Brinsea Eco 20 Question

[Mek]

Don't dry hatch quail eggs; they will shrink wrap... 30% did not work for me (but it was raining alot and real world humidity was about 70% but then it would go sunny then wet then sunny then wet). I haven't incubated enough to test this but from my readings you need to get the egg to have certain amount of air pocket by hatching time. Smaller eggs lose moisture faster than larger eggs.

 

[BirdCrazyLady]

I have this same incubator. LOVE it. I have had outstanding hatches. My very first quail hatch this September I got 50 out of 56 to hatch on shipped eggs! And only one of those 6 had any development. Anyway, I do dry incubation and always get at least 90% hatch rate on SHIPPED eggs of chicken and quail. I just fill one side full if water when I set then leave it alone till day 14. Then i stop turning open the air hole all the way, and to get humidity high enough for hatch I put a thin, damp washcloth(or paper towel) along the bottom of the tray dipping into the water channels. This keeps humidity high And helps with cleaning and keeps me from having to scrape chick fuzz out of those channels later. I have a digital thermometer/hydrometer and this method keeps me pretty much at the right level. Here's to anawsome hatch!

 

[keckels]

I'm new to the brinsea, but my first coturnix hatch I died one basin, checked the humidity a couple times & it was running very low 30's, &I had 10 out of 13 of my own eggs hatch.

 

[Eyeheartquail]

Thank you for all of the input. I was not planning to dry hatch. I will still keep one basin full until I receive my digital thermometer/hygrometer and then reevaluate after the first reading. Some people may dry hatch but I will stay with what the book and the majority of my peers say.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

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[Fat Daddy]

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I have used a Eco 20 for 100's of bobs, cots and chukar over the last year. Love these bators. I have trouble hold'n high humidity so I fill both well during incubation. I also pinch the vent down as low as I can as well... Both mine react the same... As Cari says, you'll be fine. I use the white thermo/hydrometer you can get at wal-mart for 6 or 8 bucks... Calibrate them and your good to go. The thermo that comes in the lid looks kinda cobby, but mine are dead on... Just one of those bator you don't have to jack with, ever... Get the turner and you forget about your hatch till you hear the chirp'n!!!! Good luck, Bill

 

[Eyeheartquail]

My hubby bought me the turner too

 

[Fat Daddy]

It looks like you have a good man and a fine Bator set-up! You will find the brinsea spoils you completely, if you have ever used a lesser bator that is... Enjoy it and dont worry too much, you'll have fuzzy butts in no time...

 

[JJMR794]

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That's very interesting, and may work for chicken eggs, but please don't even try to tell people to dry incubate or especially dry hatch game bird eggs. This is the quail section of BYC. 20-30% humidity is woefully inadequate for incubating quail eggs of any kind.

X2!

 

[chickbird]

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having your humidity too high during incubation can be just as much a problem as low or zero humidity,,, that quail has to have some air space when pipping or it will drown. i have found that keeping the humidity around 35-40% and 60% the last 3-4 days works best for me. i do not put any water in the tray/ i have 2 small cups-plastic, that i fill and keep behind the turner and it keeps humidity at the 35-40 and i add a 3 cup for the last 3 days until they start hatching and they come out so wet that they will increase the humidity and i sometimes have to remove one or two of the cups. these cups are disposable and hold about 2 oz. water each, i found that if i filled the water areas under the eggs it is too difficult to correct, but the cups are easily accessible to alter, also the larger the area you are adding water, the higher the humidity as it makes the water more easy to evaporate in increase humidity. i think you just have to listen to what advice is given and then try with your own incubator and come up with what makes for the best hatches.