Best way to start with button quail?

[Chickensrock10110]

Eggs or adult birds?
I 've been searching the web and it looks like eggs are a cheaper way.Any pros and cons for starting with their tiny eggs?
Is it OK to turn them by hand or is it prefered to have them set in a turner? Anyone you reccomend to buy eggs from? Looking to start with at least 25 but might go to 50 eggs if I find quail egg cups for my LG turner.

 

[jvls1942]

I started with eggs.. It is not long and your eggs will be birds laying eggs..

I hatched many many in those LG turners .. I just put two or three eggs in each cup..

 

[Akane]

If you want very specific colors then birds. If you don't care then eggs. They are hardy and easy to hatch. You just have to keep the chicks size in mind as they can drown easy in water, have trouble eating normal sized food or reaching the food in normal sized chick feeders, and may have trouble with the standard mesh in an incubator.

Definitely either do a turner or tilted egg tray. Turning button eggs by hand is an exercise in precision. I have really steady hands and agile fingers and I dropped 2. One of which landed on 3 others and cracked those as well as itself. Never individually hand turned button eggs since.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:

I crush them just placing them into the egg turner.. I can't imagine how few I would have left if I hand turned them..

 

[citalk2much]

I have hand turned and have not broken any thou it is a pain when there is a ton in the bator.

 

[Chickensrock10110]

Quote:
Did you use the big egg cups or the ones meant for quail?
I have the big ones that are used for large chicken eggs.Will this work?

 

[Bettacreek]

If you're using a 1588, then, no, the chicken cups won't work. Other models I'm unsure about.

 

[jvls1942]

I have used both styles successfully

the solid cups and the flexible finger style.. the eggs do not have to be standing straight up, as long as the large end is elevated somewhat..

I put goose eggs on their sides in the autoturners.. even in my sportsmans..

.......jiminwisc.......

PS I also leave the hatched birds in the bator with the turner.. I have even left them in with the turner running when I am doing a strung-out hatch.. those turners are so slow that I have never had a chick get caught..