When domesticated, quail females lost their ability to hatch eggs. When planning their maintenance, you need to familiarize yourself with the process of breeding these birds. It is important to take into account that chicks can be obtained only under conditions of artificial incubation of quail eggs. For this purpose, they are taken from females of 2-8 months of age.
Selection of quail eggs for incubation
Egg collection takes place within one week. They are stored at a temperature of 8-12 ° C.
They should have the following characteristics:
- Smooth shell.
- Medium pigmentation.
- The correct form.
- Clean.
- The largest.
In the presence of an ovoscope, they can be enlightened on it, rejecting those of them that have air chambers at the sharp end, shell incisions and two yolks. The location of the yolk is also visible - it should be approximately in the center, closer to the blunt edge, which appears on the ovoscope as a fuzzy dimming. The integrity of the shell, the presence of blood is also checked. If dark spots are found under the shell, mold can be assumed. Quail eggs are taken for incubation very carefully from both ends to avoid erasing the shell. If there is no ovoscope, you can use the usual bright flashlight.
It can also be made independently. For this, a small cardboard box is taken, a lamp is placed inside, and a hole is cut out from above, into which an egg is inserted, most of which will be on top.
If you need to get quails, then eggs weighing 9-11 g are selected. If you need quail meat , then the weight of the eggs should be 12-16 g.
Some experts advise against wiping and washing them, while others believe that if the eggs are contaminated with manure, they should be cleaned with bleach or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
The incubator is also cleaned and disinfected, either using special means, or using a household UV irradiator. The last treatment is carried out for 5-8 minutes from an approximate distance of about 40 cm.
Incubation preparation
Quail eggs should be stored in optimum humidity and temperature conditions. The first indicator should be 75-80%, and the second - 8-12 ° C. If the room is very dry, then you need to keep water in a wide bowl on an ongoing basis and periodically wet the floor. Windows should be curtained, quail eggs for incubation at home should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Carbon dioxide is released through the shell, which should be periodically removed by ventilating the room.
The percentage of hatchability depends on how many females per male. It is recommended that their number not exceed 3-4.
Obtaining offspring depends on the proper feeding of the bird. The amount of crude protein should be at least 25%. During the laying period, crushed shells are added to the diet. The feed must include grain, otherwise the birds may stop flying.
Eggs are stored on open shelves on their sides. Every two days, in order to prevent the embryo from sticking to the shell, they are turned over. For incubation, they are taken from eggs whose shelf life did not exceed one week. It can be increased if, immediately after laying, the eggs are placed in cellular boxes, after which - in plastic bags, which should immediately be sealed. This will allow them to be stored for 12-15 days at a temperature of incubation of quail eggs of 15-18 ° C and humidity not reaching 60% in a darkened room.
To increase the shelf life up to 20 days, they can be placed in the incubator for half an hour daily.
Female feeding
To incubate quail eggs at home, it is important to maintain optimal feeding of the quail.
The following ingredients may be included in the diet:
- A piece of chalk.
- Seashells.
- Yeast.
- Potatoes.
- Carrot.
- Beet.
- Cabbage.
- Cottage cheese.
- Egg white.
- Sourdough.
Necessarily there should be grass meal and greens.
In addition to the incubation conditions of quail eggs, feeding also affects healthy offspring. The quality of feed should be high. It affects:
- The viability of the offspring.
- Embryo development.
- The nutritional composition of the egg.
Incubator device
The most popular are the following models:
- "Mother hen".
- Universal-50.
- Universal-45.
Below will be considered in more detail the first model.
The incubation mode of quail eggs in it is supported in a case measuring 70 x 50 x 40 cm, which is made of pressed foam, can be coated with metal or plastic or painted. An electric cable is connected to the cover. When it is removed, the incubator is automatically turned off.
The removable tray is located inside the case. It is equipped with a mechanism that flips eggs every 40-60 minutes. For the period of young hatching, quail eggs are incubated without a coup using a special toggle switch.
Incandescent lamps are located under the tray, with which they are heated. The incubation temperature of quail eggs is maintained automatically due to the built-in electronic thermometer. It can be set in the range of 25-40 ° C.
Two baths are located above the heater, the evaporation of water from which ensures the maintenance of the necessary humidity. Air exchange is controlled through openings located at the bottom of the incubator in the lid. They are adjustable.
Young growth is carried out in a box mounted instead of a tray. It uses internal lighting. Young growth in the established mode of growing can be in this state in the incubator for two weeks.
Devices without automatic turning over will be cheaper.
You can assemble a homemade incubator. It is made of plywood with a thickness of 3 mm with an insulated double lid. These should be the walls. They are filled with sawdust or tow. Openings in the amount of 10 pieces are made in the lid for better ventilation and providing the necessary incubation regime for quail eggs at home, as well as a viewing window. The former should have easily movable slats to regulate air exchange and ensure optimal humidity. The floor is made of plywood, which has 9 holes. Inside are placed dishes with water, 4 light bulbs of 15 watts each and a horizontal tray.
Quail eggs can be placed in a chicken incubator. At the same time, they are laid in a tray in 2 rows.
Egg placement conditions
Incubation of a quail egg in an incubator, depending on its model, may include:
- Laying them on its side and turning 180 °.
- On special trays on which their sharp end goes down. For embryos, an inclination angle of 45 ° is considered optimal.
Before laying, the incubator warms up to 38 ° for at least 3 hours. Eggs from a cold room are transferred to a warm one.
After laying eggs in the apparatus, the incubation temperature of quail eggs at home is maintained at 38.2 ° for 2 hours, which allows them to warm up faster. After that, standard indicators are set.
