How many hours can quail stay in incubator?
When they are dry
The simple answer: when they are dry. Typically this is within 3-4 hours of hatching.
After a couple of hours their feathers will be dry and fluffy meaning they are ready to be moved to the brooder.
BUT that doesn’t mean you must move them, just they are ready. They will be fine in the incubator for a while longer.
No more than 24 hours in the incubator
Not wanting them to dehydrate, it is best to take the new quail out of the incubator in less than 24 hours.
I will typically wait until there is a pausing in hatching and there is a group of dry quail ready to remove.
Also, game birds will not have the same reserves that other birds are borne with like chickens. Make sure you remove chicks at least once a day after they start hatching. Also, make sure to have food and water available immediately in the brooder.
Removing them in groups will minimize the opening of the incubator and the sudden drops in temperature and humidity.
Don’t worry about the humidity levels
There will be a drop in temperature and humidity when the incubator is opened, but it is nothing to worry about unless you open it too frequently.
In most incubators, the temperature will recover quickly. Also, as additional quail hatch and begin to dry the humidity level will also recover.
So don’t worry too much about it, just don’t keep opening the darn thing.
Have your brooder ready!
Long before you get to worrying about removing hatched quail, make sure your brooder is setup with food, water, and up to temperature.
More questions?
If you have any more questions, first check out my Quail FAQ post and if you need something more feel free to contact me.