Hatching Coturnix Quail Eggs - Do You Really Need an Egg Turner?

UPDATE: I had another 12 eggs hatch the following morning, bringing the hatch rate up to 70%.
When incubating Coturnix Quail eggs most people use an egg turner to rotate the eggs while in the incubator, but do you really need to? In this video we do a test hatch to compare the hatch rates of coturnix eggs that are turned versus those that are not turned. You might be surprised.
AJ Farms Website: ajfarmsllc.com
Visit our sponsor at: hatchingtime.com

[@leadershiphelpdesk510]

Very Interesting! No more feeling guilty for forgetting sometimes.

[@CoturnixCorner]

I've forgotten to plug the turner in on more than one occasion.

[@kellyoconnor7896]

I don’t use a turner. Once a day I roll my hand mover the eggs to move them. I always get a very high hatch rate.

[@mmareviewer.2372]

Great to see someone has done this test for us to see. I really pray for all those little chicks to come out 100% as they develop. In the wild birds turn the eggs, but sometimes they don't, don't get the chance, or just don't do it.

[@CoturnixCorner]

Will update as the chicks grow out.

[@chrisbgarrett]

I’m hand rotating once a day first 5 days . 99.5deg and 40-48% humidity. Then leaving them alone and letting humidity go down as it wants unless it gets too low. Gonna bring humidity up to 60% and 98.5deg on lock down. Wish me luck.

[@patrickb8533]

Incredible information and such an informative video. Amazing sir!!! Great job and greatly appreciate the time and skill/help you pass on to us.

[@donnagaudette6502]

Thank you for showing us this.

[@courtneylee2187]

I absolutely love this, because not all of mine fit on my turners, I need a few more rollers. But I put them in the incubator anyways. Now I think im keeping it closed for the incubation period, and not worrying about manually turning them. Yay!!!

[@douglasdishroon1834]

Thank you Terry, it was kind of you to take the time to both perform and record this experiment for us. I am incubating 30 of my own eggs in an incubator with a turner and 30 in an incubator with no temperature gauge or humidity gauge. We use to incubate chicken eggs this way and I thought I would try it again. Thanks Terry, hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

[@TheRodT]

What happned?

[@douglasdishroon1834]

@@TheRodT LOL. Not much of a difference. 27 hatched from the incubator with gauges and 25 hatched from the incubator with no gauges. One stillborn and 7 infertile.

[@Murrays_NY_Pekingese]

Very interesting experiment and result. Will keep in mind next spring :)

[@anotherthing]

Okay, I've done some experiments using a Nurture Right 360 and with a turner versus no turner. Here's what I got: 1.) 41 quail eggs with a turner, 20 hatched for a hatch rate of 48.78% 2.) 51 quail eggs without a turner, 17 hatched for a hatch rate of 33.33% 3.) 65 quail eggs without a turner, 19 hatched for a hatch rate of 29.27% So, if you're using a Nurture Right 360, I'd say you should use the turner. All these eggs came from the same hutch. Prior hatches before I started spreadsheeting used the turner, and I was getting between a 47 to 60% hatch rate from that hutch with the turner. Also, my post hatch mortality rate was consistent with or without the turner using the same brooders. So, the hatch rate drops by 20% not using a turner, but after that, the results are about the same.

[@frisbeefreer532]

Are those hatch rates pretty typical ? Doesn't seem like a very good hatch rate.

[@anotherthing]

@@frisbeefreer532 I've been getting 60 to 75% now that it's much warmer. Those hatch rates were from eggs collected in mid-February and early March, so I assume the cold got some of them. Although I did forget to plug in the turner on the Nurture Right last month and the hatch rate went from 71.11% to 44.44% on two consecutive batches. I also have a cheap Chinese incubator I've been troubleshooting, for example the fan was in backwards in the middle section. One of the motors on the turner wasn't working so I swapped motors. The hatch rate on just the turner working went from 14.4% to 28.85%. More recently, I got a 35.26% hatch with the turner on and they hatched early in that cheap incubator. That hatch rate probably would have been a lot higher if they hadn't started their hatching inside the turner.

