Breeding/ fertile eggs

[crazyquaillady4]

Okay, we have our 5 new baby quail and I am wondering about breeding, do I house them all together and just eat the Fertle eggs I don't want to hatch, or do I separate and only put in for breeding? How do you know if the egg is fertile? If a male is in with them, do they do 100% fertile? I can find all the info in the world on chickens but quail is a bit harder to find info on.

 

[catcrazy37]

Remove the eggs you don't want to hatch. As for fertility, it's the same checks as chicken eggs, except it's harder as the eggs are so small. I'd say if you have males and females together at least some of the eggs will be fertile, so pop them in an incubator and see if they hatch.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

The only way to be sure if the egg is fertile is to crack it open, but that will not confirm the next egg's fertility; it will only convey that the birds are being bred.

It really does not matter if the egg is fertile or not if you plan on eating them (those you dont want to incubate) so leaving the flock together would suffice as the best option, that way you can always have more chance at fertile eggs and feed your hunger. If some incubated eggs do prove to be infertile, you can always start a 2nd or 3rd hatch in the weeks to follow.

 

[crazyquaillady4]

But after incubating if they aren't fertile you can't eat correct? I'm worried about waste

 

[Dragons4u]

That is true. After being in an incubator for even a couple days, I wouldn't chance eating them.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

The only way to be sure if the egg is fertile is to crack it open, but that will not confirm the next egg's fertility; it will only convey that the birds are being bred.

It really does not matter if the egg is fertile or not if you plan on eating them (those you dont want to incubate) so leaving the flock together would suffice as the best option, that way you can always have more chance at fertile eggs and feed your hunger. If some incubated eggs do prove to be infertile, you can always start a 2nd or 3rd hatch in the weeks to follow.

Unless your in too Chinese delicacy!