Quail egg incubation schedule
There are no unified recommendations on these processes. Some believe that the incubation temperature of quail eggs should be 37-38 ° for 15 days, others - 36.8-37.6, while others believe that it should remain stable at 37.7 ° . When transferring quail eggs to the conclusion, the temperature can be in the range of 37.4-40 ° C, the number of coups varies from 1 to 5 per day. Some advise cooling eggs from 1 to 5 times a day for 2-3 minutes.
Features of the procedure
Egg flipping begins to be carried out from 1 day. On the 3rd day, during the incubation of quail eggs, they begin to ventilate and moisten the room. If a manual overturn is carried out, then ventilation is not required. Moisturizing the shell is carried out twice a day, which contributes to its softening. This procedure is carried out by spraying 2-3 minutes after opening the lid.
When automatically turning eggs, airing must be carried out necessarily. In this case, the lid is initially removed for 3 minutes, gradually extending this interval to 10 minutes.
Embryo development
Compared to chicks of other species, quail embryos are less sensitive to temperature changes. Optimum values should be maintained for the first 5 days.
On day 7, you need to monitor the temperature of incubation of eggs at home. Embryos begin to generate heat, which leads to an increase in temperature inside the incubator.
Their development is monitored using an ovoscope. These observations are carried out weekly.
In the event of a power outage and shutdown of the incubator, you need to quickly remove the egg trays, cooling them to 15-18 ° C. After eliminating the cause of the accident and its liquidation, the trays are placed back, bringing the temperature to optimal, but it must be borne in mind that the output of young animals will be delayed somewhat.
After the first week, a developed system of capillaries and yolk is visible. If they are not visible (there is a light border and a dark middle), this indicates the death of the embryo.
When the 14th day of the incubation period of quail eggs approaches, the capillary network spreads under the entire inner surface located under the shell. The embryo is a dark spot that occupies about a quarter of the surface.
Final rejection is carried out on day 16. In the absence of the embryo, we can say that he died in the first days of incubation, the eggs are displayed on an ovoscope. They should not have a greenish tint. In eggs with a normally developed embryo, the contents are dark; only the air chamber located at the blunt end of the egg is visible.
A green hue indicates that it has not been fertilized.
Those eggs that have been rejected must be disposed of. The rest return to the incubator until the nestlings hatch. This process can begin, depending on the temperature set in the apparatus, on days 16-18.
Hatching chicks
Incubation of quail eggs at home ends with the appearance of quail, which, while maintaining optimal conditions during the implementation of the above process, appear almost simultaneously. The delay in hatching of individual individuals can last for 1-2 days. Incubation is considered successful if the withdrawal is more than 80%.
For successful hatching of quail eggs on the 16th day of incubation, they are moved to the lower tray or hatcher with a temperature of 37.2 ° C, depending on the design of the apparatus. The output trays are covered from above to prevent popping up through the sides.
Emerging chicks do not immediately get out of the incubator. They should dry for 12-15 hours. Their mass is about 8 g. The number of males and females is approximately the same.
Poor hatchability may be due to the maintenance of suboptimal incubation conditions. Humidity should be optimal. If the air in the incubator is dry, then the shell dries up, which contributes to an increase in its density. As a result of this, the chick will not be able to get through it.
If the embryonic shells contain an increased amount of moisture, then the quail will not be able to break through them. In addition, the development of bacterial and fungal infections is possible.
Also, unsuccessful incubation may be due to the following reasons:
- Long transportation, as a result of which the internal structure of eggs may be damaged.
- Failures during gas exchange occur when the inner chamber overheats, which leads to the incorrect location of the embryo (its head is directed to the opposite side from the blunt end).
- Untimely implementation of the egg revolution, which leads to the drying of the embryo to the shell, as a result of which it sometimes dies. In some cases, it can hatch, but due to the fact that the protein was not fully used, the probability of its death after release is very high.
- No airing - in the absence of oxygen entering the shell, the embryos may die.
- Overheating of the eggs, as a result of which the chicks begin to hatch early, they have small pubescence, small size, but a large belly, which can also lead to their death.
- Inadequate temperature conditions lead to an uneven conclusion, its delay, the released chicks are poorly kept on their feet, inactive, lethargic.
- Not an optimal diet - mostly birds are born, but their life is short-lived. The main death occurs in the first two months after the hatching process.
Quail Care
Having dried up, the chicks become hypermobile, trying to hide, so they are quickly moved from the incubator trays to boxes, after which they are rejected.
The following quail are considered poor-quality:
- With a thrown back head and a clamped body.
- With inverted joints.
- With a shortened one of the parts of the beak.
- With twisted fingers twisted.
They increase feed consumption, but most of them will die before reaching 2 months of age.
Make a feeder for hatched chicks up to 2 cm deep, covered with a soft cloth.
Feeding is as follows:
- The basis of the diet in the first week is hard-boiled eggs, ground with shells at the rate of 1 egg per 3 chicks.
- Starting from the second day, add a little cottage cheese.
- On day 3 give greens.
- From day 4, the number of eggs in the diet is reduced.
Drinking bowls and feeders should be easily accessible to birds. They are taught to use them by tapping them on the first day. At the emitted noise the quail must run up. Feeding in the early days is carried out at the rate of 5 times a day.
Drinkers are made small to prevent the drowning of chicks. As a liquid, a very weak solution of potassium permanganate is used.
For 4 days, the bottom of the boxes is covered with burlap. On day 7, corrugated paper or newspapers are laid on the floor. Litter must be changed every day.
Finally
Incubation of quail eggs is the only way to get chicks from existing adults. Devices for this procedure can be purchased or manufactured independently. In the first 15 days it is necessary to maintain a temperature of about 37-38 ° and a humidity of about 60%. The state of development of embryos must be constantly monitored using an ovoscope. It is necessary to carry out periodic egg turning, airing and moisturizing the shell.