Another interesting read on "dry hatching" quail eggs

[TurksPoultry]

I understand that this thread is old but the information is still relevant. Also the same people that complain about old threads also say use the search feature which will bring up old threads.

Has anyone else tried hatching quail eggs without any turning? Did you get handicap chicks?

Thanks

Some of this information is def relevant, I live in Southern LA and I must dry incubators at least. But on Turning? Turning eggs is for the embryo to receive the nutrition it needs, and so that it does not get stuck to any one part of the shell, and That could definitely handicap a baby getting stuck inside the egg is very common. Its recommended to turn eggs 3-5 Xs a day, more is better. If your having trouble turning a bunch of itty bitty eggs by hand, you might consider stabilizing the eggs and turning the incubator, Or turning the eggs by rolling them all in a line/row from one side to the other.

 

[deshet]

I have been research since reading this post and I will set 120 quail without turning to see what happens. I have watched ducks incubate eggs and know that some of the eggs never get moved.

Some say that chickens only move the top layer of eggs to get comfortable.

I have heard old people tell stories about not turning eggs. I have hatched 7 incubators full of ducks, chickens and quail without adding a drop of water in southern virginia until lockdown.

I will see if people are lying or telling the truth about not turn eggs. I know that country folks were hatching eggs in cardboard boxes with lights long before egg turners were created.

I have a turner...but I can hatch tons of more eggs if turners aren't needed.

Thanks

 

[TurksPoultry]

they're your eggs, do you, let me know how it goes tho, ok?

 

[fishforbrains]

In chickens, turning seems to make a difference:


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12705393

Poult Sci. 2003 Mar;82(3):357-9.
Effect of frequency of turning from three to eleven days of incubation on hatchability of broiler hatching eggs.

Elibol O1, Braket J.
Author information


Abstract

Hatching eggs from broiler breeder flocks at 37, 41, 59, and 63 wk of age were stored for 1 or 2 d at 18 C and 75% RH and then turned 24, 48, or 96 times per day from 3 to 11 d of incubation. All eggs were turned 24 times per day from 1 to 2 d and 12 to 18 d of incubation. Fertile hatchability was better at 37 and 41 wk of age than at 59 and 63 wk of age due primarily to increased early dead embryos. Fertile hatchability was increased by turning 96 times per day compared to either 24 or 48 times per day. This improvement was due to a reduction in late embryonic mortality. There was no significant interaction of flock age x turning in storage for fertile hatchability or embryonic mortality.
PMID:

12705393

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

[deshet]

I have seen this study before. I wonder are the people with high hatch rates without turning lying

I will see and report back the truth

 

[KeithKZ]

I'm having issues with quail eggs not hatching after pipping. I first hatched 7 coturnix eggs and while they all eventually hatched, they did so over 4 days. Then I hatched some African harlequin eggs last month and only 4 eggs hatched out of 10. All of the others had fully developed chicks inside that were dead however they all pipped. I use a RCOM King Suro-20 incubator with automatic turner and humidity control. Had the temp at 99.5 and the humidity at 50% and then increased it to 65% for the final 3 days on lockdown. I have additional temp and hygrometers in the incubator to verify the incubator settings and they are accurate.

I am hatching 8 mountain quail eggs right now. Settings this time were 99.7 and 45%. I placed them in the incubator on June 15 at 10pm. I had pipped eggs 3 days ago and then immediately increased the humidity to 65% yet the first one didn't hatch until just after 2pm TODAY. I live in Michigan....not the south. It has been VERY humid here this summer though but I have central A/C. My incubator is in the basement of my house. I run a huge dehumidifier in that basement and have it set to keep the humidity from getting above 50% however like I already mentioned, my incubator has an automatic humidity pump integrated in it. I have the vent all the way open once in lockdown (half way open prior to that). I think I'm gonna increase the humidity to at least 70% right now. Suggestions are VERY welcome and I will not get offended no matter what anyone comments. Thanks.

 

[mwtrees]

JMF farms did a non-turn hatch of eggs. Had about a 70% hatch rate, but the chicks had issues. Next time I talk with Robbie I will ask him what happened to them

 

[mwtrees]

it sounds like you are doing everything right. Has to be very frustrating.

How are the eggs being stored prior to incubation?

 

[deshet]

I have been research since reading this post and I will set 120 quail without turning to see what happens. I have watched ducks incubate eggs and know that some of the eggs never get moved.

Some say that chickens only move the top layer of eggs to get comfortable.

I have heard old people tell stories about not turning eggs. I have hatched 7 incubators full of ducks, chickens and quail without adding a drop of water in southern virginia until lockdown.

I will see if people are lying or telling the truth about not turn eggs. I know that country folks were hatching eggs in cardboard boxes with lights long before egg turners were created.

I have a turner...but I can hatch tons of more eggs if turners aren't needed.

Thanks

Hatched 90% and have been dry incubating and not turn since 2016 without any issues.

Have some quail, geese, ducks, and chickens in the incubator know.

Thanks

 

[Lisa jadede]

I should add that I do NOT follow all those recommendations exactly. I pretty much just don't add water until lockdown. Then I raise the humidity as high as it will go (usually between 65-75 percent) without actually raining on the eggs (and I have had it rain in the incubator, lol). I open the incubator once or twice a day during the hatch, to remove babies, fix any problems that have arisen during the hatch, etc. I have found that leaving a lot of babies in the incubator spells trouble for the remaining eggs, as the babies will sleep on top of them and sometimes make it impossible for them to get out of the shell on their own (I had this happen not too long ago--a pile of ducklings spent an entire night asleep on top of four eggs that were zipping. The zippers managed to complete their zipping, but then couldn't push the egg open, and spent so long trying that eventually they wore out and by the time the ducklings had woken up and moved on, they were stuck. Now I don't leave large numbers of hatched ducklings in a crowded incubator).

Anyway--the point is--I don't do exactly what the original "dry hatch" author suggests. I'm much too lazy for that, lol! And I have outstanding hatches.

I had a baby fall asleep on top of the other eggs too. Lmao it's cute but not cute.