Quail Project: Week Two & Three! Caring for Quail Eggs

Week Two

So the eggs arrived this week! They have been under Nutmeg for a week now and she was happy to accept them. When hatching quail under a broody it is always a good idea to have another option ready, in case the hen does not accept the eggs. However, this is unlikely if you know your hen well and she is very broody and a good mother. I know Nutmeg is a good broody because most of last summer she was trying to sit on eggs in some way or another! I do not know, however, how good she is as a mother. She has had no experience with chicks before so I hope it works out. It's a chance poultry keepers have to take when using an inexperienced broody and mother.

The quail eggs arrived through the post!
Credit: birdbrain99 (the author)

Caring for Quail Eggs

Caring for quail eggs is very simple and the hen does most of the work!

If you have received your eggs through the post (I did) it is good if you were able to see pictures of the breeder's runs or birds first. Once the eggs arrive, you must be home to receive them. Leave them to 'settle' for 24 hours before incubating them (or in this case putting them under your bantam.)
They should be left to settle 'pointy ends down'.

Leave your quail eggs to settle for 24 hours after they arrive.
Credit: birdbrain99 (the author)

If your hen is sitting on another infertile egg or something similar, this will need to be removed. Take it out while she is sitting on the nest, but without her noticing. Then give her the eggs. She may not take them straight away, so you might want to actually place them under her first, and then keep an eye on her. After a little while test to see if she has taken to them by placing one slightly out the nest. If she is very interested in it, or if she 'growls' when she sees you with it then she probably has taken to them. I call this the 'bonding stage' because she is 'bonding' with the eggs, and when she has she will roll the egg back underneath her and care for the eggs as if they are her own.

The nest should be quite deep, to prevent the small eggs from rolling out the nest.

Hatching quail eggs using an incubator

Quail eggs take 16 to 17 days to hatch, if the temperature and humidity is correct and the eggs are turned.

If you want to use an incubator, the temperature should be 37.5 degrees Celsius (99.5 Degrees Fahrenheit). The humidity should be between 50% to 60%, but this can be risen to 70% on the day of hatching.

The eggs should be turned at least 3 to 5 times a day until day 14, when they should be left. When turning, be careful with the eggs as they are very delicate, but be quick so that you can close the lid of the incubator again, to stop it from cooling. You will not need to turn the eggs if incubating under a broody hen as she will do this for you.

Week Three

There is not much to say for this week; Nutmeg is being taken off the nest every two days so she can dust bathe and stretch her legs. She is not taken off for more than 10 to 15 minutes a day, and I cover the eggs with a little hay when she's off to keep the heat in until she returns. 

I do have some bad news: two of the eggs have been crushed by her so far (one at the end of week two and one at the beginning of week three). Awful, I know, but I'm glad it wasn't later in their development when there were fully formed chicks inside. The second one she crushed she then ate... but at least she had a good meal that day...