[@georgeingridirwin6180]

Helpful, thanks

[@stokedkat5677]

I wonder if just coincidence of chosen eggs the selection was the difference.

[@anotherthing]

@@stokedkat5677 I don't really do any selection. I just put in what the quail put out. In the cases of where I have more eggs than space in the incubator, the eggs going in are the newest eggs. I've done two test runs without a turner, and one where the turner spindle had cracked so it wasn't turning. The results are always the same. The runs without an active turner have a significant hatch rate drop.

[@OwlDeV1l]

Awesome results 👍

[@CoturnixCorner]

I was surprised

[@erikadehoff]

Love seeing this comparison! I only stack & no turn my hatches! It truly does help shipped eggs as it keeps the air cells steady! Especially going from mailbox straight to incubator without rest time.

[@ulrikemartin5175]

Very interesting 😄and surprising 🐣🐣 greetings from Germany

[@tradermunky1998]

This is awesome, I was wondering about this!

[@CoturnixCorner]

Thanks, glad it helped.

[@robertmoore1472]

Good morning fellow quail farmers!!

[@CoturnixCorner]

Morning Robert

[@T12J7]

Would like to see you do this experiment for the non chipped eggs, because it could be that the chicks that died due to the chipping were the ones that were weak enough to be also ki**ed by the not turning them, in which case it could be that for your own not chipped eggs, the not turning them could have an effect of ki**ing some of the weak eggs. Really valuable experiment and video by the way - I really appriciate you doing this.

[@user-ot8xd1hj9w]

Thanks for sharing this

[@centralscrutinizer76]

Thanks for doing this . I stress about making sure all my eggs get turned every day .

[@daleroley5185]

Great Job!

[@CoturnixCorner]

Thanks!

[@riyadhmohammed1231]

Nice experiment ! We want to see quail hatch with your own eggs

[@CoturnixCorner]

Thank you

[@CrackerFL]

Nice job!

[@kellyoconnor9773]

Great video.

[@Thecrazyraven.]

Did you get any more when you put the trays back in the second time? It’s a cliff hanger 😂😂❤️❤️

[@RodgersHaftacreHomestead]

I just hatched out 27 out of 53. I bought the eggs from Knotts Farms add a Ellis Grove IL. I was there buying a silver fox rabbit, and seen they had quail, I ask if the would sell me some, they replied; some of the eggs may not be any good. I said I’ll that a chance, now I’m in Quail business

[@Tonia.lynn2411]

Great video

[@CoturnixCorner]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@MrsStevenBrown]

I’d love to see an small experiment with your own fresh egg, 20 and 20 eggs fresh from that day for prime fertility to see if there is a real difference

[@weekendwarrior1434]

I was thinking that also. Also in the same incubator.

[@SelfEvolutionSouthMelbourne]

Awesome! I think my incubator stopped turning half way, and I still had about a 50% hatch rate... :) Didn't know this, so thank you very much ! :) Love your DYI incubators, I'd love to know how you built them :)

[@fosterthelife5342]

I agree! Could you do a half and half experiment with your own eggs in the same incubator? I’m worried about some Peafowl eggs that I’m incubating. Turns out I’ll be going on vacation the last week of incubation, but returning when they should be starting to pip. Wanting to know how important turning is during that last week. Also concerned about holding humidity. Might need to get a babysitter.

[@juanitathompson6837]

Thank you

[@timdaniels2094]

Thanks!

[@anthonyhendricks7377]

Question...... The Little Giant egg turner. How well do the jumbo quail eggs fit the turner racks? As always fantastic video!!! I agree about the turners. I ordered them today.

[@RodgersHaftacreHomestead]

Awesome thanks

[@jbid9999]

Thanks

[@josephroche9311]

Thank you for all your excellent educational videos. In your experience, have you observed whether or not turning makes a difference in relation to the incidence of "splayed legs" and other health issues in chicks? Thank you in advance.

[@j023909]

could you show us how to do that humidity control setup?

[@villagelightsmith4375]

I wonder if the turned eggs are in better physical shape for the exercise of being turned over? Great experiment here! I've wondered many times, and now I've learned. Thank You!

