These are some tips based on my experience hatching coturnix quail. I hope you find this helpful!
Quail incubation is 17 days. Depending on the incubation conditions, It is completely normal for some to hatch on day 16 or 18, but most will hatch on day 17.
Incubator choice:
The best incubators have forced air circulation and an automatic egg turner, but other than that, it depends on how many you want to hatch. Don't trust the thermometer or hygrometer on your incubator! Have at least one calibrated thermometer and hygrometer inside. I use three thermometers because every incubator has warm and cold spots. When you find the cold and warm spots in your incubator, you may want to rotate the eggs in and out of them so they have a more even average incubating temperature.
Incubation:
Temperature should be 99.5-100 degrees, humidity about 30%. Eggs need to be turned every 3-6 hours, which is why you should have an egg turner in your incubator. On day 14, the eggs should go into lockdown, which is where you take the egg turner out and prepare for the eggs to hatch. You should have some sort of grippy flooring such as shelf liner or rough paper towels to help the chicks learn to walk and avoid leg problems.
If you choose to use a still air incubator, you will want to raise your temperature to 101.5 degrees. Still air incubators are also more likely to have warm or cool spots.
Hatching:
When the eggs begin to hatch, the humidity should go up to around 45-55%. Try to keep it there or a little higher. Don't let it get too high, or the chicks might drown. Once they are dry move your chicks to a brooder. If you are concerned about the humidity dropping too much when you move the chicks, you can place a damp paper towel in the incubator. This will bring the humidity up quickly, but dry out quickly enough to not affect the long term humidity.
Brooding:
Chicks will need to be kept in a brooder until 3-6 weeks of age. There should be a warm side and a cool side. Start the temperature at 95-100 degrees on the warm side and start lowering the temperature a couple degrees each day. If they huddle together, they are cold and the temperature needs to be raised. If they are laying stretched out or panting, they are hot and the temperature needs to be lowered. They are usually comfortable at room temperatures by 3 weeks, and ready to go outside at 6 weeks of age.
Make sure that their water is shallow enough or small enough that they can't drown in it. Make sure they don't have anything that they can stuck under or behind. The flooring for the brooder should give the chicks something to grip with their toes. If it is smooth, they may develop leg problems or injurires. Quail chicks are very good at finding creative ways to die.
Feel free to contact me with any question.
Quail incubation is 17 days. Depending on the incubation conditions, It is completely normal for some to hatch on day 16 or 18, but most will hatch on day 17.
Incubator choice:
The best incubators have forced air circulation and an automatic egg turner, but other than that, it depends on how many you want to hatch. Don't trust the thermometer or hygrometer on your incubator! Have at least one calibrated thermometer and hygrometer inside. I use three thermometers because every incubator has warm and cold spots. When you find the cold and warm spots in your incubator, you may want to rotate the eggs in and out of them so they have a more even average incubating temperature.
Incubation:
Temperature should be 99.5-100 degrees, humidity about 30%. Eggs need to be turned every 3-6 hours, which is why you should have an egg turner in your incubator. On day 14, the eggs should go into lockdown, which is where you take the egg turner out and prepare for the eggs to hatch. You should have some sort of grippy flooring such as shelf liner or rough paper towels to help the chicks learn to walk and avoid leg problems.
If you choose to use a still air incubator, you will want to raise your temperature to 101.5 degrees. Still air incubators are also more likely to have warm or cool spots.
Hatching:
When the eggs begin to hatch, the humidity should go up to around 45-55%. Try to keep it there or a little higher. Don't let it get too high, or the chicks might drown. Once they are dry move your chicks to a brooder. If you are concerned about the humidity dropping too much when you move the chicks, you can place a damp paper towel in the incubator. This will bring the humidity up quickly, but dry out quickly enough to not affect the long term humidity.
Brooding:
Chicks will need to be kept in a brooder until 3-6 weeks of age. There should be a warm side and a cool side. Start the temperature at 95-100 degrees on the warm side and start lowering the temperature a couple degrees each day. If they huddle together, they are cold and the temperature needs to be raised. If they are laying stretched out or panting, they are hot and the temperature needs to be lowered. They are usually comfortable at room temperatures by 3 weeks, and ready to go outside at 6 weeks of age.
Make sure that their water is shallow enough or small enough that they can't drown in it. Make sure they don't have anything that they can stuck under or behind. The flooring for the brooder should give the chicks something to grip with their toes. If it is smooth, they may develop leg problems or injurires. Quail chicks are very good at finding creative ways to die.
Feel free to contact me with any question.
