Incubation Guide

This guide has been put together to assist those new to hatching eggs artificially with an incubator but can also be used as a reference to those that might be more experienced with incubating quail eggs to help get the best possible success rate…

Upon Receipt

Eggs should be thoroughly inspected upon receipt to make sure there are no obvious cracks, as you don’t want to add damaged eggs to the incubator. We wrap each individual egg and use recyclable polystyrene to help ensure they arrive to you in the best possible condition. We do not wash eggs before shipping, as quail eggs have an anti-bacterial bloom coating the shell that will be removed if washed. For shipped eggs you will need to leave the eggs in the tray to settle (pointy end down) at room temperature for approximately 12–24 hours and away from direct sunlight. This will allow for the air sac in the egg to settle back into position after a lot of moving around during transit and help create the perfect environment for healthy chick development.

Setting Up Your Incubator

Ideally, your incubator should be setup and running for a few days to ensure the temperature and humidity are stable before introducing the eggs. The ideal time to introduce eggs will be the morning.

Depending on the type of incubator you have may determine how easily you can achieve the correct temperature and humidity. Most modern incubators are digital and pre-set to accommodate such eggs and may only require the switch of a button, whereas a manual incubator may need several adjustments to achieve the desired temperature and humidity. At South East Game Birds, we only use Brinsea incubators due to their accuracy and reliability.

Temperature & Humidity

To successfully incubate quail eggs, you will need to maintain a temperature of 37.7°C (99.86°F) and a humidity of 45–50% for the first 14 days of incubation. The first day of incubation counts as day zero. On day 15 we like to reduce the temperature slightly to 37.0°C (98.6°F) and increase the humidity for the final 3 days before hatching to 65–70%.

If you are using a digital incubator, I would recommend getting a precision thermometer/hygrometer and placing it on the floor of the incubator to check the temperature matches the digital reading on the outside. You might find that you need to adjust the incubator temperature slightly so that the desired temperature is achieved at egg level. We have nothing against using cheaper style incubators, of which there are many on the market today, but please note these are normally cheaper for a reason and may not have been calibrated to precision like some of the leading incubation specialists.

Turning the Eggs

Quail eggs will also require turning several times a day throughout the first 14 days of incubation. If you have an incubator with an automatic turner, then this will likely increase your chances of success. For those that are using a manual incubator, I would recommend turning the eggs at least 3 times a day (morning, afternoon and evening) with clean hands. Using a non-toxic marker pen, it would pay to mark one side of the egg with a “0” and the other with an “X” so you are able to determine which eggs have been turned or require turning.

Candling

Around 5–7 days into incubation, eggs can be candled to check which eggs are fertile/developing versus those that are infertile/not developing. The best time is at night when dark, in a blacked-out room, using an egg candler or similar light source to shine a light directly through the egg. At this point you should see red veins and a dark spot where the embryo is developing. If when you turn the egg you only see a yolk, then this egg is termed “clear” or infertile. Due to their dark, thick shells, quail eggs can be quite difficult to candle. Only remove eggs that you are 100% sure are not fertile; any that you are unsure about, return to the incubator for a few more days before checking again.

I’ve read in multiple sources that if you don’t remove infertile eggs from the incubator they are likely to go rotten and may explode. Although this could potentially happen, in the almost 30 years I have incubated bird eggs, I have never experienced an infertile egg exploding in the incubator within its normal incubation period. Be aware that the temperature and humidity will fluctuate when the incubator is opened, so try not to open the lid unless you absolutely have to.

Lockdown (Day 15)

On day 15 you will need to stop turning the eggs in preparation for hatching. If your incubator has removable racks, take them out and gently place the eggs on the bottom of the incubator. If candling, you can also remove any eggs on day 15 that failed to develop. The humidity will need to be increased to 65–70% by adding additional water to the reservoir, blocking off the vents, or adding a clean, wet sponge if using a manual incubator. If the incubator does not have a textured bottom, I would recommend adding a rubber mat that will allow the chicks to grip once hatched and prevent the development of splayed legs. Between day 15 and hatching, resist the urge to open the incubator, as drastic swings in temperature and humidity are especially damaging at this point.

Hatching

Coturnix Quail eggs typically hatch on day 17 but can vary by a day or two on either side. Quail chicks hatch by first “pipping” a hole and this is usually seen around day 16. If you listen carefully, you will hear the chicks calling to each other and encouraging the hatching process to continue. It is not uncommon for chicks to draw out the process of pipping and beginning to break free for 24 hours. If you see an egg has pipped and then nothing is happening, please resist the urge to “help” the chick out. They are most healthy and hardy when they are able to hatch on their own.

During the hatching period, leave the chicks in the incubator for around 12–24 hours or until they are dry and fluffy. At that point, you can quickly open the incubator to remove the dry chicks and transfer to their brooder — you will likely have to do this in a few batches, as not all eggs will hatch at the same time. Hatching can spread across multiple days beyond day 18 up to day 20. After this point, you can turn off the incubator and discard any eggs that did not hatch. It’s extremely important to clean your incubator thoroughly and allow it to dry sufficiently between uses.

Expected Hatch Rates

When incubating and hatching your own or locally sourced quail eggs, you can typically expect a 75–80% hatch rate. For those that were shipped or transported over long distances, you can expect closer to a 50% hatch rate. This of course can vary for better or worse depending on a number of factors, with the most common including:

Shipping or rough handling
Incorrect egg storage conditions
Poor fertility rate
Age of eggs
Improper temperature or humidity levels during incubation

As with all hatching eggs, fertility can never be guaranteed. At South East Game Birds we ship out the freshest eggs available from viable breeding stock to help give you the best possible chance at successfully hatching quail chicks if all other limiting factors are reduced.