We cranked up our estate-sale incubator - and after lots of adjustments, many calls and emails to the manufacturer, and the threat of using a styrofoam version - we started incubating.
Today, Big John candled all the eggs to find out which were still viable.
Out of 77 eggs, 56 still seemed good. Big John transferred those 56 eggs to a smaller incubator (another estate sale find!) and lowered the temperature by a degree. Three days prior to hatching, eggs should not be rotated. This will allow the chicks time to reposition themselves inside the eggs so they can pip.
The 21 eggs that hadn't developed (and were very stinky) were discarded.
Our next job was to build a brood box. We have a couple of brooders for chicks, but nothing with mesh small enough for these tiny quail chicks. Big John built a plywood box and we attached 1/4 inch hardware cloth to the bottom.
He also built a top for it - the quail will be able to fly pretty quickly - and we used 1/2 inch hardware cloth to cover that.
He even built a slide-out "poop pan" that I lined with leftover house wrap. This will keep our floors clean and be easy to wash off!
We're prepped and ready to go. If all goes well, chicks should start to appear Tuesday or Wednesday!
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