New to Quail

[Ssboyd]

Hi all,
I am just getting started with obtaining and raising coturnix quail. We just had our first hatch last night. Unfortunately it wasn’t a great one. Half the eggs were not fertilized and of the remaining 12, only had 3 live hatches. A couple pipped but died before they hatched. In the next week I will be obtaining two breeding groups and may try hatching more. I wonder should I get some more chicks that are very young to add to my 3 that just hatched? Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Green Bean Quail]

Hey! Welcome to quails! I also had the same low success hatch you did, with only 3 survivors. Are they feather sexable? Your three will be perfectly fine by themselves together until they are sexually mature and then if there are more than one males you will need to separate the males and buy more females. Adding more shouldn’t be a terrible idea, baby chicks always love company!

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to quail.
Do you have calibrated thermometers in your incubator and at least one salt-tested humidity gauge?

 

[Ssboyd]

Hey! Welcome to quails! I also had the same low success hatch you did, with only 3 survivors. Are they feather sexable? Your three will be perfectly fine by themselves together until they are sexually mature and then if there are more than one males you will need to separate the males and buy more females. Adding more shouldn’t be a terrible idea, baby chicks always love company!

 

[Ssboyd]

Of the three chicks two are jumbo Pharoah and will be feather seizable. The other is a Texas A&M

 

[Ssboyd]

Welcome to quail.
Do you have calibrated thermometers in your incubator and at least one salt-tested humidity gauge?

I have a thermometer and humidity guage but it’s not sale tested. It’s just a tiny little black unit that displays temp and humidity

 

[Ssboyd]

I have a thermometer and humidity guage but it’s not salt tested. It’s just a tiny little black unit that displays temp and humidity

 

[Kiki]

I have a thermometer and humidity guage but it’s not sale tested. It’s just a tiny little black unit that displays temp and humidity

What did you keep your humidity at?


Salt test it tonight.
https://www.stevejenkins.com/blog/2...grometer-humidity-sensor-using-the-salt-test/

 

[Ssboyd]

What did you keep your humidity at?


Salt test it tonight.
https://www.stevejenkins.com/blog/2...grometer-humidity-sensor-using-the-salt-test/

I don’t think I can salt test this one. It’s digital. And at lockdown the humidity was in the mid 70s

 

[Nabiki]

It sounds like you did the same thing I did for my first couple of hatches. My humidity was way too high. I've had a much better hatch rate with 30% humidity. I learned to have 3 calibrated thermometers in the incubator (you'll find spots that are warmer or cooler) and a cigar hygrometer.

Once the eggs start to pip, I'll add a bit of water, but don't let the humidity go over 40% Once the eggs start to zip, the humidity will rise on its own.