Contents
In the process of breeding quails, the issue of incubation of quail eggs is very acute for every farmer. For timely replenishment of the number and increase in the productivity of quails, it is necessary to ensure the regular withdrawal of young animals. It is economically unprofitable to purchase material for incubation. Therefore, each farmer must be able to independently engage in incubation.
To obtain full-fledged offspring, it is important to comply with all the rules and regulations of incubation. And in the process of this simple but troublesome event, a number of important questions arise: which quail eggs are suitable for incubation and which are not, what temperature regime must be observed, is it necessary to turn quail eggs during incubation? After all, any deviation from the norm leads to a decrease in the number of hatched chicks and the production of weak, incapable of reproduction, offspring.
Benefits of home incubation
Over the past half century, quail breeding has reached incredible proportions. A large role in this was played by the precocity of the bird and the undoubted beneficial properties of eggs and tender quail meat.
But in the process of domestication of quails and the further development of this industry, the bird lost the ability to independently breed. Therefore, poultry farmers, wanting to ensure a regular increase in livestock, often resort to artificial incubation of quail eggs at home. What are the pros and cons of home incubation?
The advantages of hatching chicks at home are as follows:
- Exclusion of financial costs for the acquisition of material for subsequent incubation.
- There is no absolute guarantee that you will get really high-quality eggs from healthy quails.
- To obtain full-fledged and ready-to-reproduce offspring, it is important to select eggs only from young, healthy individuals.
- Incubation of eggs at home is important when breeding quails of different breeds.
- Regular replenishment of young animals in order to continuously obtain products.
- Incubation allows poultry farmers to increase the number of quails per year by at least 10-12 times.
However, the incubation of quail eggs is not only about placing the selected material in the incubator. Preparatory measures are also of great importance, the implementation of which guarantees a high percentage of hatching of healthy chicks:
- formation and proper maintenance of the parent herd;
- collection, storage and selection of quail eggs;
- processing the incubator and eggs before laying;
- laying the material in the incubator.
The only disadvantage of incubation is the fact that the hatching process is a rather troublesome process, and even experienced farmers can make mistakes at first. Therefore, the key to a positive result is the collection of information about the rules for incubating quail eggs at home.
What are the incubators
When choosing incubators, poultry farmers are guided by the number of eggs laid. For small batches (20-30 pieces), you can use homemade incubators. Collecting such a simple mini-incubator does not take much time and does not require large financial investments. But home incubators more than pay for themselves.
When hatching, quails are quailed in large batches, from 40 to 100 pieces, often using universal incubators such as “Hatched Mother” or “Cinderella”, which are designed to hatch eggs of any poultry.
There are a lot of varieties of such small incubators. And often they differ in the following criteria:
- maximum load, that is, how many eggs can be placed in the incubator per bookmark;
- the accuracy of the maintained temperature;
- the ability to control and regulate the microclimate inside the incubator;
- the possibility of incubation of chicken, quail, goose eggs and other poultry;
- the presence or absence of an automatic egg flipping function;
- the presence or absence of water tanks to regulate the humidity in the incubator;
- the presence or absence of ventilation holes;
- the presence or absence of a thermometer, its type (electronic or analog).
Modern incubators for hatching young animals are equipped with a built-in automatic egg turning function or a special grate for incubating quail eggs. But professionals note that this function is underdeveloped by manufacturers. The flip is sharp, not soft and smooth.
During the incubation process, each quail egg must be turned over regularly. It is almost impossible to control the process of automatic turning over in the presence of a large number of copies.
Throughout the entire incubation period, the eggs must not only be turned over, but also changed daily: those that are on the edge must be transferred to the center, and vice versa. This need is due to the fact that in the center of the incubator the temperature is slightly higher than at the edges.
During the incubation process, each egg must be turned over very carefully, trying not to break the integrity of the shell. This is exactly the case when even the most modern technology cannot replace a person. Therefore, it is advisable to turn the incubation material manually during the incubation process.
Summing up all of the above, we can say that no matter which incubator you choose, you will have to do most of the work manually in order to guarantee healthy and full-fledged chicks.
How to properly form a parent herd
Before incubating quail eggs at home, you need to properly form the parent flock. After all, the quality of the subsequently obtained offspring depends on how competently you approach this process.
To obtain incubation material, the parent herd is formed exclusively from healthy and young individuals. Quails are planted in separate cages at the rate of 60-70 pcs. per m². A tighter landing of the bird is not recommended. Remember that the fewer quails are kept in one cage, the easier it is to take care of them and monitor the feed intake. An important factor in keeping any bird is good air exchange.