[@playssio9901]

I gave mine an extra ten days in my nurture after lots of the eggs I got hatched all of them except one hatched I recommended leaving them in the incubator after most of them come out

[@markmarkmark1821]

I really enjoy your vlogs

[@markmarkmark1821]

In one vlog I watched A man with a home made incubator Without an egg turner He had a piece of polystyrene about three inches thick. Instead of turning the eggs individually He would prop one end of the incubator with the polystyrene A few hours later put the polystyrene on the other end Rolling all the eggs at the same time In an other vlog A man used coloured zip ties of the same colour to tell how old each Batch was Finally on an other vlog A other man said, If the eggs are quite round in shape it will hatch into a female quail If the egg is quite pointed and if you run your finger over the pointed end and you feel a thorn Which is so small you cannot usually see it with your eyes It will produce a male chick He said he has one hundred percent success rate with this It is handy so you don't hatch too many males

[@frisbeefreer532]

That is very interesting about telling male from female eggs! But, why wouldn't you want the male eggs to hatch as well and raise the males for meat?

[@bearclawcritters]

@@frisbeefreer532 To be honest I would hatch them in case they popped out a female, anyway. I've only had them a little while but I hatch what I get unless our chickens don't produce what I need. Really so many individual preferences for hatching amount, honestly.

[@OriginalPiece17]

Wow

[@MortifiedU]

Yeah that’s an old wives tale, many do swear by it though, chicken eggs as well.

[@paulacoyle5685]

@@MortifiedU yeah egg shape us determined by the female's reproductive tract has nothing to do with the genes inside the egg.

[@Erlinponorogo]

Informasi yang bagus tentang telur puyuh

[@rayyanvlaanderen8992]

Leuk man goed bezig

[@CoturnixCorner]

thank you

[@eileenann1510]

Interesting, I've been wondering how much difference it makes. Mine are due to hatch any time now 🧡

[@CoturnixCorner]

good luck with your hatch!

[@eileenann1510]

@@CoturnixCorner Thank you!

[@elainematiasiewich7292]

Do you feel not turning would work for chicken eggs as well?

[@thaiquail7458]

Nice to get another confirmation that turners are not essential, at least for hatching quail. Do you plan to repeat with your own eggs?

[@CoturnixCorner]

I do

[@daniellewis1318]

terry i turn by hand and use the same plastic shipping carton to turn them set twenty four and as of today the sixteen day nine are already out and i clearly see eight pipping and i also use a styroform cooler that i made and have not had problem with it it hold the tempertures well at the start and at the end

[@LittlehomesteadintheValley]

Do you do this a few times a day and are you worried about the temperature changing when you do this in your incubator? Or do you keep them in a warm room?

[@paulacoyle5685]

I am just wondering if you turn by hand do you make sure to alternate directions because I have heard if you turn the same direction all the time they can get twisted up in there

[@reebertJunkman]

My question would be... does it make a difference if they are your eggs... I would love to see that...

[@stephenmcghee2396]

Where can the egg turning units be bought at? I am just putting a incubator together to get started.

[@nielsonnc]

Hello Terry, in the incubator you built, the diy incubator, where would you place water in your system to get humidity levels higher like if you lived out west?

[@FFMMA]

This was super interesting. Thanks for making this video and all the other videos. I don’t think the 50% hatch rate is good at all. I think you’re just saying that because you were gifted those eggs/helped out a fellow bird enthusiast. I don’t mean that rudely. But I would like to see this done with your own eggs and see if the hatch rate is any better. And maybe try it with chicken eggs and other types of eggs(great ideas for future videos lol) I gotta say it again. A 50% hatch rate is terrible 😢

[@sidneymcgill9456]

Thank you so much for this experiment: My egg turner stopped turning 4 days into the incubation period. Sigh

[@cathalmire]

Hi terry i have reset my incubator for another batch of egg, but i'm having a problem with tempreture. Its been set at 37.5c but i also put a digital one inside the incubator that is showing up at 40 c ... i don't know which to trust if it's to high or not?

