What do you need to hatch quail eggs as a beginner and how much will it cost?

[Quail beginner]

What do you need to hatch quail eggs and keep quail chicks alive as a beginner/first time in terms of incubator,food,heater....for 20-40 quail eggs and how much will it cost?any tips or knowledge that a first time Hatcher specially what to do or what not to do?

https://104homestead.com/incubating-brooding-coturnix-quail/

 

[Nabiki]

The cost can vary wildly depending on what you buy/make. The incubator will probably be your largest expense, followed by the eggs themselves. What kind of quail? For a beginner, I would suggest coturnix. They are the least likely to require a permit, are easy to find, are hardy, and relatively inexpensive.

Here's a place to start.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coturnix-incubation-tips.76184/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/quail.32/

 

[Quail beginner]

The cost can vary wildly depending on what you buy/make. The incubator will probably be your largest expense, followed by the eggs themselves. What kind of quail? For a beginner, I would suggest coturnix. They are the least likely to require a permit, are easy to find, are hardy, and relatively inexpensive.

Here's a place to start.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coturnix-incubation-tips.76184/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/quail.32/

Any suggestions on incubator that has a Turner for coturnix for 20-40 eggs and what else do I need for keeping quail chicks alive like heater or wood chips or brooder size/type and what type of food to feed chicks and on what type of container do I need to put food/drink

 

[Nabiki]

Which incubator your choose really depends on how much you want to spend. One of the most important things to remember is to never, never, never trust the readings on the incubator. Personally, I prefer an incubator with a fan and an automatic turner.

There are a lot of right answers to your questions. I use a plastic tote for my brooder with a heat lamp containing a reptile bulb. You can go as low tech as a cardboard box if you keep it dry and clean and have something over the top to keep the chicks in, or you could go for a fancy permanent structure with heating built in.

I use pine shavings covered with grippy shelf liner for the first couple of days, but I've used puppy pads covered with the shelf liner too. The incubation tips article covers a lot of the information you need for incubating, hatching, and brooding. If you still have questions after reading it, I'll be happy to answer your more specific questions.

 

[Quail beginner]

Which incubator your choose really depends on how much you want to spend. One of the most important things to remember is to never, never, never trust the readings on the incubator. Personally, I prefer an incubator with a fan and an automatic turner.

There are a lot of right answers to your questions. I use a plastic tote for my brooder with a heat lamp containing a reptile bulb. You can go as low tech as a cardboard box if you keep it dry and clean and have something over the top to keep the chicks in, or you could go for a fancy permanent structure with heating built in.

I use pine shavings covered with grippy shelf liner for the first couple of days, but I've used puppy pads covered with the shelf liner too. The incubation tips article covers a lot of the information you need for incubating, hatching, and brooding. If you still have questions after reading it, I'll be happy to answer your more specific questions.

Would any of these incubator work and shaving

https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovat...id=1623637783&sprefix=quail+incubator+&sr=8-3



https://www.amazon.com/Incubator-Au...id=1623637783&sprefix=quail+incubator+&sr=8-4

https://www.amazon.com/Manna-Pro-Fl...ne+shavings+with+grippy&qid=1623638241&sr=8-4

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

Always get an incubator with a fan, or make plans to add one in. My cheap incubator works fine, but I had to add a computer cooling fan to get the temperature right. The incubator thermostat only measures one area and turns off when that spot hits the target. If there are hot/cold spots, your eggs won't all hatch correctly.

The egg turner is nice, but not necessary. I ended up getting an inexpensive one off of eBay once I decided to hatch more often. Otherwise, turn by hand at least 3x daily. Here's my bare bottom estimate for what it costs to hatch 20 quail through their first 6 weeks.

Still Air Incubator $65
Fan for Incubator $20
Hatching Eggs, $3 each x 30 = $60 (presumes you want 20 chicks and have a 67% hatch rate)
Brooder, a simple storage box $15
Heat lamp and bulb $20
50# bag of gamebird chow $20

Total, $200 (around $10 each. If you hatch more, the cost goes down per bird.)

This is just the bare bones estimate. Personally, knowing what I know now, I'd splurge on a better incubator. Here's a link to the cheap incubator and fan I use. Little Giant Still Incubator

I think if you're just trying this out for the first time, buying chicks is more cost effective. Aim for a fewer to start with and if you like raising quail, take the plunge and hatch them the next time. Or, if you know someone with a reliable incubator, that would reduce your initial cost of hatching.

 

[Quail beginner]

Always get an incubator with a fan, or make plans to add one in. My cheap incubator works fine, but I had to add a computer cooling fan to get the temperature right. The incubator thermostat only measures one area and turns off when that spot hits the target. If there are hot/cold spots, your eggs won't all hatch correctly.

The egg turner is nice, but not necessary. I ended up getting an inexpensive one off of eBay once I decided to hatch more often. Otherwise, turn by hand at least 3x daily. Here's my bare bottom estimate for what it costs to hatch 20 quail through their first 6 weeks.

Still Air Incubator $65
Fan for Incubator $20
Hatching Eggs, $3 each x 30 = $60 (presumes you want 20 chicks and have a 67% hatch rate)
Brooder, a simple storage box $15
Heat lamp and bulb $20
50# bag of gamebird chow $20

Total, $200 (around $10 each. If you hatch more, the cost goes down per bird.)

This is just the bare bones estimate. Personally, knowing what I know now, I'd splurge on a better incubator. Here's a link to the cheap incubator and fan I use. Little Giant Still Incubator

I think if you're just trying this out for the first time, buying chicks is more cost effective. Aim for a fewer to start with and if you like raising quail, take the plunge and hatch them the next time. Or, if you know someone with a reliable incubator, that would reduce your initial cost of hatching.

Do you know company online who sells/ships chicks to southern California that don't have a minimum since all or most companies who ship only sell chicks with at least 20-30 minimum order or no minimums for adult quails

 

[Quail beginner]

Anyone know this companies since they don't seem to have minimim order requirements

https://www.paradisepoultryhi.com/shop/jumbo-coturnix-quail-chicks

https://www.loudounberryfarm.com/for-sale/jumbo-brown-japanese-coturnix-quail-chicks-for-sale

https://www.sugar-feather.com/product/pharaoh-coturnix-quail/

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Do you know company online who sells/ships chicks to southern California that don't have a minimum since all or most companies who ship only sell chicks with at least 20-30 minimum order or no minimums for adult quails

Quail chicks are usually sold in lots of 50 or 100 minimums because they're so small and fragile that you'll lose a good amount in shipping

 

[Farm quails]

Quail chicks are usually sold in lots of 50 or 100 minimums because they're so small and fragile that you'll lose a good amount in shipping

So how many more should someone order if they only want a few?