The parent flock should be kept in conditions as close to ideal as possible. Cleanliness in cages, clean water, clean, not stale air and an abundance of properly balanced feed are mandatory conditions for keeping.
Experienced farmers pay great attention to the age of the bird. Quails and cockerels are selected at the age of 2 – 8 months. Upon reaching the females of the age of 9 – 10 months, they are culled. They are no longer suitable for reproduction.
Males should be changed regularly. Upon reaching 4-5 months of age, they are planted, and young, 2-3-month-old cockerels can be planted with quails. In this case, the production of healthier and stronger young animals was noted.
The egg production of the bird remains even after 6-8 months of age, however, the quality of the incubation material is significantly reduced.
To obtain healthy offspring, the ratio of females and males of quails should be 3-4: 1. That is, no more than 15 quails can be planted with 5 quails. Material for subsequent incubation can be collected only 7-10 days after the formation of the parent flock.
When forming the parent flock, please note that quails are very sensitive to closely related mating. Try to select females and males in such a way as to exclude the possibility of related mating. In most cases, a low percentage of hatching of chicks and a very high percentage of death of young animals in the first 2-3 days after hatching were noted.
Proper, balanced in vitamins and minerals, feeding the parent stock of quails is the key to obtaining healthy young animals. Therefore, it is not worth saving on feed, because not only the health of the bird and the indicators of hatching of chickens depend on this, but also the high resistance of their fragile organism, as well as their reproductive functions in the future.
How to select and store the right material
The next step in the withdrawal of quails is the correct selection and storage of material suitable for incubation.
Freshness and storage conditions
Only fresh quail eggs are suitable for incubation, collected no more than 5-8 days before laying in the incubator. Freshly collected material for subsequent incubation must be stored in a shaded, well-ventilated room at a temperature of +10˚С +15˚С and air humidity of 55-70%, placing them vertically in a special tray, with the sharp end down.
It is strictly forbidden to store material for subsequent incubation in tightly closed containers, plastic bags or buckets. The lack of access to fresh air reduces the quality of quail eggs intended for hatching several times, and, accordingly, the possibility of obtaining viable offspring.
Analysis and selection
Each egg must be carefully organoleptically evaluated before being placed in the incubator. When selecting, much attention is paid to the size, shape, weight of each specimen, as well as the strength and color of the eggshell.
Shape, size and weight
Even if all the norms for keeping and feeding the birds are observed, the shape and size of the eggs laid by the quail can vary significantly. Each egg selected for laying in the incubator must have the correct, without the slightest flaw, shape. Round or elongated specimens must be removed immediately.
You should also set aside material that is non-standard in size. Too small specimens will give weak and small offspring. Chicks bred from small eggs are characterized by low resistance, get sick more often and are practically incapable of reproduction. According to the data recorded by the farmers, in this case, there were high rates of chicks leaving in the first three days after hatching.
Often there are so-called dwarf eggs, which are distinguished not only by their small size, but also by the absence of a yolk. Naturally, it is pointless to wait for chicks from such material.
In a large egg, often not one, but two yolks. From two-yolk eggs, as a rule, it will not work to get healthy offspring: chickens die even in the embryonic phase or hatch with genetic mutations (the so-called “freaks”).
Particular attention in the selection should be paid to the weight of the material. For each breed of poultry and the direction of its productivity, there are certain standards. For meat quail breeds, the egg mass is considered to be within 12-16 grams, and for egg this figure is slightly lower – from 9 to 11 grams.
These figures may vary slightly depending on the breed of bird and the conditions of detention. Incubation material with any deviations in the direction of increased or decreased weight should be discarded.
Shell strength
The strength of the shell is of no small importance when selecting quail eggs for subsequent laying in the incubator. Instances with an uneven surface, roughness, lime plaques, microcracks, chips and dents on the surface are discarded.
The fact that the shell is too thick is indicated by limescale, which, in turn, indicates an excess of calcium in the feed. Such specimens are unsuitable for breeding: it is extremely difficult for a chick to peck through a strong shell, which causes a large number of suffocation.
Professionals specializing in quail breeding note a direct relationship between irregular pigmentation and shell strength. Incorrect pigmentation is considered too dark or almost white in the shell.
The absence of color or its non-standard color indicates that the shell is too thin. At the slightest pressure, the shell is pressed through and the integrity of the shell is violated. The shelf life of such material is very short.
