turning eggs

[marvinmckenzie]

I've just joined the list and am new at raising quail.

I understand I should turn the eggs three times a day. How do I go about that? Do I just rotate them a third of the way each time?

Any suggestions for a first timer at this.

Not raising a bunch, just want to keep a 8-10 at a time.

Thanks

[Reeves]

Don't rotate.

First tilt like this : /
Next like this : \
etc

[wildergamebirds]

  Gee, I needed a chuckle.  Not really making fun of you.  Turn, or rotate is a misnomer.  Tilt is more precise.  In most incubators, the tray on which eggs rest rotates or turns back, and forth on an axis.  If hand turning, just tilt them 30 to 45 degrees from vertical.  To the left is once, to the right is two, back to the left is three.  Three is pretty much the minimum, keep the number odd, so they are in a different direction on consecutive nights.  Also, keep a calendar nearby, and mark it each time you turn them.  Especially if you are old like me, or there is more than one person turning them.

  Wow, got to help, and ridicule, great post!

[wildergamebirds]

  Hey, Reeves, how did you beat me to that one?  Don't you have anything to do?

  By the way, marvinmckenzie        

  Reeves,   

[marvinmckenzie]

OK now I AM confused.

The egg sits in the incubator vertically?

I've LOTS to learn 

[wildergamebirds]

OK now I AM confused.

The egg sits in the incubator vertically?

I've LOTS to learn 

  Hey, you're going to be fun to have around!

  Goose, Turkey, and sometimes Duck eggs are laid on their side,  generally, game bird, and most other eggs are placed in egg trays, large side up.

  You need to do a search, here, and Google, read a few books, visit a bird facility, if possible, and take a look at a few incubators.  I bet several people have been confused by the term "turning" eggs, few would admit it, once they understand.

[marvinmckenzie]

I haven't gotten the incubator yet. Thought I would see what I could learn first.

The large end up - wow, it's hard for me to picture that in the incubator.

[CharlieHorse]

Spend the little bit of extra $$ and get the turner too......with the egg cups.  You'll be kickin' yourself if you don't.  If you're talking about one of the styrofoam incubators, alot of your heat and humidity go out every time you open the thing up, kinda makes it harder to get tuned in, especially if just starting out.

That's my .56 cents, and............

[Enbawe Cortunix Quail]

If your starting out take my advice GET A FORCED AIR INCUBATOR! I greatly regret getting my still air and after this hatch I'm going to buy a fan for it turning isnt a a big deal for me just the tempature control in a still air is hard to maintain I just started out with a small batch of eggs since this is my first time incubating put I plan on increasing the number of eggs next batch.

Good luck

[aKirA]

If your starting out take my advice GET A FORCED AIR INCUBATOR! I greatly regret getting my still air and after this hatch I'm going to buy a fan for it turning isnt a a big deal for me just the tempature control in a still air is hard to maintain I just started out with a small batch of eggs since this is my first time incubating put I plan on increasing the number of eggs next batch.

Good luck

To add to that, you should even consider one with electric thermostat.(preset ones) Much more convenient.

Turning isn't such a big deal when you first start out. It's all fine and dandy...BUT if you plan on doing it long term...it becomes a hassle really fast. heh

For positioning eggs, prior to egg turners, I used them non-skid mats. cut like small circles in them so that you can position eggs fat side slitely up.

[CharlieHorse]

I almost mentioned that "aKirA"  would have some inovative way to get those eggs to stand up for you, but I thought....naaa!, didn't want to put them on the spot! 

Here's what I'd do in your shoes......

1. Electronic preset thermostat.

2. Egg turner.

3. Forced Air.

Otherwise, you''l be kicking yourself sooner or later as previously mentioned. It's harder to appreciate these features until you didn't get them.    

Next best thing is a cabinet incubator.....$6-700. 



.....just my .59 cents!

 

[marvinmckenzie]

Happens to me all the time that I buy something that "works" for me only to decide once I am used to it that I wished I would have gotten bigger and better.

I'll try to follow you counsel.

[marvinmckenzie]

So I still have the question of the degree the eggs should lay in the incubator. Should the large end be nearly strait up, or should it be almost all the way over?

Does the egg have to be in some sort of holder to maintain a high enough angle?

[CharlieHorse]

For positioning eggs, prior to egg turners, I used them non-skid mats. cut like small circles in them so that you can position eggs fat side slitely up.

^  ^   ^
 
If you get an incubator with a turner and the egg cups for quail eggs then you'll be set.  You could put them in a tray, but then the whole tray would have to be tilted. 

[wildergamebirds]

  You could probably put them in Chukar, or Pheasant trays, and still tilt them, enough.  Sixty degrees is probably enough, but forty five would be better.  Chukar trays hold 80 eggs, but might not allow quite enough space for tilting.  Pheasant trays have enough room, but only hold 46 eggs (I have some that hold 59).  You could use the liners used for chicken nest bottoms.  It's much like the cheap artificial grass (the original Astroturf).  Quail eggs should stand up pretty well, in these.

  http://www.kuhlcorp.com/cgi-bin/cp-app.cgi?usr=51J9314308&rnd=7797826&rrc=N&affl=&cip=&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=krc59&cat=poultry-eggtrays&catstr=HOME:poultry:poultry-eggtrays

http://www.kuhlcorp.com/cgi-bin/cp-app.cgi?usr=51J1905479&rnd=516203&rrc=N&affl=&cip=&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=KNP-11-40&cat=&catstr=