first time hatcher

[jimmythechicken]

we are going to buy 50 bobwhite eggs an put them in the incubator we got for free.it is a little giant 9200.i should keep it at 99.5 it says but how much should we turn quail eggs i brother inlaw who gave us the bator said he never turned his quail eggs an they hatched fine.also how big of a brooder should i have for 50 qauil.an anything else you can think of that may come up during incubating or raising qauil that will help neverhad them before. thanks alot jim

 

[Stellar]

You should turn eggs 3 times at the very least. Turning eggs is important because the embryo needs to get proper nutrition while in the egg as well as oxygen. Each time you turn the egg, the embryo gets a fresh supply. If you don't turn eggs, it can result to the embryo sticking to the membrane and not getting sufficient nutrition nor oxygen uniformally. Remember to stop turning 3 days prior to hatch so the chicks can position themselves and get ready to hatch.

Many people use different type of brooders, I use 10 gallon fish tanks with an attached heat lamp for small hatches but for larger hatches or when I hatch out my chickens/ducks/peafowl I use those plastic storage bins. I fill the bottom with bedding (pine shavings or yesterday's news pellets) and attach a heat lamp and it's ready.

 

[jimmythechicken]

so i should turn them at like 6am 1pm an like 9pm everyday

 

[Stellar]

That works. You don't have to do it on the dot

Just as long as it is at least 3x. May I suggest automatic turners??? It makes life much much easier. There are ones that are made for the little giant incubators

 

[Stellar]

I also suggest getting another thermometer. The ones that come with incubators can be a couple degrees off which can mess up a hatch.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
ABSOLUTELY! AND TRY FOR 1 THAT HAS A DECENT HYGROMETER BUILT IN AS WELL. NOW I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH MODEL NUMBERS FROM LG, BUT IS IT FORCED AIR(HAS FAN THAT CIRCULATED AIR INSIDE) OR STILL AIR (NO FAN, JUST THE HEATING ELEMENT) 99.5 IS FOR FORCED AIR, 100.5 FOR STILL AIR--- AND THATS TAKEN AT THE LEVEL OF THE EGGS.