Should Eggs Be Placed In The Incubator Right Away After Female Lays Eggs???

[Quails1]

The title says it - I'm sorry folks, but my question is difficult to explain in words, and I posted this thread in this section because even though this is quails' eggs, this is regarding about putting the eggs in the incubator right away, if I should do this or instead let the egg sit there for a while. This might only be for chicken eggs, but it's the same for quail eggs, right? Now what I'm saying is - once the female quail (or chicken, or whatever bird you'd like to use) lays an egg, do I put the egg into the incubator immediately after the egg is laid? Or do I let the egg sit there? If so, how long (A few days? A week?)? I don't know the answer; I just cannot find the answer on the internet, no matter how hard I surf the web. So I really need some help from you people! Thank you!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Collect the eggs as they're laid. Store them with the pointy side down (which can be difficult with quail eggs) in an egg carton until you have all the eggs you want to hatch or until you've been holding them for about a week (fertility starts declining at about a week, but I've kept them for 2 weeks or more and have still had good hatches). You'll want to turn or rock them 3 times a day while you're gathering eggs (I put my eggs in a carton and use a book propped under one end or the other to rock them, or put them in my auto turner). The turning/rocking is to keep the important bits inside from sticking to the shell.

Anyway, you'll want to start incubating them all at the same time so they hatch at the same time. If you pop each egg in as its laid, you'll end up with chicks hatching out on different days and problems with humidity for eggs at different stages of development.

There are TONS of great articles in this section of the forum. They're a great place to learn and read other experiences.

Good luck.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Like Funky said, the main thing is to start them all at the same time so they will hatch at the same time. You don’t want to deal with a staggered hatch unless you have no choice or are set up to handle it.

There is no perfect answer to your question. All eggs are not created equal. Some have more porosity than others, some have thicker whites than others. They can be different sizes. There are a lot of differences in different eggs. Some do better if they are stored a day or two, some are fine to go straight in. The longer they are stored makes a difference, it’s good for some, not so good for others.

I don’t do quail, just chickens and rarely turkeys. There may be some specialty things with quail I’m not aware of, but in general you want to store the eggs in 55 degree Fahrenheit temps and high humidity. I don’t have any place like that so I store them at room temperature in the turner in a spare bedroom. The longer you store them the less likely they are to hatch and the further from ideal conditions you have them the faster they go bad. Even with my less than ideal conditions my eggs easily last a full week. I don’t go beyond that because I have enough by then. Under better temperature and humidity conditions two weeks is not unreasonable. Pointy side down and turning them aren’t tremendously important right at the start but the longer they are stored the more important they become. Do the best you can with pointy side down.

When I get enough I start them, either under a broody hen or in the incubator. I generally number mine in the order they are laid, just so I can identify different eggs in the incubator. I try to pay attention and have not noticed any consistent pattern of which eggs hatch depending on how long they have been stored. Some will be a week old, some will have been laid that day.

 

[Quails1]

Collect the eggs as they're laid. Store them with the pointy side down (which can be difficult with quail eggs) in an egg carton until you have all the eggs you want to hatch or until you've been holding them for about a week (fertility starts declining at about a week, but I've kept them for 2 weeks or more and have still had good hatches). You'll want to turn or rock them 3 times a day while you're gathering eggs (I put my eggs in a carton and use a book propped under one end or the other to rock them, or put them in my auto turner). The turning/rocking is to keep the important bits inside from sticking to the shell.

Anyway, you'll want to start incubating them all at the same time so they hatch at the same time. If you pop each egg in as its laid, you'll end up with chicks hatching out on different days and problems with humidity for eggs at different stages of development.

There are TONS of great articles in this section of the forum. They're a great place to learn and read other experiences.

Good luck.

I find your info to be helpful enough. Now I can choose how many chicks I want to raise for the next 2016 season. Actually, your info is REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL! *applauds* Thank you! Thank you! Thanks a million to all of you!!!

BTW, your post is a good post! Good job!

 

[Quails1]

Like Funky said, the main thing is to start them all at the same time so they will hatch at the same time. You don’t want to deal with a staggered hatch unless you have no choice or are set up to handle it.

There is no perfect answer to your question. All eggs are not created equal. Some have more porosity than others, some have thicker whites than others. They can be different sizes. There are a lot of differences in different eggs. Some do better if they are stored a day or two, some are fine to go straight in. The longer they are stored makes a difference, it’s good for some, not so good for others.

I don’t do quail, just chickens and rarely turkeys. There may be some specialty things with quail I’m not aware of, but in general you want to store the eggs in 55 degree Fahrenheit temps and high humidity. I don’t have any place like that so I store them at room temperature in the turner in a spare bedroom. The longer you store them the less likely they are to hatch and the further from ideal conditions you have them the faster they go bad. Even with my less than ideal conditions my eggs easily last a full week. I don’t go beyond that because I have enough by then. Under better temperature and humidity conditions two weeks is not unreasonable. Pointy side down and turning them aren’t tremendously important right at the start but the longer they are stored the more important they become. Do the best you can with pointy side down.

When I get enough I start them, either under a broody hen or in the incubator. I generally number mine in the order they are laid, just so I can identify different eggs in the incubator. I try to pay attention and have not noticed any consistent pattern of which eggs hatch depending on how long they have been stored. Some will be a week old, some will have been laid that day.

And just like howfunkyisurchicken, you did a good job too! Hip hip... you know what I'm going to say next - HOORAY!!!