Incubating valley quail.

[Dogfish]

I know there is an incubation section, but since this is specific to quail, I think this fits here better.

Getting ready to go into lockdown mode, as today is day #18, so I figure I take them out of the turner tomorrow and place them in the center of the incubator and get the humidity of fairly high, like 60% plus. This is based on instructions from the guy I got the eggs from. Anything else?

I did go through and candle all of the eggs yesterday. Totally dark (developed chicks) in 16 of the 36 of the remaining eggs, and various stages of clear on the rest, so it looks like I will be at just less than 50% on eggs shipped via US mail. I plan on placing the dark eggs in the center and the others around them until the hatchers hatch, and the duds become readily apparent.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Stellar]

I would toss out the duds.

Just make sure the humidity and temp is under control and try not to open the incubator after the first chick hatches. It's tempting, I know...but you want to keep all the humidity and heat in so the others can hatch as well.

 

[aprophet]

I got 6 out of 17 it kina depends on how old the birds that are making the eggs are a lot of first year birds are not that fertile yet they are a desert quail I ran 45-55% R.H. during incubation @ lockdown I only had 60% R.H. you won't believe it but I think I got all hens thats a lot better then my usual rooster bator I have a local breeder I can get a roo from he is hatching all the time too. the ones that did not develop just did not develop for me nothing.

 

[Dogfish]

They are in lockdown. Culled some of the questionable eggs. Most just never had anything start, and a few had blood rings. 3 days and counting.

 

[Valley quail breeder]

23 days incubation period I run 100.00 F and Humidty last 3 days I up it to around 75%

Quote:

 

[Valley quail breeder]

Quote:
Ditch clear ones after you candle them, once hatched let dry than put in hatcher brooder around 100.00f than decrease 5 to 10 degrees every week thereafter than after 3rd week remove from brooder to growup pens with option to go to a heat lamp seems to work well for me.

 

[Dogfish]

Day 22. Nothing.

 

[JJMR794]

Patience Is A Virtue.....




For The Record Most Quail Dont Lollygag Around. Once They Start They're On A Mission From God! Pip, Zip. And Get Outta That Thing! And 85% Will Hatch Within A Few Minutes Of Each Other Start To Finish. Kinda Like Popcorn In The Microwave

It Will Be Quick, 1 Minute Nothing.... Go Do Something For 10 Or 15 Minutes And Check The Bator And It Will Have A Quail Explosion.... Chicks Tearing Around Everywhere In There... Its A Lil Quail Qwirk... Just How They Are.

If They Go Over 24 Hrs And You Still Cant Wait Then Float Test Them. But I Usually Give Them An Extra 24 Hrs Before Doing That.

 

[Dogfish]

Thanks for the encouragement. So the same float test works for quail? I'm assuming the eggs sink, their good and, if they float they're witches?

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
INCORRECT- JUST THE OPPOSITE ACTUALLY. SEE THE FLOAT TEST POSTING HERE