Only 50 years ago they began to breed quail. This bird has a huge number of advantages, which include early maturity, low cost of eggs, dietary meat and unpretentiousness in the content. Therefore, today we will tell you how to incubate quail eggs.
Quail Egg Selection Technology
First of all, you need to select the eggs. There are several parameters that you need to pay attention to, since in the future, the success of incubation depends on this. Considered when choosing eggs:
- The form. Eggs of elongated or round shape are not suitable.
- Weight. Medium sized eggs should be selected. For breeding eggs, eggs weighing 10-15 g should be selected. Small and large can have various defects, for example, the withdrawal of weak and non-viable quail, two yolks.
- Surface. Preference should be given to those eggs that have a perfectly matte surface with the usual pigmentation.
- The smoothness of the shell. It is important to pay attention to such a parameter as the smoothness of the shell surface: there should be no flaws, dents, growths, cracks, and notches on it.
It is necessary to view each egg through an ovoscope - a device that allows you to evaluate the quality of eggs. It is also acceptable to use a flashlight for illumination. You should carefully look at the egg for defects: the location and size of the air chamber, the presence of blood inclusions, mixed yolk and protein.
The air chamber should be centered in the blunt part of the egg, have a rounded shape and
the average size.
For good hatchability, you should know that the hatching egg should not be more than 10 days. It should be stored at a temperature not lower than 10 degrees (the optimal storage temperature is from +10 to +15 degrees). Do not keep eggs for incubation at temperatures above 27 degrees.
An ovoscope will be needed on the 7th and 14th day of incubation, when it will be necessary to cull low-quality eggs.
The process of laying quail eggs
Pre-heat the incubator to 37.8 degrees. At this time, the eggs must be removed from the cool place where they were stored, and allowed to warm up (the air temperature in the room should not be higher than 25 degrees). For incubation, it is recommended to take eggs that are 4-6 days old. The longer the egg is stored, the less chance it will be possible to get a normal and viable quail out of it.
Lay eggs in an upright position with the blunt end up. After laying the eggs, they can be disinfected using an ultraviolet emitter at a distance of 40-45 cm for 6-7 minutes.
Many breeders pre-treat eggs with a weak potassium permanganate solution and even formaldehyde. We strongly do not recommend this. There is no need to wash the eggs for incubation, clean their surface and subject them to various types of cleaning. The hatchability and vitality of young animals does not depend on this. Conditions should be close to natural, and not be sterile, as in the operating room.
You also need to protect the incubator from sunshine, that is, you should curtain the windows so that the room is shaded and cool. Due to the fact that the shell emits carbon dioxide, it is recommended to occasionally ventilate the room.
Video Tips
We recommend watching a video on selecting high-quality eggs for successful incubation:
We recommend watching the following video, which describes the bad experience in laying quail eggs in an incubator and a way to correct the situation:
A prerequisite is turning the eggs so that the embryos form correctly. This should be done at least 2 times a day (optimally 4-6 times a day in the first two weeks of incubation). 2-3 days before hatching, stop turning the eggs and lay them horizontally.
Proper Humidity
It is very important to maintain air humidity within 60% when storing quail eggs. When incubated during the first two weeks, this value varies within 50%. On days 13-15, humidity is slightly reduced to 45%. And on days 16 and 17, humidity should be increased to 75%.
Humidity is the main indicator during the incubation period. Since metabolic processes occur at the beginning of the development of the embryo, the moisture index should be regulated to avoid the occurrence of water starvation of the embryo. In order to increase humidity during the withdrawal, you should install containers with warm water (42-45 degrees) on the bottom of the incubator.
Dry air before hatching can cause the shell to dry inside the shell, and this will increase its density. This is fraught with the fact that the chick simply will not be able to get out of its shell.
If the humidity in the incubator is too high, a similar situation may occur when the shell bites, because the shell of the embryo overfills with moisture. It is impossible that the incubator was damp, because this threatens the appearance of fungi and mold in the tray. Bacterial diseases can be transmitted to the fetus.
Temperature during incubation
A very important point during the incubation period is maintaining a stable temperature so that the quail eggs, or rather the embryos in them, develop normally. The advantage of quail is that they are more resistant to overheating or power outages.
The first 14 days should maintain a constant temperature in the incubator for quail - about 37.6 degrees. During the withdrawal period, the temperature must be lowered to 37.2 degrees.
From the third day you can open the incubator for several minutes to air and cool the eggs. In nature, the female absent for 5-10 minutes to eat.
