Quail Egg Incubation Tips

As a quail breeder and seller of quail (and other) eggs on eBay, I would like to offer my best advice on incubating quail eggs, and caring for the young chicks. Last year we raised over 2,500 chicks that were incubated at home, and have some practical tips to share. Before bidding, make sure that your incubator is disinfected from the last time it was used, you may want to turn it on and stabilize the temperature and humidity (and check the automatic turner, if your incubator is equipped with one) as well, to make sure everything works properly. Bobwhite quail are especially prone to disease and bacteria that is "leftover" in your incubator could result in a poor hatch. (Also keep this in mind and sterilize your brooder and all equipment including feeders and waterers.) You could leave your incubator up and running instead of tearing it down, as you should have the incubator ready for eggs at least 24 hours in advance of receiving the shipped eggs.



When your eggs arrive, carefully unpackage them. Inspect each egg for damage - cracks, holes, excessive dirt, etc. and consider not setting any eggs you deem less than perfect. This is especially important if you run a large incubator, such as a Sportsman model, as one egg "exploding" or leaking can destroy or lessen the hatchability for every other egg that is in the incubator, AND you should always scrub out the incubator thoroughly after such a problem before setting new eggs in it. Let your shipped eggs "rest" for 12-24 hours in a room-temperature environment. Avoid direct sunlight for eggs or the incubator (which, by the way, should be in an area that is also room temperature, never outside in a cold barn in the winter or a too-warm barn in the summer). You may wish to set something under one end of the tray you rest your eggs in, such as a medium-sized book, and change the end that is lifted up several times to simulate turning the eggs.



After your eggs have rested, place them in your incubator. Remember to work as quickly and efficiently as possible when the incubator is open; close it as soon as possible after setting your eggs inside it. It is best to keep a calendar of when you set the eggs, when to stop the turner, and when they should hatch. Most quail will do well at 50-60% humidity, with a little more humidity when you stop turning to prevent "sticky chicks" and increase hatchable chicks. Bobwhites take 23-24 days, stop turning at 20; Coturnix varieties (including Button Quail) take 18 days, stop turning at 14. These are the types of quail that I raise, try a Google search to find other types of quail and estimated incubation periods. Find two or three different sites dealing with the birds that you are interested in hatching. You may also wish to take your own personal notes such as the seller you bought eggs from, your opinion of the packaging, the price you paid, the dates you set the eggs and how many, and how many chicks hatched. Write down contact information for the seller - as much as they may have provided you. Also make notes about any power failures you may have had or extreme fluctuations in temperature or conditions around the incubator. When adjusting your humidity, avoid pouring cold from-the-tap water into your incubator. Use water that has been held at room-temperature for better results, and never let it splash onto the eggs.



While you are waiting patiently for your chicks to mature and hatch, find a secure place to brood them that offers them plenty of room, protection from drafts, kids, pets or wild animals, and that is clean and convenient. We use brooders that are built at home with floors and tops made of half-inch square hardware cloth and sides with quarter-inch hardware cloth. Line the floor with rubbery shelf-liner for at least the first three days; change if it becomes excessively wet or soiled (it will absorb and hold water). You will need to provide your babies with a heat light or lights to keep the area at 95 - 100 degrees for the first week, changing the bulb height or wattage to decrease 5 degrees every week until at room temperature. You will need a waterer that does not allow the chicks to drown. I prefer a pop-bottle waterer, with a hole cut in a wall to allow its base into the cage. One waterer should work for about 20 chicks, and you will want to put three marbles in the base of the waterer to keep chicks from drowning. (Pop bottles, such as 16 or 20 ounce bottles, work better than water bottles in the inexpensive plastic founts.) Feed should be scattered on the floor in shallow piles for the first few days, and when the chicks are big enough it may be given with a commercial feeder. Our brooders are 24 inches by 30 inches and will accommodate up to 50-75 chicks for two weeks, then the spacing needs double. If making your own wire cages, use a Dremel to grind down the edges around the door (best placed in the side) so you don't scratch yourself up while caring for the birds. Your door should overlap your opening by 1 inch or so on all sides. A spring stretched across can secure it nicely.



Keep in mind that some quail, such as Buttons or Bobwhites, can flutter well after only a few days, and the top becomes very important. This is why we recommend an area that is covered with a door in the side. If you have a top-load brooder that is low, the birds may fly out easily when you are trying to feed or water them. Remember to check on them frequently and make sure they are fed and watered. Disinfect feeders if they are dirty or once a week; and waterer bases and marbles every time you refill the waterers. Marbles can be removed after the first week.



The best feed is a non-medicated game bird starter crumble, high in protein. Ours is 26 percent protein and grows little chicks fast and very healthy. Watch for old, buggy or mouldy feed. If you are raising button quail, you may wish to grind the feed in a blender or coffee mill for the first week or so (the other quail might like this for the first day or so, then slowly add the larger starter crumbles). If you have just a few babies, you may want to buy feed in smaller quantities. A good rule of thumb is to buy feed to last you no longer than two weeks. Many feed stores will sell smaller quantites on request.



When in doubt, keep everything as clean as possible. Keep the birds away from their droppings, and change the flooring and/or droppings often, especially in Coturnix varieties which have a higher moisture content dropping. Remember that cedar shavings are poisonous to chicks and poultry and should never be used. Newspapers as flooring can contribute to foot problems and colored ink on papers can be poisonous. Do not use these materials in your brooder! If using a cardboard box, throw it away after one use if not sooner.



I hope this information has been helpful to you; do not be afraid to research other ideas that work best for you and your birds. Good luck and happy hatching!!!

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