Quail Hatching Temp and Button Quail raising question

[monarc23]

Allright ladies and gents new question for ya! I tried to look up the answer myself on the forums here but can't seem to find exactly what im lookin for so I decided to bug ya'll again with ANOTHER question!

So, I am reading that Coturnix Quails (online) ideal incubation temp is 99.5, on my incubator it states 99.9 (my incubator is a still air), and I am reading on forums here that still air should be set at 101. Is this temp for chickens or for all birds? Anyone that has hatched these boogers what temp and humidity did you use? I have read optonis for humidity on here 60% right? But my main concern is temp.

Thanks in advance I really need to know the ideal temp all these varing temps is getting me worried im going to mess up (eggs arent here yet so no worries)!

My OTHER question is Button Quails....CAN they be raised outdoors in a good shelter without heat through a Pennsylvania winter? It gets pretty cold here. Everything im reading online says to keep them inside, yet it seems like SOME breeders do raise them outside in colder wintered states. Do any of you? Any advice or just keep them inside?

I am getting 7 button quail eggs soon id' LOVE to keep them but since i rent the rule is adult birds go outside...so if I shouldnt keep them outside i'll have to sell them and I really dont wanna!

So help any advice???

Thanks!
niki

 

[First To Hatch]

pretty sure its 50-60% humidity 102 temp
just put some tarp on the cages to block wind

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
102 ahhh a new temp! haha but you'd know having coturnix quails yourself huh! You've hatched em before right (just making sure- paranoid you'll have to excuse me for questioning- never hatched chicks before of any type).

As for a tarp over the cages...*PHEW* good that's what i was hoping/assuming i could do but reading such neg. things online about raising them outside had me bumming so it's great to read simple draft precautions could help me. Yay this is great news!

 

[Wooden_Pony]

Your quail eggs are to be at the same temps as any other egg.

Since you have a still air optimal temps for your incubator would be 101-102 at the tops of your eggs. The humidity should range between 50% and 60%. (Wet bulb reading of 86 F.)

I am sorry I can not help on the outside keeping of them for your area.

Edited to add: BUT I can tell you that we climatize parrots during the summer months it makes it less stressful if they go through the fall temps outside to get the feathering they need.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
thank you for that info it does make sense!

As for climatizing, how could I do that to help my future buttons out? Exposing them to cold temperatures during the summer? And if so how? Sorry I just keep balling this post into other questions i hope no one minds.

 

[Wooden_Pony]

Quote:
thank you for that info it does make sense!

As for climatizing, how could I do that to help my future buttons out? Exposing them to cold temperatures during the summer? And if so how? Sorry I just keep balling this post into other questions i hope no one minds.

No, they will climatize themselves as the temps drop after summer ends. They will automatically start to feather up their bodies just do it for them. We never climatize in any other months but summer months. Hope this help.

Remember it's your post ask away

 

[Mrs MIA]

How cold do your winters get? I have mine indoors (in my breeders coop) where it will stay above freezing, but I'd like to know how cold people have kept their Buttons. They are so tiny that it seems like they would need some source of heat. We get down to -30/-40°F during Jan/Feb - for weeks on end we don't get above freezing. I can understand keeping the drafts out, but how cold before you add heat?

BTW... I keep my still air at 100.5°F, 50% humidity for all eggs until the last 2-3 days, and they hatch right on time. I even forgot about some Bobwhite eggs, and they hatched in the turner at the same temp/humidity.

 

[monarc23]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

How cold do your winters get? I have mine indoors (in my breeders coop) where it will stay above freezing, but I'd like to know how cold people have kept their Buttons. They are so tiny that it seems like they would need some source of heat. We get down to -30/-40°F during Jan/Feb - for weeks on end we don't get above freezing. I can understand keeping the drafts out, but how cold before you add heat?

BTW... I keep my still air at 100.5°F, 50% humidity for all eggs until the last 2-3 days, and they hatch right on time. I even forgot about some Bobwhite eggs, and they hatched in the turner at the same temp/humidity.

hmm i'd say our normal temps for winter are usually a little above freezing but nights normally go below freezing. I can't remember the coldest winter we've had but it was a little below 0 F (but not much). We do live in the mts so it can get pretty cold here. I would be devistated if I went to feed and care for them and found them dead from being too cold. I do plan to have them with other quails though and with drafts out of the way i'm *Hoping* somehow they'd be fine. My theory of thinking is all the small chikadees and birds like that that are much smaller than buttons that survive the winters with no real shelter. I also think to the quaker parrots in my state that were released years ago and thrive in the winter. I always hope theres an exception ha ha! I'd love to raise them and my only real way is outdoors. I think im going to risk it, but be very careful about how i do things and maybe look into some sorto f heat source though I am not sure what.

Thanks for some of your temp-incubator info!

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
thank you for that info it does make sense!

As for climatizing, how could I do that to help my future buttons out? Exposing them to cold temperatures during the summer? And if so how? Sorry I just keep balling this post into other questions i hope no one minds.

No, they will climatize themselves as the temps drop after summer ends. They will automatically start to feather up their bodies just do it for them. We never climatize in any other months but summer months. Hope this help.

Remember it's your post ask away

ha ha oh good because I had a odd thought you were going to say "stick em in the fridge!" I was actually told when I bred fancy rats, to stick my pointed rats in the fridge for a few hours everday to darken up their points. I never did it, and to each his own, but still I just dont think i could do that to an animal i know I wouldnt enjoy it without a winter coat ha ha!