Subject to these simple rules, chicks are withdrawn as early as 17 days after laying. The process of the appearance of chicks lasts 6-9 hours. After the release of the chick from the shell, leave it for 3-5 hours to dry in the incubator. Only after this can the children be transplanted into a brooder.
In the event of an emergency power outage, the incubator is insulated with a blanket to keep the heat as long as possible (a drop in temperature to +15 is not scary for most embryos). Due to a violation of the temperature regime, the chicks will hatch later than planned.
Optimal conditions for the incubation period
The quality of breeding chicks is influenced by numerous factors, especially the type of feeding, the age of the quail, and also the sex ratio. The best option is when 4 males have 1 male. Some manufacturers prefer to plant each pair for mating. This contributes to a significant increase in the percentage of fertilization of eggs in comparison with free mating.
Mating quails in kinship is prohibited, as this is fraught with the fact that weak babies can be born, who are more than 50% likely to die at a young age.
It is recommended to take eggs from females aged 2 to 8 months. In younger females they are used for food. If the quail has reached the age of more than 12 months, its egg production does not change, but the percentage of fertilized eggs becomes lower. As for male producers, they are used much longer.
Which incubators should be used for hatching?
The quail lost the instinct of incubation, therefore they remove young animals with the help of incubators. Consider the main brands of incubators that can be found on sale at the moment.
1 "Perfect brood hen" incubators
The incubator “Ideal brood hen” proved to be quite good. Demand is for the IB2NB-3Ts model. The unit is made of pressed polystyrene foam, its weight without eggs is about 5-6 kg. Overall dimensions of the incubator - 590 x 540 x 320 mm. On top of the case is closed by a lid, on which there is a window for visual observation and a digital display that displays the temperature maintained in the incubator. The device is equipped with a removable grill designed to automatically turn over eggs every 4 hours. The principle of its operation is as follows: the electric drive moves the lattice sideways and the eggs, being in the cells and touching the bottom of the substrate, roll.
Before turning the unit on for the first time, make sure that the grill for automatic egg rotation is shifted to one of the walls of the casing so that it can fully move. You can also turn off the drive for turning eggs, but then you must first apply a soft pencil on two opposite sides of each egg, and manually turn the eggs 3-5 times a day. Do not overturn during the last week of incubation.
Infrared heaters are built into the top cover, providing a constant temperature regime. The user can independently set the temperature within 35-42 degrees. The value is maintained in automatic mode by electronic thermostat.
Incubator "Ideal hen", model IB2NB-3Ts
The IB2NB-3Ts model is designed for 143 quail eggs
A temperature controller is available, but there is no temperature sensor inside the case
The kit includes instructions for the competent selection of eggs and their proper laying
The IB2NB-3Ts model is not adapted for connecting an additional power source. For successful breeding in conditions of constant power outages, it is recommended to choose other models, for example, IB2NB-4Ts.
The manufacturer has provided a container for water, which is located under the laying of eggs. Warm boiled water is poured there, and due to its evaporation, the necessary humidity is maintained in the incubator. To resolve this indicator, the manufacturer recommends to fill the water in the 2nd and 4th recess with low humidity in the room, and in the central one at high humidity. It will also be necessary to purchase a separate moisture meter for the incubator, since a humidity sensor is only available in the IB3NB-4Ts model.
At the bottom and in the lid of the incubator there are special openings for ventilation. In case of power outages, it is necessary to cover the incubator with a blanket, covering the ventilation openings in order to keep the heat as long as possible.
As a rule, the same incubator is designed to remove chicks from both chicken, goose and quail eggs. We just buy and install the grate with the required cell size, and lay the eggs.
2 "Blitz" incubators
A popular and sought-after brand of incubators in Russia is Blitz. It has a built-in heater with a fan to maintain an optimal incubation environment. There is a temperature regulator and a convenient humidity controller. The egg rack rotates automatically every 2 hours. The control panel is located on the side. It is possible to connect the battery, which will help save masonry in the event of an unexpected power outage. The Blitz incubator can be used to dry the chicks after hatching.
The unit is constantly being upgraded, so on sale you can find several models that are visually very similar. They still have differences:
- Model Blitz 48 or 72 It does not have the function of automatically adding water; the cover is made of transparent polycarbonate. There is no sound alert when the temperature drops inside the incubator or when a power outage occurs.
- Blitz 48 or 72 Digital provides an opportunity not to worry about the amount of water in the tray (there is an auto-filling system). There is a sound notification when the set temperature drops, when the unit is disconnected from the network or when the battery is low. The top cover is presented in the form of a foam sheet with a round viewing window in the middle, which makes the review incomplete, but it retains heat better. The rest of the model is quite successful.