[@anneparisi1828]

Was wandering if there is a difference in hatching in turning the eggs or not. Thanks

[@CoturnixCorner]

I was surprised

[@Jb-uy5zx]

Sweet. Thank you for saving me 90 bucks for a cheesy egg turner and quail tray which is also sold separately. Seems like a ridiculous price for a flimsy piece of plastic.

[@mikeries8549]

A lot depends on how well the quail mate. I've been getting about 25% unfertilized "fertilized eggs". It's not perfect.

[@NishraRama]

My first controller worked fine for less than a day, then the next day cooked all the hatching eggs at 110 degree, then I bought more hatching eggs and a new better controller, worked so good for a week, and today been giving me hard time with the alarm going to 102 degree, I just shut off everything and will see, it's 90 degree where the incubator is sitting, I guess I will take my chances on the 90 degree instead of 102 and up. also if anyone ask that 102 is fine, that's when the alarm goes off, but it keeps heating and could go so high.

[@delanomiller5984]

Hi there am new too this all am from the Bahamas and I did order this hhd 12 egg incubator and don't even know how too get it too what I want it at Soo tell me this when I try too set it Ah L2 hs I don't get that at all what it means and how or what should I set them at

[@josephjohnson6626]

What do you have for humidity during incubation?

[@bisarowood]

interesting experiment , to me that style of turner is a poor design as the egg is mostly upright , in a natural setting eggs are flat and they roll around once in a while ... this Fall I had a hen hatch her own chicks ! in a outdoor natural setting

[@CoturnixCorner]

I'm hoping to get a few hens go broody.

[@stokedkat5677]

Old comment but would love to hear your opinion on if you think it is just better to lay eggs on its side and not turn vs in a turner with the eggs being positioned almost upright as you mention I agree most the turners are not natural way for the eggs to lay

[@user-rj4cf7pu3p]

Terry, I need quail eggs for hatching. Tried Southwest in Arizona, I live in NE Texas and it took a week by mail for the eggs to arrive. AJ Farms apparently switched from quail to chickens. Is there a supplier close enough to me so that shipping will not take so long that you would recommend? Also, where do you order your egg cartons from? I ordered some from Amazon and they are to small for the eggs.

[@jenniferfalla9657]

Myshire farms in Ohio is n EXCELLENT place to get quail eggs. I have a 62% hatch rate from their eggs.

[@robertpoole8837]

How did you make your incubator

[@angelamarzec5590]

Like your incubator can you explain how you made it?

[@georgeingridirwin6180]

Yes do you have a video on how to make it?? I also like the brooder. What size tote is that, please.

[@georgeingridirwin6180]

Ok nevermind I found the video on how to make the incubator

[@terryhafer]

@@georgeingridirwin6180 by

[@amazingvideos15M]

I tried many time homestead qauils egg but got nothing this vedio can help me in future. ❤❤

[@chriszammit1211]

Would like to start breeding these quails but neighbours live very close to my home do smell and are they noisy thanks mate

[@BrandlMegan79]

No quail don't smell. Noisy if they're happy, it's a trilling sound and mine go night and day.

[@glenncollins294]

Explain the egg turner? Where you bought? How you installed?

[@BrandlMegan79]

I ordered online, they're terrific, especially when multiple incubators are going. I don't have to worry about butterfingers 😁

[@ervinhodges6729]

How is the Hatching Incubator does it work out good?

[@CoturnixCorner]

The Hatching Time incubator works great!

[@dardan1998]

I got a question I live in New York and I don’t know the temperature when I kept chicks what’s the temperature is going to be for the room?

[@dardan1998]

In the wrong do I have to keep daylight all the time on

[@Yeshuaschosen]

I'm making a homemade igloo cooler incubator and its too narrow for an automatic turner. I wish chickens were like quail and didn't have to be turned !

[@nccrchurchunusual7990]

I just tried to hatch without turning (Nurture Right) and only had 10% hatch rate... most never developed. A few were partial developed, one pipped but did not get out. Disappointed.

[@stellawolfmann8353]

Just curious what is the humidity in the room there

[@CoturnixCorner]

30% during incubation and 65% at lockdown.