Farmers who are faced with the problem of thin and fragile quail egg shells are advised to add finely ground shell, chalk or meat and bone meal to poultry feed. Giving food with a high content of calcium and phosphorus should be no more than three days. With longer feeding with mineral supplements, quails will begin to lay eggs with a lime coating.
Candling
A more thorough assessment of the quality of eggs intended for incubation at home can be done using an ovoscope. It allows you to “look inside” the testicle and timely reject unsuitable specimens.
At the moment, a large number of ovoscopes of various prices and quality are provided on the market. But you can make an “X-ray” at home.
To do this, you need to pick up a cylinder, the diameter of which is several millimeters smaller than the egg. It is desirable that the material from which the cylinder is made does not transmit light. From below, light is directed from a light bulb or flashlight. An egg is placed on the top end.
With the help of an ovoscope, you can see the following flaws:
- the presence of two yolks or their absence;
- the presence of blood spots in the yolk or protein;
- mixed yolk and protein;
- cracks and chips on the shell;
- the presence of air chambers at the sharp end or side;
- if the yolk is at the sharp end or “stuck” to the shell.
Such specimens are also unsuitable for incubation, and they must be discarded.
Quail eggs are also subjected to candling during incubation to determine how smoothly the development of the embryo proceeds. In the process of breeding chicks, it makes no sense to look at all the testicles on an ovoscope, and this procedure will take a lot of time. Therefore, 4-5 copies are selected from each grate and viewed on an ovoscope.
The eggs are also translucent on the ovoscope if the percentage of hatching of chicks is low, in order to find out the reason at which stage the embryos stopped in development.
This is what candling of quail eggs looks like at different periods of incubation in the photo
Adding material to the incubator
Before laying quail eggs in the incubator, both the device and the material for incubation must be subjected to mandatory processing.
Incubator preparation
The incubator should be rinsed with warm, clean water. If desired, you can add a little potassium permanganate to the water to make the solution light pink. Dry the device well and proceed to the next stage of preparation – mandatory processing before incubation.
You can process incubators before laying:
- formaldehyde vapor – the minimum processing time is 40 minutes, after which the device should be left for a day for ventilation;
- chlorine solution. Dissolve ten tablets in a liter of water and generously spray the walls, bottom and lid of the incubator with a spray bottle. Leave the device in this state for 30-40 minutes, and then rinse thoroughly with clean water;
- quartz lamp for 30-40 minutes.
After these manipulations, the incubator must be dried again. Now the device is ready for use.
If the incubator is equipped with water tanks, fill them. If there is no such function in your device, pick up a small container that easily fits into the incubator in terms of volume, and pour water into it.
Immediately before laying the material, the incubator must be warmed up for 2-3 hours and make sure that it is in good condition.
Methods for laying material
It is impossible to wash, wipe eggs intended for incubation. Even you need to take the testicles carefully, with two fingers, for the blunt and sharp end. Try not to break the shell membrane, which protects the shell and the embryo from the penetration of microbes.
Before laying, the material must be processed to destroy microbes and microorganisms that could settle on the shell. There are several processing methods:
- disinfection with an ultraviolet lamp for 15-20 minutes;
- spraying with Monclavit, Virosan, Virotsid, Brovadez, etc.;
- hold the eggs in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (solution temperature 35-37˚С) for 15-20 minutes, put on a towel, dry;
- treatment with formaldehyde vapor for 20-30 minutes.
There are two methods of laying eggs in an incubator – horizontal and vertical.
The difference between bookmarking methods is as follows. Firstly, with a vertical laying, the percentage of chick hatching is slightly higher. If on average the percentage of quail output is 70-75%, then with a vertical laying this figure increases the percentage of output by 5-7%.
With horizontal laying, much fewer eggs are placed on the grate than with vertical laying. Moreover, during the incubation process, quail eggs need to be rotated regularly. With a horizontal laying at 180˚, with a vertical one – at 30-40˚.
Some poultry farmers are practicing a new method of incubating quail eggs without turning. In this case, a vertical tab is applied. The percentage of quail hatching with this hatching method reaches 78-82%.
When laying horizontally, eggs are simply laid out on a grid. But for vertical laying, you need to prepare special trays, since it is difficult to put the eggs in the right position. If your incubator does not have special trays suitable for vertical incubation, you can make your own.
Take ordinary carriages for quail eggs, make small holes in the bottom (pierce the holes with a hot nail). Eggs should be placed in the trays with the blunt end up.
Incubation periods
The whole process of incubation of quail eggs at home lasts 16-17 days and is conditionally divided into three periods:
- warming up;
- main;
- output.
