Incubating Coturnix Quail Eggs

chichick

Songster
8 Years
May 1, 2011
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I just ordered 4 dozen quail eggs and I need to know some info one them. I know that they only take 17 days to hatch, and to stop turning them at 14 days. What about the temp. and humidity?
 
Incubation of eggs
*Incubation period is 16-17 days but can go as long as 18 days (almost all of mine hatched at 18 days...so i plan my hatches around 18 days just to be safe)
*Turn eggs atleast 3 times a day
*Stop turning atleast 4 days before eggs are due to hatch
*Every quail breeder has their own humidity and temp preferences....I keep the temps in between 99.5F and 101F...however I try to keep it at 99.5 Fas much as I can. (in my new incubator *a cabinet* I now keep it at 100.6 and I still have gorgeous hatches) Humidity I keep in the 40s until the last four days of incubation where i up it to 60%

It's best to have a towel or a kitchen mat or something similar that the eggs can lay on in the incubator so that when the chicks hatch they dont get their legs stuck in the tiny wire....as their feet are so tiny they will fall through.

Taken from the quail sticky at the top if the forum.​
 
Temp and humidity is the same as YOU would incubate chickens. This depends on your area (altitude, RH, etc). If you normally incubate chicken eggs at 100* and 50% humidity, then do quail the same way. The only ones I've found that need it a little different are button quail because they dry out too easily.

They should take 18 days to hatch but can hatch anywhere from 15-21 days. Stop turning day 14 to be safe, though I've had them hatch in the turners with little problems. Coturnix eggs are pretty easy, you could probably set them in a bowl out in your yard and they'd hatch
gig.gif
 
lol, my friend just emailed me that she set 50 one day, then another 90 and was getting another 90, I told her 230 eggs? - you win...

Yeah, you can never out hatch a hatchahilic. Don't even try!

That's why I shoot for brooder to grow out pen, to breeder pen, etc... Any numb-nut can hatch 230 eggs. The real challenge come later. Brooding, growing out, and keeping them alive anywhere past the magic 8 week thing.​
 
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Thanks for all the information guys and gals. You helped me achieve my first successful hatch with a 93% hatch rate. Here are some of the little faces saying thanks!
 
I'm quite pleased with my first hatch. These eggs are NOT local! LOL. I got them from a fellow in Vancouver, 24 eggs. They were brought through airport X-rays a couple of times, dealt with air pressure changes, turbulence, temperature changes etc all the way down to my wee island here in the Bahamas. And number 23 just pulled out of it's shell. I'm floored.
So darned cute!
:)
 
In my still air incubator I kept the temp at 100 degrees for my coturnix quail eggs. I kept the humidity (I'm guessing) at or around 50% the first 13 days, then on day fourteen bumped up the humidity. Had a good hatch. Good luck and hope you have a good hatch!
 

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