Incubating Button Quail eggs

[Societies&Zebras]

So i have decided to raise my own Button Quail!! I have a few questions I would like to be answered.. I plan on buying the Farm Innovators Still-Air Incubator. I plan on Hand-Turning the Quail eggs and marking an X and O on each side. How would I turn them? Do i just flip them from X to O (3) times a day? Also, do i need the humidity high? I mean, i heard of people doing a Dry Method without using moisture until the last 3-4 days. Should I do the Dry Method? Thanks, i just really want a high hatch rate. It would be nice to have some Buttons around.

[DanteD716]

Zachariah i can't help too much here, but i think the dry method may work. All i know is when turning the eggs all you simply do is turn them into the opposite side. Sorry i can't offer more info. Best of luck, and by the way i like your name!

[Societies&Zebras]

Thanks. Hopefully someone who hatches them could help me out some more. But, thanks again. I appreciate everyone's answer.

[MiaCarter]

Well it really varies depending upon the ambient humidity level.
If you have sufficient ambient humidity, the so-called 'dry' method will work and you provide humidity only during lockdown.
If you don't have sufficient ambient humidity, they'll lose moisture throughout the process and when it comes time for draw down, the membrane will stick to the chick in a manner that prevents proper pipping and hatching.
Too much moisture is equally problematic, as the tissues get profused with moisture. This reduces the size of the air pocket and makes proper pipping and hatching significantly more challenging.
So you usually monitor the size of the air pocket and adjust the humidity accordingly.

[TailFeathers]

Hello,

I'm just curious as to why you would want to hand turn. Wouldn't be counter productive if you missed schedule?

I know that some quail lost ability to incubate their own eggs due to selective breeding, but I've senen people use chicken hens as the incubator.

If you're going to use an incubator, I'd go with an automatic version, but everyone has their own preferences.

[Hilary]

I've used an incubator a couple of times and have to say it was nice having the gizmo turn the eggs for me (I'm lazy). That said MiaCarter sounds spot on for humidity. Where did you get your eggs?

[MiaCarter]

Tailfeathers --- Some opt to hand turn due to the problems with some of the auto-turner mechanisms.

It's difficult to find one that works properly in a reliable manner with small eggs, like the smaller quail and finch eggs. Most are designed for larger eggs.

And the turners that work with smaller eggs aren't always available for/compatible with every incubator.

So I imagine that this is an issue for some.

That said, an auto-turner is very convenient.
Hand turning is tedious and you must be very precise.

[atarasi]

Some of the table top incubators have different turning rings depending on the size of the eggs you want to hatch. I have a duck/chicken sized turning ring and one for tiny finch eggs. I've hatched button quail eggs a few times with an extremely high hatch rate. This is a high humidity type where you just add the distilled water, turn the turner on, set the temperature and forget it. When the chicks hatch, they look like tiny chickens.

I doubt you could use a live chicken to incubate button quail eggs as the chicken could just step on them plus they aren't going to turn them carefully. You might get away with society finches hatching a few quail eggs and remove them as soon as they hatch. After they hatch, you need to use a brooder to keep them warm for a few weeks. They are funny to watch as they fall asleep right in the middle of eating, walking, etc.

I rarely use my incubator and if people weren't so far away, I could lend it out.

[Colt]

It's been years since I incubated any eggs, but my Button hen is currently brooding on 14 eggs. So fingers crossed I get some babies.

[jamezyboo21]

colt

Did your button hatch out her eggs?? My female started brooding after her 7th egg and now has 12 eggs. Her and the male both sit on the eggs. They bred several times for the previous owner. Im hoping they hatch.

[Colt]

They didn't hatch. She and the male are still sitting on them, but I'm beginning to think they aren't fertile.

[jamezyboo21]

colt

I'm hoping mine are fertile. I ended IP taking the male out yesterday. At first she was letting him sit on the eggs with her but then she wouldn't let him come back in the nest. She has been sitting super tight on them. She won't even get off them when I put my hand in the cage.

[MiaCarter]

Colt I'm sorry to hear yours didn't hatch.

jamezyboo21 - I hope yours do well!

I've been on the lookout for someone with local button quails but it's surprisingly hard to find someone! (Surprisingly difficult as there are lots of farms around here!)

Everyone has eggs. But I'm not in the mood to make a new incubator and deal with all the hand turning (and I don't want to invest in a real incubator as I'd never use it.)

I've got a big terrarium that would be perfect for them! It's like a fish tank design, but it has a fine mesh for the walls and a soft screen ceiling panel (so it would be pop-friendly!) . A friend made it for raising chicken babies and ducklets. It would be the ideal size for 3-4 button quail....but I can't find any!

[jamezyboo21]

MiaCarter
I should have babies hatching hopefully before the weekend. It I counted correctly today should be the 14th day of her sitting tight on the eggs. Up till now she has barely left the nest to eat or drink. I even cleaned the cage the other day so it would be clean for the babies and I moved the boxes she is sitting in and she didn't budge. I'm hoping for a successful hatch. My button quail gave from a man who had them in an aviary and they had raised babies several times.

[jamezyboo21]

So I have good news....the button babies hatched! So far 11 out of the 13 eggs hatched but mom is still sitting on the last 2 eggs with the babies. I helped a little bit and removed all the empty shells. Hopefully tomorrow the other 2 will have hatched. It took 18 days of incubation. I noticed the past few days my other female seemed broody so I stuck some eggs in her nest and her and the male have been going in and out of the nest looking at the eggs and building a nest around them. I'll add pics soon!