Hatching Coturnix quail eggs is simple, fun, and rewarding. If you desire a consistent and sustainable supply of meat and eggs, you should consider incubating coturnix quail! In this article, we will discuss the process of hatching fertile quail eggs using a quail incubator. So if you are ready to start hatching Coturnix quail, then continue reading to learn all about the process.
A Guide to Hatching Coturnix Quail Chicks
Buying Quail Hatching Eggs
Before you can start incubating your first batch of Quail eggs, you need to source some Quail Hatching Eggs
. You’ll want to purchase your eggs from a reputable breeder, ideally someone who specializes in raising quail. Not only will you get the best quality eggs that way, but you’ll also have access to the breeder’s expert advice and assistance with any issues or questions that may arise along the way.
Buying Local vs Online
Buying fertile quail eggs from a local breeder is preferred, however they are few and far between. If you have a reputable breeder near you, you are indeed fortunate. However, if you are like the rest of us and do not have a local quail breeder or quail hatchery, you can find fertile quail eggs for sale on the internet.
Purchasing quail eggs to incubate online can provide many benefits. You have access to many different quail hatcheries to choose from and can shop from your tablet or phone. Most quality quail breeders allow you to purchase online and have the eggs shipped directly to your home or local post office.
Shipped Eggs
The process of shipping quail eggs can have some drawbacks though. Shipped eggs have inherently lower hatch rates due to the normal handling and jostling of packages vs locally purchased eggs. Less common issues are extremely poor handling by postal service employees, packages left in extreme heat or cold, and delayed packages.
Ensure you choose a quail breeder that properly packages their quail eggs to prevent excessive damage and that ships early in the week to prevent package delays over the weekend.
It’s also easy to overlook that not all Quail eggs being sold are meant for hatching. Many places will sell quail eggs intended for human consumption. Be sure to check that the eggs you buy are specifically being sold as fertile quail eggs for hatching.
Clean and Sanitize Your Incubator
Incubating Quail eggs can be a delicate process and requires clean equipment. Bacteria can easily contaminate the eggs, so it’s important to make sure that you keep your Incubator and work area as clean and sanitary as possible.
You should clean the Incubator and its components with an antibacterial solution before you set your hatching eggs.
Setting Up Your Incubator for Hatching Quail Eggs
It’s important to read and follow the instructions for the particular incubator you bought. It’s also important to ensure your incubator is set up in a room free from any drafts, windows, and direct sunlight.
Plan accordingly and take the time to ensure that your incubator temperature and humidity have stabilized where you want them before you start setting your eggs. Make sure the incubator has been running for at least 24 hours to ensure the ideal climate before setting your quail eggs to incubate. Temperature should be at 99.5 degrees fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 45% or incubating quail.
Since all incubators have hot and cold spots throughout the incubator and sometimes sensors or components may fail, it is highly recommended that you add at least one additional thermometer/hydrometer to your incubator. This will allow you to identify any temperature or humidity variations. Note that the acceptable range for temperature is plus or minus 1 degree and the acceptable range for humidity is 40%-50%.
If you have an automatic egg turner, you should also verify that it is functioning during this time period.
Setting Quail Eggs in Your Incubator
If you purchased shipped eggs, you need to allow the fertile eggs to sit for 24 hours with the small end pointed downward to acclimate to the climate and rest from the handling during shipment. Doing this during your 24 hour incubator setup is ideal.
If you collected your own fertile quail eggs, they should be stored with the small end pointed down at approximately 65-75 degrees. If you store your eggs more than a couple days, turning them several times per day will help increase your hatch rate.
Gently place your hatching eggs into the incubator’s quail rails with the small end of the quail egg pointed down and close the incubator. Mark this date down on a calendar as day 0 and start counting your incubation days the following day (day 1).
Incubating Your Quail Eggs (Day 0-14)
The first 14 days is called the incubation period or setting period. Make sure the temperature is set to 99.5 F and the humidity at approximately 45% RH. Many entry level incubators will be tough to accurately control the humidity, however you want to shoot for 40-50% relative humidity.
You need to avoid opening the incubator unless necessary during this period, as it will cause the temperature and humidity to drop. If you need to open the incubator, try to close it back as quickly as possible to regain the temperature and humidity levels.
If you don’t have an automatic turner, then remember to turn the eggs manually every 8 hours, at the minimum. You want to have at least 3 turns per day, but 4-5 turns would be preferred.
Locking Down the Incubator (Day 15)
Day 15 is the lock down period or hatching period. At this point, the eggs should no longer be turned as the chicks have developed enough to position themselves for hatching. You should also increase the humidity to 60% as well. The incubator should not be opened again until the chicks hatch.
