First time ! Help plesse

[Samin]

Hi all
Hope everyone is well!!!

I have zero experience in hatching eggs or looking after chicks so any help here would be useful!!!

I want to hatch some eggs and keep them for a while once they outgrow me I will likely pass them on to a farm to live happily

Me and Mrs live in a flat so don’t have access to a garden

I have brought a 7egg incubator however I’m not sure what to hatch....

I have read that some chicks are really smelly and others say it’s not true so some insight would be great.

Would it be best to hatch chickens / ducks / quail ect....

Once I put the eggs in there how often do the eggs need rotation?

When the chicks hatch what do I need to have set up? What equipment do I need to buy?


Any help here would be great want to give these guys a long healthy and happy life

Thanks in advance !

 

[JaeG]

Coturnix quail can be kept in a small cage on a balcony and make great pets. They are very hardy and are best in groups of all girls if you just want eggs, or one boy with a harem of girls (4-6 girls is generally a good number). As chicks they need less space than other birds so your brooder doesn't have to be huge, and they grow very fast so can be put outside at 4 weeks old once they are fully feathered. I usually have them off the heat lamp by week 2-3. The quail hens can start to lay from 6 weeks old as long as they are getting enough daylight hours.

An independent thermometer and hygrometer that's calibrated (https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/) is a good idea as incubators are notoriously inaccurate when it comes to measuring those.

Eggs should be rotated at least 3 times a day - an odd number is best so that they don't end up on the same side every night.

A brooder needs a chick safe waterer, a feeder, bedding and a heat lamp or brooder plate (quail tend to do best with heat lamps). Reptile lamp fittings are ideal but ensure that the heat lamp is secure and cannot fall into the brooder as that will cause a fire. Your thermometer will come in handy here too as the temperature under the heat lamp needs to be around 95F (35C) at the floor. The brooder needs to allow for a warm end where the heat lamp is and a cooler end where the food and water is but shouldn't be in a draft.

Use warm water in the waterer initially and tap the surface to encourage the chicks to peck there. They soon catch on that that's where the water is. The same for food - tap it to encourage them to peck at it, but you can also put down some paper towels initially and sprinkle food everywhere as they instinctively peck about and it's good if food is easy to find.

And welcome to BYC!

 

[RUNuts]

Agree. Coturnix Quail sounds like a wonderful choice for you.

Welcome to BYC and be sure to read and search these forums. There is a wealth of information here.