- The model "Blitz" Norm the cover is made of transparent polycarbonate, which makes it convenient to monitor the masonry and hatching of the chicks. Water is added manually (a funnel with a hose is included in the kit; therefore, to fill the bathtubs with water, it is not necessary to get the masonry each time).
- "Blitz" Norma S8 (Lupper) It has an improved case (polystyrene foam in plastic), which simplifies maintenance and increases its durability. This model does not have a humidity sensor and an automatic water topping system.
In the video below you can see how the digital panel of the same incubator model differs, but of different modifications (q6, q8 and c8):
- "Blitz PC" not equipped with automatic egg flipping and topping up; there is no automatic switch to backup power during a power outage. The control panel is more meager, not taken out separately.
"Blitz" with a mark of 48 contains 130 quail eggs, with a mark of 72-200 quail eggs, with a mark of 120-325 quail eggs.
3TGB incubators
These are the most expensive incubators from the article. TGB incubators do not have a box. They are made in the form of a metal frame made of stainless steel, which is tightly covered with a fabric insulated cover.
The heating element has the form of a flexible wire, which repeats the shape of the structure, and heats the egg cassette more evenly and naturally. The necessary humidity is provided by evaporation of water. In incubators of this company, a waterproof canvas stretched under an egg tray is used as a water tank. To reduce humidity, an isolon mat is placed on the water surface, thereby reducing the evaporation surface (respectively, the mat is removed to increase humidity). A viewing window is not provided.
TGB incubators are somewhat difficult to assemble and operate, but they impress with a variety of modifications and interesting features. Consider what the letters indicated next to the incubator model mean:
- A - automatic egg rotation (12 times a day);
- In - there is a measure of humidity;
- L - there is an ionizer (Chizhevsky chandelier) to suppress the possible growth of bacteria in the incubator;
- P - the ability to connect to a backup source of electricity;
- BIO - there is a biostimulation function (the biostimulator emits clicks, simulating those that the chicks emit before hatching, which speeds up the hatching of the chicks).
Incubator TGB 140 VLRA "BIO"
Fans (1 top and 2 bottom) provide good air exchange
The cover is an heating pad (there are heating elements inside it)
TGB incubators contain 200-250 quail eggs. The eggs are laid blunt end up, the gaps between the row of eggs and the side of the tray must be filled with isolon. This is a painstaking robot. We set the rotation angle to 30 degrees so that the eggs do not spill out and are not damaged. Experienced poultry farmers lay eggs in bulk in two rows, but this can have its consequences (there is a risk of not getting a brood from lower eggs).
If you purchase a special set of partitions, then 400 quail eggs can be accommodated, but still servicing such an installation requires dexterity, sometimes ingenuity.
Why are the findings unsuccessful?
There are a large number of factors that influence why the percentage of chicks is reduced. You should be aware of them in order to avoid consequences in the future:
- Poor nutrition. If the quail lacks minerals and vitamins, their nutrition is unbalanced, this leads to the development of weak embryos, which have defects and pathologies. Therefore, it is very difficult for the chicks to break through the shell with their beak. Often, such quails die during the first months of life.
- Violation of the incubation regimen. This moment becomes the most common cause of failure.By the end of the incubation, the embryos need a sufficient amount of oxygen and a constant ventilation of the room and incubator from carbon dioxide. As a result, the embryos simply die from suffocation.
- Egg rolling. Due to the insufficient number of flips or due to the wrong process, there is also a risk of getting a reduction in the percentage of conclusions. Thus, the use of protein in incomplete amounts occurs, which ultimately leads to uneven development of the embryo, because the chick simply dies after birth.
- Violation of gas exchange. This is when the head of the embryo is located on the side of the sharp end of the egg. The cause of the violation is overheating. It is necessary to carefully observe the temperature regime in the incubator and occasionally cool the eggs.
Each novice poultry breeder should be aware of all the rules for removing quail chicks. The temperature and humidity conditions in each incubation guide may slightly differ from those stated by us, but believe me, these are not so significant differences (there are no strict standards). We tried to present the averaged data so that you could get a good brood of quails.
Finding quail in an incubator is a simple task, but painstaking, requiring patience and perseverance. It is very important to carefully approach all conditions and requirements, do not forget about observing temperature, humidity, as well as turning and periodic cooling of eggs. Then there will be no problems with the withdrawal.