egg fertility in jap quail...

[kingpincray]

after 1 1/2 years...should I not expect it? I am trying to incubate eggs from the second season after the quail are 1 year and 1/2 old and so far...duds...

should I just go ahead and buy fertile eggs instead?

 

[danielle82]

are the eggs actually fertile you are incubating?

 

[kingpincray]

i am not sure that's why I am trying to see if they are, hence the question...

 

[joe125]

I'm not sure how many hens/roos we are talking about here. If given the right nutrition and light a coturnix hen can not only lay eggs, but fertile eggs until the day she dies. Yes, fertility rates may drop with age, but shouldn't drop to zero on some specific date, and certainly not flock wide. The most common zero hatch rate that I come across here is single roo line DUDS. I call this BFLIRS, or Big Fat Lazy/Infertile Roo Syndrome. The symptoms include, but are not limited to...Hens beating the poo out of the roo, or noticeably absent love mounts by the roo.

The most common zero hatch rate from ones own eggs are: Incubator problems, new/old/uncalibrated thermometer, improper settings, general incubator funk, or improperly stored eggs. There are more, but they don't spring to mind right now.

I'm not telling you...not to get new stock, but you may need a new roo.

 

[kingpincray]

The roo is doing his thing all the time to four hens...I have just put in a few more eggs in the bator to test. will see...

might need to get a new roo but I will have to buy new fertiles eggs anyway to get that as there is no one close to me that has them.

 

[Kwartel]

If you crack open a few of your eggs, you can check to see if they are fertile by looking for the whitish "donut" in the yolk. If it is there in most of them, the rest of your eggs should be fertile too.

 

[kingpincray]

will try that today. thanks.

 

[joe125]

Quote:
I was just trying to cover most of the bases here.

I generally never rule anything out, until I rule it out.

Ok...a roo replacement isn't possible for you because of the logistics, and I understand that. More than you know, but Kwartel is offering good advice about checking for fertility, by direct observation of an opened egg.

Please remember that coturnix eggs are very hard to candle in general, and next to imposable to prejudge as early as chickens or other poultry. You may have perfectly hatchable eggs, there could just be some amount error on the observation end. That reminds me...I need to candle my bator inhabitants!

If you need new fertile eggs; there are probably people on this fine board that will accommodate your needs

 

[kingpincray]

no doubt on the observation end as the eggs are way past hatching date and still clear inside and the bator is working very well as I have 18 well developing duck eggs and 16 bobwhites due to hatch soon.

Unfortunately I am based in New Zealand and there aren't many people who supply fertile eggs

.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Is it Spring there now?

If it is, maybe you just need to be a little more patient.
I take it they are done with their Spring molt?
They are older it may take them a little longer to get in gear so to speak.
I have found that when we get older, we get a little slower about getting things done.