Quail Hatching (Days 16-18)
Your quail eggs are now ready to hatch and will do so on their own. Typically day 17 is the primary hatch day where you will hatch the majority of your quail chicks. Chicks can hatch anywhere from 16 days up to 21 days, depending on the accuracy and fluctuations in your incubator temperature. If all goes well, you should see the majority of your quail chicks on day 17.
During this hatching period it is vital that you refrain from opening your incubator. Opening the incubator will cause a sudden decrease in humidity which will shrink the lining inside the shell. This quick shrinking of the lining will cause your chicks to become “shrink wrapped” inside their egg and not hatch.
The quail chicks do not need feed or water for at least 24 hours after absorbing the yolk and hatching. Your incubator provides the perfect climate for a newly hatched quail chick, so leave them in the incubator for 24 hours to rest after their exhausting hatch. When you open the incubator to move you chicks into the brooder, do so as quickly as possible to avoid shrink wrapping any chicks that still may hatch.
Cleaning the Incubator
Once all chicks have been moved to the brooder, you need to fully clean and sanitize the incubator so you don’t risk the health of future quail chicks.
Incubator Selection and Options for Hatching Quail Eggs
Hatching quail eggs isn’t quite as simple as leaving them alone in a warm place – they need consistent temperatures, humidity levels, and air circulation to be successful. A well performing incubator is the best way to ensure the ideal conditions are met to hatch your quail eggs.
Size
Incubators come in all shapes and sizes, from small table top incubators to large commercial grade Incubators. Depending upon the size of your flock, you may want to invest in a larger Incubator that can accommodate more eggs. Remember that not all eggs are going to hatch. A successful hatch rate for shipped eggs is typically around 50%, while eggs sourced locally may produce 75%-95%
Quality
Be sure to purchase a quality incubator from a reputable company. There are many low quality incubators for sale online from unknown brands. Pay special attention to customer reviews prior to purchasing an incubator from an unknown brand. Hovabator, GQF, and Farm Innovators are all quality brands to choose from.
Features
Apart from size and quality, the important features you want to consider when getting yourself an incubator to hatch quail chicks are forced air circulation and an automatic egg turner. Forced air circulation helps to ensure that the Incubator maintains a consistent temperature throughout the interior, while an automatic egg turner will ensure your Coturnix Quail eggs are turned 3 times daily without the need to open the incubator.
Quail Eggs are smaller than chicken eggs and most incubators are sold sized for chicken eggs. When shopping for an incubator to hatch quail egg, pay particular attention to the egg size that it can accommodate. Some incubators will come with separate egg rails quail vs chicken, many incubators sell quail egg rails separately, and some incubators cannot accommodate quail eggs at all.
Candling Quail Eggs Through the Incubation Process
Candling is a process of inspecting your Quail eggs to check for chick development. You will need a candling light which is a bright flashlight that will properly fit your eggs. The candling light allows you to light up the interior of the hatching egg and see if a chick is developing.
Quail eggs are tougher to candle than chicken eggs due to the thicker shells and coloring of quail eggs. We are not going to go into the details of candling in this article, however it is worth understanding the basics of candling.
Candling can be a very fun and engaging activity, especially with children, however it is not a necessity to hatch quail chicks.
Common Mistakes When Hatching Quail Eggs
- Not buying the quality quail eggs for hatching: Make sure that you buy your Coturnix Quail eggs from a reputable breeder and inspect them for damage or abnormalities before Incubating. It’s also important to remember to buy eggs specifically designated for “hatching”. The bloodlines from the breeder or hatchery are vital to developing a healthy quail flock that can provide you with viable eggs to hatch in the future
- Buying the wrong incubator: Incubators come in all shapes and sizes, so make sure you buy one that is going to be big enough for the size of your flock. Incubators also need features such as forced air circulation and an automatic egg turner to ensure successful hatching.
- Keeping your incubator in a bad location: Just because you have an incubator, it doesn’t mean that you can just put it anywhere. Incubators need to be kept in a dry and warm location free from drafts and extreme changes in temperature.
- Not stabilizing your incubator prior to setting your hatching eggs: This one is easy to do when you are excited and ready to hatch some quail. The results, however, can be devastating. Temperature fluctuations at the beginning of the incubation cycle can cause eggs to not develop, develop slowly, or can cause deformed quail to hatch.
Summary
Hatching Coturnix Quail chicks can be one of the most rewarding hobbies the average person can get started with today. As long as you are diligent and follow these simple steps, you will have a ton of success hatching your very own quail chicks. So, if that sounds like something you want to do, then why not get started today!