Let's plan a Quail egg hatch... set 'em Sept. 1, hatch 'em Sept 17-19+

[Fat Daddy]

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Sounds like a really good idea! Bill

 

[Rexbandit]

I set coturnix quail eggs. I use an old sportsman 3 tray incubator. I have 2 of the trays setup for quail eggs each tray can hold 255 eggs. I set eggs on Sundays so on the second Sunday I move the eggs to two Lol giant styrofoam incubators to hatch out that way I can have a fresh batch of chicks every week. Pluses this system leaves me the 3rd tray for any other type eggs I feel like setting.

 

[Fat Daddy]

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It would be good to have a market for that many birds... I enjoy raise'n lots of birds, but just mostly for eat'n... Bill

 

[_Randall_]

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I use either one 1-gallon milk jug or two 2-liter soft drink bottles. I swap these out daily. In a 48 qt. cooler, this keeps the temp ~60 degrees nearly all the time. The air is "very damp" inside the cooler, also. Using small 16 oz. bottles or open containers of loose ice will most likely melt too quick, and let the temp rise beyond desire.

 

[chrishel]

Do you see an issue with the temperature fluctuating?

I don't know how much yet, as this is the first day. I put the first set of ice in around 8ish last night (temp about 72). It was half melted at 11PM (temp at 60). By 7AM the temp was 72 again. I put more ice and left for work. I'm sure by the time I get home it will be all melted and at 72 again.

So what's worse, fluctuating temps 60-72 or 72 at all times?

I will freeze some bricks of ice tonight and see if that helps. The larger ice should melt slower than those fancy cubes!

I worry about chilling the eggs too cold as well. I'd rather have 72 at all times than super cold eggs and killing the embryos that way.

 

[Rexbandit]

Honestly there isn't much of a market here were I live just a couple people that like to eat them and absolutely no commercial market at all that I know of. I mainly raise quail for a little meat and the simple pleasure of raising them. I only have coturnix right now but im hoping to acquire some different breeds soon.

 

[Chikndinner]

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A couple people to eat 200 + birds per week. You sir are hardcore.

hope you have a big freezer.

Do you ever reach critical mass and stop for awhile

 

[Rexbandit]

Trust me I could eat quail every day if my wife would cook it for me. But like I said its mainly just a hobbie that I may have let get a little carried away with but it gives me something to do plus my two little daughters help me out a lot.

 

[MobyQuail]

I am going to keep it as close to 60 degrees and as far away from 80 degrees as I can, if it fluctuates in between there

, remember we are only measuring the air, the eggs may take a minute longer to heat/cool.
I followed a thread from a friend who kept 14 days worth of chicken eggs in his basement, turned them daily and had a very good hatch.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=475734

so, I have a frozen gatorade bottle or two small water bottles is getting it down to 60' for 24 hrs for me so far...

lucky too, egg production has all but stopped... I have just 8 for the hatch so far.

 

[_Randall_]

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I think the lesser of the 2 evils would be 60-72 flucturation. Don't fret over these temps. I've been coming home at 5:00 - 6:00 (and sometimes much later) everyday for the past 6-8 weeks to gather eggs that have been in 90º+ temps for the most part of the day. Is this temp a recipe for premature embryo development? I feel it is. However, my hatch rate has been phenomenal. Got a bator tray full right now that just hatched today. I haven't counted the exact number yet, but out of 78, I'm pretty sure there's 60+ in there....and some late-comers are still zipping. And to defy the "humidity-window" theory, my humidity has not been below 70% for the past 4 hatches (which has been every 7-8 days), and all of this is happening in the same cabinet bator. The 60º storage temp is what I've read (and I consider) ideal. If you breach that temp a little in either direction, don't fret. Set those eggs, and think positive. I've hatched eggs that were stored at 48º - 49º. Did I have doubts they would hatch? Yep, but most of'em did. I used to be so worried that temps and humidity had to be to the "T". I've since learned there is "some" room for error, which allows new additions to your quail flock. Take advantage of those possibilities. You'll have you some chicks....