Best humidity for Jumbo Coturnix Quail eggs?

[lightchick]

What's the best humidity and temp for a forced air little giant? I'm going to be incubating 50 Coturnix eggs.
Last time I incubated it was a still air so the temp was 100.5 and humidity was 60% and I upped it to 65-70% for the hatch.
BUT that made the chicks drown in the shell....so not sure what to do this time. I do a float test on the eggs instead of candling so would that make it a lot wetter inside the egg?
Thanks!

 

[cmobley]

I open both air holes on my incubator and never add water when incubating i let the humidity do whatever until day 16 i get it up to 55 or 60%. Temp is 99.5 to 100 Mine is a forced air farm innovators. I never candle eggs anymore just makes a headache getting temp back right and quail eggs wont explode like chicken eggs or i never had any do it.

 

[Tabasco Jack]

Yes, your humidity is too high.
If you haven't done so, read this entire thread about float testing. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/383525/float-testing-checking-egg-viability-for-late-or-overdue-hatching

It's not something you want to do in place of candling.

 

[lightchick]

I open both air holes on my incubator and never add water when incubating i let the humidity do whatever until day 16 i get it up to 55 or 60%. Temp is 99.5 to 100 Mine is a forced air farm innovators. I never candle eggs anymore just makes a headache getting temp back right and quail eggs wont explode like chicken eggs or i never had any do it.

Thanks for the info! I'll probably keep the humidity much lower now, but I'll still have to add water because I have to open the incubator 3 times every day to turn the eggs.

 

[lightchick]

Yes, your humidity is too high.
If you haven't done so, read this entire thread about float testing. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/383525/float-testing-checking-egg-viability-for-late-or-overdue-hatching

It's not something you want to do in place of candling.

Thanks!

 

[Em Ty]

I incubate at 25-40% humidity. I get it up to 40 and then don't add water until it gets to 25%. At lockdown, after day 14, I bump it up to 60-65%. Works great.

 

[lightchick]

I found out that it takes way too long to hand turn each egg so any suggestions to make it easier?
I just rolled them around a bit the first time, but I don't want to crack them. I thought of putting them in the cartons they came in and just tilting those one side to the other OR putting a book under one side of the whole incubator. Which sounds better? Would the cartons keep the eggs from being warmed evenly because there's no hole under the eggs?

 

[Em Ty]

I have mine on a fulcrum and tilt them 45 degrees with a rod linkage. I hatch them upright in cardboard cartons. I'd suggest tilting them so they're 45 degrees if you can and then hatching them in the cartons. Works quite well.

Good luck.

 

[lightchick]

I have mine on a fulcrum and tilt them 45 degrees with a rod linkage.  I hatch them upright in cardboard cartons.  I'd suggest tilting them so they're 45 degrees if you can and then hatching them in the cartons.  Works quite well.

Good luck.

So this will work? Should I have the small ends up or the big ends?

Thanks!

 

[Em Ty]

Big ends up.