My Corturnix & A&M eggs will be 16 days in the hatcher on the 9/20/11

[MissJo]

They're in a Brinsea Eco something with rocker cradle. The directions list 16 to 23 days for quail eggs to hatch. Another part of the instructions say turn off the cradle 2 days before hatch is due and take out the deviders..help! My first batch of quail, when should I turn off the cradle and remove the dividers? Thanks!

 

[mhwc56]

A&M s . ARE . Coturnix.
They are just ( supposed to be) bigger whites.
The incubation time for Coturnix is 18 days.Sometimes they will hatch a little earlier or a little later than 18 days though.
Lockdown is on day 15. Turn off the "turner" and either put the eggs in a hatcher or be sure the turner is in an upright position and off.
i take the eggs out of the turner and set them into quail egg cartons and sit them in the bator for the actual hatch.That way they are upright rather than on their sides/don't get the turner dirty once they're hatched.
Temp. is 99.5-100.5.
Humidity is 55-65% for lockdown and a bit lower prior to lockdown (40-45% is what i generally try to keep in at).

 

[MissJo]

OK, then I have coturnix and possibly something else...Man I bought from said his kids got into the eggs and mixed them up...maybe. We'll find out.

Thanks, day 15 it is. The incubator sits in a "cradle" so for chickens I just take it out of the cradle and take out the dividers...I'll let you know how we do. Friend has been getting about 95% hatching rate...I'll be happy with less. I do love quail for special dinners!

 

[mhwc56]

Quote:
Coturnix lay spotted eggs . Bobwhite are solid colored ( white i think)eggs. Button quail are colored but solid colors and TINY.Not sure about other quail egg colors.

 

[mstricer]

Make sure you know the exact incubation time. I did Valley quail about a month and read that it was supposed to incubate for 16 days, had wrong quail and they incubate for 23 days, I locked down at day 14, I was lucky to het 9 the rest 15 died in their shell. I now have bobwhites in and still confused as to how long. They've been in 8 days. I want a good hatch because they are not mine.

 

[mhwc56]

Quote:
Bobwhite hatch in 23-24 days.lockdown is day 20-21

 

[MissJo]

Okay, I have pictures of the eggs:

and

and

and

Hope you can see these well enough.

 

[mhwc56]

yup...Coturnix eggs. every once in a while they'll lay 1 without spots.
very clear photos.
18 days for those guys. though they're just as apt to hatch out any day around day 18
Then about 6 weeks till they start laying their own eggs.
feed unmedicated gamebird feed with high (26-30%) protein for first 8 weeks then reduce the protein level to 20-22% and mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with Finch seed.Be sure to grind the feed to cornmeal consistency for the first 2 weeks.ALWAYS have some ground oyster shell or cuttlebone for them for calcium.

 

[MissJo]

Thanks for your advice and for the comment on the pictures...I used to was a professional photographer in a previous lifetime. Now I'm a mental health therapist at a prison:

My camera these days is a cheap little thing I bought years ago of the "point & shoot" variety. I'm impressed with the quality, too.

I thought my coturnix eggs were tiny... I can only imagine how tiny button quail eggs must be! Got any great, fail-safe recipes for quail?

 

[MissJo]

OK! twp hatchilings on the 15th day, three more today so far and others pecking at the shells! Whoopee!