Another interesting read on "dry hatching" quail eggs

[FenDruadin]

I have a Hovabator 1622N. Just bought a Little Giant for hatching in, so I can run staggered hatches more easily. I'll let everyone know how it goes--I still plan to run dry the first portion and then raise humidity for the hatch.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I almost always do dry incubation for quail eggs...not intentionally, I just usually forget about them

I've hatched many quail with humidity in the 25%-35% range, it doesn't seem to affect them either way. I would disagree with that link on how long to leave quail in the bator. Chickens, ducks, guineas, geese, turkeys, etc, can be left for up to 3 days after hatching without food or water, but quail chicks can't last that long without it. I always set eggs at night, then when they start hatching, I remove hatched chicks in the morning and again before bed. This is what works for me, I've not tried dry incubation with waterfowl. I usually keep the bator around 50% for hatching 'dry land fowl' as the link suggests.

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

I may try it, or at least not adding additional water. I had two turkey poults yesterday in the Hovabator I use as a hatcher. I had put them in with some chicken eggs that are due tomorrow. I kept hearing peeping this morning and thought it was the poults. It was *5* Seramas in the Sportsman, in the turner, TURNED and they're doing great

Humidity runs about 40% in there at all times. I completely forgot to pull those for the hatcher. They say they don't need no stinkin' hatcher~LOL

 

[CORNISH_MAN]

I also dry incubate and have had good results. But I have been using styrofoam incubators and just recently switched to a cabinet model. Has anyone tried dry incubating in a cabinet model?

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

Quote:
I've had a few surprise babies in my 1202 lately. I'm running all vents 1/2 way open and have an automatic humidity system. They have hatching in the turning trays though, out of the "wind tunnel" in the hatching tray... Humidity stays about 40%.

 

[PACman1981]

Hello just did the dry hatch for the first time and I tell you what it works I ordered 110 quail eggs to try and 59 out of 110 hatched on the 18th day eggs were coturnix quail
Now I don't know what to do with the quail I didt think it would work.
The only time I added water was when humidity below 30 so I kept the humidity between 20 and 30 % . Lockdown added a large foil pan and filled it up half way and the humidity got up to 65% and stayed there the entire time. Also It is a wood incubator that I made out of junk wood lying around my house.

Schriever ,Louisiana

 

[brushycreek]

My first hatch of quail eggs was ok, hatched 30 out of 120. However I know alot of those were infertile, kiddos were "helping" and kept getting them mixed up. I was a little stressed with trying to maintain a 50% humidity level and freaked when it dropped into the 30's, but was surprised I hatched as many as I did. When they started hatching the windows were fogging up really bad, is this normal? Also after the first few hattched it went really fast and was concerned about the little boogers rolling and stepping on the unpipped eggs. After the initial rush did not have another one hatch until the next day, after the others had been removed. Had one more the next day which was the 19th day. The chick hatched on the 18th day had died by then and the other one also died. Neither one ever dried even a little bit. Both were very active and vocal in the bator.

Could the humidity been to high since they diidn't look like they were drying? Also should i remove before they dry all the way to prevent them rolling and stepping on the other eggs. Would love to get the hatched ones out asap but concerned that would get to cold during the move.

I am happy to say the first hatch are laying very nicely. Would appreciate any info.

 

[WalkingWolf1]

I dry hatch. I live in the deep south and my dry hatches average 22% humidity. At lockdown I raise to 70% and they dry and fluff just fine. Both chicken and quail have all done well with this regimen.

 

[deshet]

for fun I set a hatch of quail eggs and did nothing, absolutly nothing and at least 70- 80% hatched. no turning and no water. I am sure i lost some but still... now I have quail turning racks so I turn them but still forget the water most times, or at least the first 14 days.

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

 

[mwtrees]

dry here is just not feasible. E Washington is high desert and it is tooo dry. I've seen my humidifier run out of water and the humidity was 11%...a bit to low!