer that way. I think the girls just wanted you to jazz up the place bit. 😀
I will be surprised if your hens successfully brood the quail eggs as I did this with a light weight bantam. She hatched the eggs them sat hard on them and suffocated them. Commercial turkeys do the same with their own eggs as they are too heavy. Even too heavy to mate naturally.
funny thing, I was looking into raising quail m'self, I'm quite interested to see how well the brooding of quail eggs works in the "au naturale" way, vs a hatchery and brood box.
I like the fact that you found a metal material that had a rolled edge. That was a good find.
Did that hen sit on that nest again? Did the experiment work?
They don't like the smell of your hands…