First time Quail Hatching

[stevecatlin]

Hi, I bought an incubator to hatch Chickens or Quail and decided that my first project would be Quail. I got 40 eggs from a breeder and have had them in for 3 days. I have read that I must let them turn for 13 days and then leave flat in the incubator for hatching. At what day do they start hatching?, What happens if they hatch during the night when I am asleep? Should I put food and water in the incubator for when they hatch? Will all of them hatch around the same time and day? I have ordered a brooder as I am not a handyman. Do I transfer the chicks to the brooder straight away from the incubator?, What temperature should the brooder be kept at?, How long do they remain in the brooder? Can anyone post pictures of suitable housing for Quails? Thanks in advance for any help I get.

 

[featheredplanets]

You may find this guide helpful.

What quail are you incubating? That will help with hatching dates. They’ll start hatching anywhere from lockdown to 2 or 3 days after the supposed hatch date. It doesn’t matter if they hatch at night as you don’t need to intervene, they don’t need food or water when they’re hatching either. It’s best to leave them in the incubator for 2 days, or when the large majority have hatched and ‘fluffed up’ then you can put them in the brooder.

You need a warm and cool end of the brooder. Whenever I brooded chicks I preferred to see how the chicks were acting rather than going by the rule of thumb, as each hatch is different and we all live in different corners of the world. If they huddle away from the lamp, they’re too hot. If they huddle under the lamp, they’re too cold. They should be kept on paper towels for the first few days. They also need a high protein crumble. Quail feather fast so time in the brooder really depends on whether you’re moving them outside and what the outside temperature is. Quail can be housed in rabbit hutches, aviaries, sheds, cages, if you have a Google you can find lots of setup ideas. Though many say quail should have at least 1sqft of space each, mine had that and were not happy. They now have 2.5sqft each and are doing better. I keep mine on a shed floor.

 

[Hens Solo]

You may find this guide helpful.

What quail are you incubating? That will help with hatching dates. They’ll start hatching anywhere from lockdown to 2 or 3 days after the supposed hatch date. It doesn’t matter if they hatch at night as you don’t need to intervene, they don’t need food or water when they’re hatching either. It’s best to leave them in the incubator for 2 days, or when the large majority have hatched and ‘fluffed up’ then you can put them in the brooder.

You need a warm and cool end of the brooder. Whenever I brooded chicks I preferred to see how the chicks were acting rather than going by the rule of thumb, as each hatch is different and we all live in different corners of the world. If they huddle away from the lamp, they’re too hot. If they huddle under the lamp, they’re too cold. They should be kept on paper towels for the first few days. They also need a high protein crumble. Quail feather fast so time in the brooder really depends on whether you’re moving them outside and what the outside temperature is. Quail can be housed in rabbit hutches, aviaries, sheds, cages, if you have a Google you can find lots of setup ideas. Though many say quail should have at least 1sqft of space each, mine had that and were not happy. They now have 2.5sqft each and are doing better. I keep mine on a shed floor.

Texas A&M, browns, and jumbo brown courtinix. I'm on day 17 with no hatches. I've got about 15-20 sq, ft. with the possibility of 30-40 quail.

 

[Hens Solo]

Somewhat good news. One a&m hatch with several pipping. Pictures forthcoming.

 

[featheredplanets]

Texas A&M, browns, and jumbo brown courtinix. I'm on day 17 with no hatches. I've got about 15-20 sq, ft. with the possibility of 30-40 quail.

Good luck I’d expect hatches over the next 5 days, at the latest. You should only have one quail per 1sqft, so you may need to thin the flock if they all hatch.