Anybody Incubator hatch?

[huntress]

I have the opportunity for a new incubator at a reaaaaly good price but it has no turner. I want to help a friend hatch bob white quail for release.
My question is how often do eggs need turned - hers turns like every hour and she even says that seems a bit much.
Does anyone know how often an egg needs turned??? bob white quail are becoming really scarce around here. They have an excellent release area.

[Birdsmile]

For our parrots we were told 5 is optimin and 3 is minnimum.Try going to this site
Quail Raising Information With Quail & Eggs For Sale
Jack

[huntress]

Tanx, I did some research after I spoke on here and twice a day is Ok but some auto turners do every four hours. The woman Im getting it from does reptiles and I dont believe the get turned do they? This is a Hova bator and its new in the box unopened for $20 but the turner if I order is almost $50! Then you need a diff one for chickens then quail.

[Birdsmile]

wish you good luck on the babies.
Jack

[zoegirl]

3 to 5 times a day is reasonable, I have read that a broody hen (chicken) turns her eggs 97 times a day !!!! Guess someone used a web cam on that girl to figure that out.

[birdsnreps]

just wondering why you would rather turn your own eggs than get an incubator with an automatic turner. hatch rate is GREATLY increased when you have the auto turner. yea, its a little more money but when all or most of your eggs hatch instead of only 40-50% of the eggs, its definately worth it. not only that, but when you have to open the incubator 3-5+ times a day and touch the eggs, the chances of bacteria infecting the eggs is greatly increased, even if you wash your hands each time. another thing is, whats gonna happen one day if you have an emergency and you cant be at home to turn the eggs?? the embryos can and will die if they are not turned enough.

[MicahEspudo]

I agree with birdsnreps on this one... definitely get an auto turning bator!
But I also want to say how great it is that your trying to save a species!

[wifeypoo782]

Originally Posted by huntress

Tanx, I did some research after I spoke on here and twice a day is Ok but some auto turners do every four hours. The woman Im getting it from does reptiles and I dont believe the get turned do they? This is a Hova bator and its new in the box unopened for $20 but the turner if I order is almost $50! Then you need a diff one for chickens then quail.

reptile eggs are not turned at all.. they will die if they do.

[greencinacheeks]

you don;t need an automatic turner though it just another thing i turn my button quail eggs 4 times daily i was told 3 minimum i hatch bob whites for release once funfunfun :) i;m buttons now :)

~N

[BIBBRDR]

I got a real expensive Brisnea with turner & humidity control and it still requires you manually turn them once a day because all they turners do is rock them back and forth. They don't really turn the eggs at all.