Strong hatch rates begin long before Day 1 in the incubator. The two choices that matter most are which eggs you select and how you store them. This guide distills EggBloom’s best practices so beginners can build dependable, repeatable success.
Selecting Quail Eggs for Incubation
Ideal Egg Size and Shape
- Choose medium sized eggs typical for your breed.
- Avoid double yolk sized eggs and undersized eggs.
- Skip strongly misshapen eggs.
Shell Quality
- Pick smooth crack free shells with consistent texture.
- Avoid very porous thin or stained shells.
Age of the Egg
For the best outcomes set eggs that are seven days or fresher. Hatchability declines after day ten. Batch collections help you keep storage time uniform and later follow the 17 Day incubation checklist.
Source and Flock Health
Collect from a healthy well fed breeding flock. Clean housing and balanced feed support shell strength and chick vigor. When you are ready for post hatch care review post hatch care basics.
How to Store Quail Eggs Before Incubation
Storage Temperature
Hold eggs at 12 to 15°C 55 to 59°F. Refrigerators are too cold. Warm rooms above 20°C 68°F speed deterioration.
Storage Humidity
Keep relative humidity around 70 to 80 percent to limit moisture loss before setting. You will target different humidity during incubation see the temperature and humidity chart.
Egg Orientation
Store pointed end down in clean trays or cartons to protect the air cell.
Rotation During Storage
Tilt or turn eggs once per day to prevent adhesion. After setting you will follow more frequent turning as outlined in our egg turning guide.
Timing and Handling
Maximum Storage Time
Set eggs within seven days for best results. After ten days hatchability drops and after fourteen days most eggs will fail.
Pre warming Before Incubation
Rest eggs at room temperature for six to eight hours before loading a warm incubator to avoid condensation.
Checklist Selecting and Storing Quail Hatching Eggs
| Step |
Best Practice |
Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Egg Selection |
Medium size even shape strong shell |
Setting deformed undersized or cracked eggs |
| Egg Age |
Use eggs less than seven days old |
Setting eggs older than ten days |
| Storage Temperature |
12 to 15°C 55 to 59°F |
Refrigerating or warm room storage |
| Humidity |
70 to 80 percent RH |
Dry storage and early moisture loss |
| Orientation |
Pointed end down |
Sideways or blunt end down |
| Rotation |
Tilt or turn once daily |
No rotation during storage |
| Pre warm |
Six to eight hours at room temperature |
Loading cold eggs into a warm incubator |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Refrigerating hatching eggs
- Storing longer than ten to fourteen days
- Skipping daily rotation during storage
- Exposing eggs to direct sun or heat
- Poor hygiene and handling with wet or dirty hands
FAQ
How long can you store quail eggs before incubating
Ideally set within seven days. Quality falls after day seven and sharply after day ten. Past day fourteen most eggs will not hatch. Use batches to align with your 17 day incubation checklist.
What temperature should you store quail eggs
Maintain 12 to 15°C 55 to 59°F. Below 10°C can injure embryos. Warm rooms accelerate decline. For in hatch targets read the temperature and humidity chart.
Should you turn quail eggs during storage
Yes once daily. This prevents the yolk from sticking and maintains viability. After setting follow the turning frequency in our egg turning guide.
How to tell if a quail egg is good for incubation
Choose medium size even shape and crack free shells. Avoid very porous thin or misshapen eggs. Confirm development later with our candling guide on day seven.
Do shipped quail eggs hatch as well as local eggs
Shipped eggs usually yield lower hatch rates around forty to sixty percent compared to local fresh eggs at seventy to eighty percent and home flock eggs at eighty five to ninety percent. If results disappoint start with our troubleshooting guide.
Conclusion
Selection and storage are the foundation of incubation success. Choose quality eggs keep storage cool and humid turn daily and move promptly to the incubator. From there follow the in hatch targets in our temperature and humidity chart and the day by day routine in the 17 day checklist to reach dependable results.
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