How to incubate Quail and Chicken eggs
Let me show you the tools I use to achieve a successful hatch. Incubating instructions and affiliate links to find the products easily.
Getting Started
Incubating Eggs to achieve a healthy chick isn’t the easiest process but not so hard it can’t be achieved.
Let’s walk thru the process to get you the success you desire.
Egg Health
All eggs are not equal. Egg viability starts with breeder health. Breeding stock needs to be healthy and fed a quality layer feed. Layer feed gives much needed nutrients to the yolk for the developing embryo to grow. I have several blog posts going into more depth and this one specifically covers incubating shipped eggs
I use the Hatching Time incubators because of the unmatched temperature and humidity control. These are the best incubators if you are doing ducks, chickens, turkeys and quail. You will obtain best hatch rates with least effort. Y’all know I am honest, the drawback to them is quantity, if you are mass hatching, but there are pros and cons to everything. As far as cleaning, they are super easy because the back opens and they are not too deep.
What I use
I have had several of these work horses in my barn over the years. For awhile, I bought and sold them. If you are doing quail for quantity, you need the 1502. The hatch rate is slightly reduced because the humidity control isn’t precise, but it makes up for it in just sheer quantity. They are harder to clean because they are so deep, so be aware of that if you plan to hatch in them. Like I said, pros and cons.
I have a Hatching Time HB500 hatcher. A separate hatcher is really ideal if you are churning out the chicks. It keeps the mess in one location (hatcher) and more consistent humidity for both processes.
GQF 1502
Battery Back up
These gems are easy to overlook. You have invested money in eggs, breeders, and incubators only to be sunk by a power outage. While these won’t last forever, they will bridge a short gap and/or buy you time to make arrangements or get a generator going. Like buying hatching egg insurance for yourself. I have one on all my incubators and one for my brooder plates. Tip: buy biggest because the battery will last longer
Thermpro Thermometer and Hygrometer
I use several of these Thermpros around. I use them in the incubators if I feel I need to check. You can’t fix anything, if you do not have all the information. Accuracy matters.
Incubating Process
Regardless of which incubator you have, the process is the same. Here are some guidelines to be successful.
Temperature needs to be 99.5F at egg level.
Humidity needs to be 30-45%, consistency is more important than the actual number.
Leaving the eggs alone during the process will make you significantly more successful than candling the eggs and handling them.
The last 3 days of the process are referred to as “Lockdown”. You will remove them from the turner , place the eggs on cheap shelf liner from the Dollar Tree, raise humidity to 60% or so and leave it alone.
Once they are all hatched, open the vents to allow humidity to drop and they will dry and fluff.
Remove from the hatcher and place in brooder.
Tabletop Incubators
Maybe you are not ready for a cabinet incubator, that’s FINE! I started with tabletops and most people do! I actually worked myself up to 4 tabletops before committing to my first 1502.
The tricottage is the simple incubator that I send to the Coturnix Corner Kids as their starter bator. I tried it a few times and posted my review with tips on my YouTube channel.
If you are shopping for one, read my experiment with several tabletops here. Your goal with one is NOT a still air and smooth turning. Poultry Nerds also has a page with reviews on different incubators, here
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No matter what species you are incubating, set the incubator at 99.5F or 37.8C.
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Humidity is typically 40-50% however, consistency is most important. Aim for 40-50% but if you achieve 38 consistently, leave it at that.
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When you first put them in, that is day 0, because they have been in there zero days.
Lockdown day is roughly 3 days before hatch, but if you have a schedule conflict, make it sooner rather than later.
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Quail are 17-18 days
bobwhites are 22 days
chickens are 21 days
turkeys and ducks 28 days
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When they are all dry and fluffy or the oldest is 48 hours. The chirping will call the others out.