Tips on preparing an Incubator for Corturnix Japonica Eggs?

[St Marks Quail Farm]

I have ordered an incubator on Amazon for incubating the eggs of my Coturnix Japonica (Japanese Quail).

Do I specifically need Hatchery Disinfectant for the Incubator?

Do I need a separate solution for cleaning the eggs? Is a soft nail brush best for cleaning the eggs?

Is it best to put Eggs in the incubator that have been laid that day?

 

[St Marks Quail Farm]

@Texas Kiki @Fur-N-Fowl

Any advice?

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

I have ordered an incubator on Amazon for incubating the eggs of my Coturnix Japonica (Japanese Quail).

Do I specifically need Hatchery Disinfectant for the Incubator?

Do I need a separate solution for cleaning the eggs? Is a soft nail brush best for cleaning the eggs?

Is it best to put Eggs in the incubator that have been laid that day?

I think of first time incubation as a trial and error stage.

It was my first time incubating Quail eggs and they all hatched 4 days ago! 6/6 hatching was way better than I expected for my first hatch.

I personally didn't use any disinfectant on the eggs. I didn't clean them at all in fact as they were not dirty.
I picked them out my Quails nest and kept them in an open container pointy end down just at room temperature.

People say don't incubate eggs over 7 days from collecting them but I incubated a 12 day old Quail egg and it hatched same time as all the others.

I also put an egg on that was laid 1 day after I added the first 5. It was being incubated straight after being laid and it hatched the same day as the other 5.

There is special disinfect to use for cleaning out the inside of incubators but in my incubators guide it suggested not to use them and instead soak all the cleanable parts in warm water and give them a good scrub making sure all debris is cleaned off.

You also have to wash the filters under water to remove dirt and feathers and dust off the unwashable non waterproof electrical parts with either a makeup brush or paintbrush.

Luckily my incubators literslly does everything for me. All I had to do with mine was set it up on the first day, add the eggs and wait for them to hatch.

How to put eggs into your incubator depends on which one you have ​

 

[Kiki]

Disinfectant...Lysol is great.
I do not wash eggs before setting. I set only clean eggs but if there was something on the egg I would just use a dry rag to wipe it off.

 

[Kiki]

I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a couple of calibrated thermometers and a salt tested humidity gauge in your incubator.
Do not rely on the factory instruments that come with the bator.

 

[St Marks Quail Farm]

I have ordered a cheap Incubator only capable of incubating 4-6 eggs. As you say, it's the trial and error stage! I have also ordered Hatchery Disinfectant. A simple thermometer will not do the job?

Just to clarify: Pointy end down It is actually unbelievable how much advice differs.

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

I have ordered a cheap Incubator only capable of incubating 4-6 eggs. As you say, it's the trial and error stage! I have also ordered Hatchery Disinfectant. A simple thermometer will not do the job?

Just to clarify: Pointy end down It is actually unbelievable how much advice differs.

I only stored my eggs pointy end down in a little tub before I incubated them, turning them a little each day in the tub. However, when I put mine in my incubator, they go on their side.

However, once they are in the incubator I have (the Rcom 10 Pro Plus) it turns them for me everyday, alters humidity and temp by itself and eventually at lockdown, it increases humidity by itself and stops turning!

Like @Texas Kiki says, since you have a cheaper incubator, I'd recommend getting a more reliable thermometer and humidity gauge as the ones that cheaper incubators come with have been proven to be very unreliable. The screen could be saying it's 37.5 degrees when in fact it's much less or much higher.

As for disinfect, as long as you get something known to be safe to use on eggs and the incubator then I'd say go for it. I know many people that use it with success and many people that don't use any at all with success. It's mainly just down to what you want to use and how dirty your eggs are. I generally wouldn't suggest putting really dirty eggs in an incubator as they'd require quite a bit of washing which could potentially block the pores on the egg and prevent it from hatching. Also, don't put dirty uncleaned eggs in your incubator as it would most likely turn into a bacteria party in there!

Anyways, as you can see I put my eggs on their side but pointy end pointing towards the middle of the incubator...

And then they all hatched perfectly fine into these beauties...

Also, a quick pointer! Don't be tempted to candle to eggs to often. I only candle mine on day 10 and on day 15 before lockdown begins. ​

 

[St Marks Quail Farm]

Thanks for all the advice @Texas Kiki and @Fur-N-Fowl it will no doubt be very helpful.

They still haven't laid... But the weather has been very hit and miss the last few days.

 

[St Marks Quail Farm]

Update: One of the Hens laid an Egg!

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

Update: One of the Hens laid an Egg!

Yay!

Congratulations to you and your Quail on your first egg!​