However, the period of incubation of quail eggs may vary slightly. With short power outages, the embryos retain their viability. But even with a slight delay, the quail withdrawal period can be delayed by a day, a maximum of one and a half.
The main parameters of the microclimate and activities that need to be carried out at each stage are given in the table.
Table: modes of incubation of quail eggs.
Period | Duration, number of days | Recommended temperature in the incubator, ˚С | Humidity% | Number of turns per day | Ventilation |
1. Warm up | With 1 on 3 | 37,5 – 37,7 | 50 – 60 | 3 – 4 | Not required |
2. Main | With 4 on 13 | 37,7 | 50 – 60 | 4-6, i.e. every 6-8 hours | Not required |
3. Output | With 14 by 16(17) | 37,7 | 70 – 80 | Not required | Required |
And now let’s dwell on each mode in a little more detail.
Warming up
The duration of the first, warm-up period of incubation of quail eggs is three days. The temperature in the incubator should vary between 37,5-37,7 ° C. A thermometer for measuring temperature is installed at a height of 1,5-2 cm above the quail eggs.
In the first three days, you need to turn the eggs regularly, 3-4 times a day.
It is not necessary to ventilate the incubator and spray the material. At this stage, the most important thing is to observe the recommended temperature regime for the incubation of quail eggs (see table).
Please note that within 2-3 hours after laying and connecting the incubator, you need to monitor the temperature. At the initial stage of incubation, quail eggs warm up, and the temperature may change.
Second period
The second period starts from the fourth and ends on the 13th day of incubation of quail eggs.
At this stage, it is important to observe the temperature regime and turn the eggs regularly so that the embryos do not stick to the shell. Humidity must also be maintained within the recommended limits.
The temperature of incubation of quail eggs at home in the second period should be strictly at around 37,7 ° C. Even a slight excess of this indicator threatens to reduce the number of quail hatched.
The third period
The third period of incubation of quail eggs is the most troublesome and time-consuming. Starting from the 14th day of incubation, quail eggs must be aired. Airing is necessary for quails so that they receive sufficient oxygen.
Airing quail eggs during incubation must be done in the morning and evening for 5-7 minutes. Subsequently, the ventilation time can be increased to 10-15 minutes.
Also in the third period, from the very first day, you need to stop turning the eggs.
The incubation temperature of quail eggs is 37,7 ˚С (see table), but the humidity needs to be slightly increased – up to 70-75%. First of all, it is necessary for embryos so that the output is massive and hassle-free. Otherwise, the quail will simply not have enough strength to peck through the shell.
Spraying eggs is used only if you do not have a moisture meter. You can spray eggs twice a day, when airing the incubator. Please note that the material to be incubated must not be sprayed immediately after opening the device! Wait for the eggs to cool down a bit.
It is not necessary to spray the eggs too abundantly. Lightly spray some moisture on the surface. Wait 2 minutes before closing the incubator. Spray water should be clean and warm.
Compliance with the temperature regime during the incubation of quail eggs is a guarantee of obtaining a healthy and full-fledged young.
Mass withdrawal of chicks
The hatching of chicks during the incubation of quail eggs at home begins, on average, on the 16th day. Quails hatch en masse, in just 3-4 hours. At this point, it is very important to let the quails dry and take care of a special brooder for young animals.
In the first 4-5 days, quail should be soldered with Baytril (5%) or a weak solution of potassium permanganate as a preventive measure for various diseases. You need to change the solution 2 times a day.
But what to do if the withdrawal of the quail did not occur in due time? In this case, you need to wait 3-4 days. Do not turn off the incubator. If after this time the chicks did not hatch, then you need to look for the reason why the incubation of quail eggs at home was unsuccessful.
Mistakes made when incubating quail eggs can be as follows:
- incorrectly selected parent herd;
- violation of the rules of feeding and maintenance of the parent herd;
- non-compliance with the conditions for the collection and storage of material for subsequent incubation;
- non-compliance with recommendations when preparing quail eggs for incubation;
- non-compliance with the temperature regime during incubation;
- neglecting the recommendations of experienced poultry farmers regarding the frequency of egg turnovers, humidity, and ventilation.
Candling quail eggs will help you find out at what stage you made a mistake. Carefully analyze each period to find out the reason for the failed incubation.
The author of the video will share his secrets of incubating quail eggs with you
Conclusion
Fluffy, small quails cause such pleasant feelings! Anyone who masters the incubation of quail eggs can rightfully consider himself a fairly experienced poultry farmer. After all, despite the seeming simplicity, this business has its secrets. We will be glad if you share with us your tricks for breeding quails.