[@hatch-craftincubators7885]

Always been interested in this subject. I have had good hatch rates when I tried it. There are many variables. Post hatch performance is another possible issue. I incubated no turn with the eggs vertical in egg holders. Will be interested in any future testing.

[@ItsAgooberThang]

Update? How did it work out?

[@hatch-craftincubators7885]

@@ItsAgooberThang I haven't hatched any quail lately. The last time I tried not turning the eggs, the hatch rate was comparable to turned eggs., around 70% . I once had a 100% no turn hatch with 24 button quail eggs, that's what really got me interested in the subject.

[@ItsAgooberThang]

@@hatch-craftincubators7885 I’m incubating right now. Mine doesn’t have a turner, but every 12 hours I carefully tilt the incubator until the eggs move just a little. Maybe I should just stop worrying about turning them at all, since it seems to be unnecessary from what you and others have experienced.

[@hatch-craftincubators7885]

@@ItsAgooberThang I would continue turning.. You can try another batch of eggs no turn later and compare the hatch rates.

[@MissingLinkMTB]

They no longer do quail. They've transitioned to chickens. Do you have another suggestion for quail eggs?

[@jenniferfalla9657]

Myshire farms in Ohio they have a website the same name.

[@jacquelinestravels]

How many days for incubating , I am being told different things ?

[@CoturnixCorner]

14 days of incubation followed by 3 to 4 days of lockdown is my routine.

[@jacquelinestravels]

@@CoturnixCorner Thankyou . Is the day you put them in the incubator counted as day one ?

[@CoturnixCorner]

@@jacquelinestravels 24 hours after you have placed the eggs in the incubator is day 1

[@jacquelinestravels]

@@CoturnixCorner Thankyou

[@fullthrottletreeservice4101]

Do you sell eggs???

[@avaldovinos77]

Anyone doing parrot eggs? Love birds, Indian ring neck, cocktiels? Please share info. God bless

[@delanomiller5984]

I had five coturnix quail the smallest one get walk up on and when I notice that and took him out the Cage and bring him into the house he die was Soo disappointed 😞

[@Thekoffrekup]

Prob should have used the same incubator because now we’re left to wonder if one bater was better than the other

[@CoturnixCorner]

Both incubators give similar results. Since the video i've literally hatch 100's of chicks without turners. That being said, i still recommend using a turner if you have one.

[@Thekoffrekup]

@@CoturnixCorner Thank you sir!

[@rickprice407]

What I'll take from this is that if my turner fails during incubation, its not an earth ending disaster. But I'll have it working for the next run.

[@amylou1620]

I have two incubators and one doesn't turn makes zero difference.

[@braydenkesling8281]

I should’ve watched this video before I bought an incubator because I spent a whole lot more money than I had to and sacrificed a lot of space in the incubator just so I can I have an egg turner

[@jonathanmoore4903]

Can we get video of u not turning ur own eggs

[@1oldteck]

Did you ever do a hatch with your eggs be and not turn them?

[@CoturnixCorner]

Yes, I hatch several times without using turners, especially if all my turners are in use and I want to set another batch. I regularly get 80% hatch rates without turning. That being said, I still recommend that you use a turner if you have one available.

[@1oldteck]

@@CoturnixCorner thanks.. I have not been having a good luck with incubator, I finally put in a very good thermometer and I'm winging the humidity we're in Minnesota so we're pretty dry hard to maintain 35% humidity

[@donnapeitz8737]

I don’t think my turner is working I’m getting 75 percent haych

[@Jennifer-tt1kf]

DO YOU SELL EGGS?

[@kenlowder6932]

Ok, here’s your next experiment. Rounded = female, pointed = male. Truth or myth?

[@CoturnixCorner]

Myth ... lol

[@harbibiharlen5533]

Very interesting.. could I have the contact number or email for this farm??

[@damnyankeesdaughter5427]

Every time you say lockdown I cringe. It’s not you, it’s repetitive virus words. Lol

[@jomurphey]

Terry, your eggs aren't shipped also.

[@CoturnixCorner]

I don't understand your comment? Are you asking if all my eggs are shipped?

[@laurenbourg6982]

Those eggs WERE shipped.