**DISCLAIMER** We can not and are not responsible for hatch rate. Even if you get an incubator from us, we are still not responsible. There are entirely too many factors that influence hatch rate that are beyond our control. These include postal procedures, weather, incubation errors, etc. This guide is intended to help people who purchase eggs from us incubate them. We also recommend always doing additional research. There are tons of great sites out there to help people** With all of this said, please note that our hatch rate is about 90-95%. We just can't guarantee what another individuals hatch rate will be. Also keep in mind that hatch rates do vary and this is perfectly normal. We do our very best to ship eggs as carefully as possible. However you may receive some damaged or cracked eggs. If you do happen to get cracked eggs, please feel free to contact us. This is one reason we send extra eggs when shipping.
Incubation Guide
The only kind of incubator you should really use to incubate button quail is a incubator that is made from styrofoam. Please do not use wooden or cardboard boxes to incubate. The temperature and humidity will not be right and your hatch rate will suffer significantly.
Please note that this is just how we incubate. What works for some people doesn't always work for others. There are a lot a of factors that contribute to hatch rate. Some of these include shipping process, outside temperature, temperature of your home, humidity levels, whether the egg was fertile or not to begin with, and where in your home your incubator is located. We hope this guide will be helpful with incubating your eggs.
**1. When you first receive your eggs, you will want to carefully open your package** Usually a lot of tape etc is involved so take your time. Once inspecting the eggs for cracks, etc leave them in a safe location so the yolk can settle. They should sit for about 4-5 hours. Next you will want to mark each egg (with pencil and lightly) with an X on one side and an O on the other. This helps you rotate the eggs. Make sure not to press too hard with the pencil or you can crack/puncture the eggs. Put aside any cracked or damaged eggs.
2. Set your incubator temperature to 100 degrees. If the temperature goes up or down by a degree or two, it's no big deal. You want the temperature to remain as close to 100 degrees as possible. While the eggs are settling outside of the incubator, this is a good time to get your temperature set correctly...sometimes it takes an hour or two to get it perfect or near perfect.
3. Make sure your incubator has plenty of water in the bottom. Humidity/moisture is a very important factor with incubating button quail eggs. Moisture allows the egg to develop fully and allows for easier hatching. If you notice that the yolk is sticking, then you know you didn't have enough moisture in your incubator. You can tell this after your hatch date has passed by. We have opened up eggs to find out the reason they didn't hatch.
4. Place eggs in incubator spacing about 2 inches apart from one another. You want to make sure you place as many eggs in the middle of the incubator as possible. This is where the heat is the warmest. The eggs are going to scatter as you start to rotate them and this is fine...just keep them as close together as possible.
5. You need to turn the eggs 3-4 times per day. They don't always need a full rotation, just enough to move the yolk around so it doesn't stick. We also use a spray bottle (like you would use to mist plants) and spray the eggs. You can do this at the same time you rotate the eggs. This also helps with moisture. Some people even put a sponge in their incubator. It's all up to you how you do it.
6. You will rotate eggs for 13 days. Button quail hatch in 16-22 days. DO NOT turn eggs the last three days of incubation. The quail are trying to figure out the best part of the shell to start to peck at. If you move them, you will confuse their process and they could die trying to get out of their shell.
7. Between day 16-22 button quail will start to hatch. Leave them in the incubator until they have started to dry out and are zipping around the incubator. When they start knocking the other eggs around it's time for them to go into the brooder. You can read more on this on the how to care for button quail guide.
Enjoy your new baby button quail. It is an amazing and educational process to witness. They are the size of a bumblebee when born. Within an hour of hatching they will begin eating and drinking on their own. It's amazing how something so tiny comes into this world with such a strong will to survive!
Thank you for providing a loving home to some of God's most amazing little birds. If you have any questions, please contact us. Also we request that you contact us once you've received your eggs. It helps us with peace of mind knowing that everything is okay.
God bless...
Misty & Amy Kennedy
meschelelaisaviary@gmail.com or amk377@gmail.com
(704) 578-7106
(704) 578-9946
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