Trying to understand quail eggs/fertilization...

[stephd]

I am planning to start raising quail soon for eggs and meat, and I have a "newbie" sort of question about the eggs. If I want quail eggs for eating do I keep some females in a separate cage from males so that I can be sure the eggs are not fertile? Would the males just be brought in with the females when I want to rear a new generation? From what I've read it seems that people keep males and females together and just move some eggs into the incubator when they want to raise them into birds, but then wouldn't the eggs that you eat be "fertile" as well? If you take a fertile egg the day it is laid and put it in the fridge does that alone stop further chick development? Thanks for helping me clear this up

 

[TwoCrows]

Sounds like you have answered all your questions already! Yes, females alone will lay unfertilized eggs. Mixing the males and females make fertile eggs. You CAN eat fertile eggs as they will not hurt you. But you can't just "bring in males" when you want to get fertile eggs. If you want fertile eggs, it is best to keep the males with the females all the time so that they are all comfortable as you may have trouble just putting the males in with the females just for quick mating. (fighting). And yes, if you put a fertile egg in the frig, that will stop the embryo from developing.

 

[joe125]

Sorry...this is really confusing me.

If you want eggs for eating, then fertile or non-fertile eggs are fine eating, though I do know a guy that got cooties from eating fertile coturnix eggs. Circle circle dot dot, should keep you safe!

A 1 roo to 3-5 hen mix should give you fertile eggs for hatching, and shouldn't give you cooties if you decide to eat the eggs. Circle circle dot dot...is always an option!

 

[Melmba]

Cooties
What kind of cooties did he get.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

FWIW, old thread

 

[Chix4nic]

I am planning to start raising quail soon for eggs and meat, and I have a "newbie" sort of question about the eggs. If I want quail eggs for eating do I keep some females in a separate cage from males so that I can be sure the eggs are not fertile? Would the males just be brought in with the females when I want to rear a new generation? From what I've read it seems that people keep males and females together and just move some eggs into the incubator when they want to raise them into birds, but then wouldn't the eggs that you eat be "fertile" as well? If you take a fertile egg the day it is laid and put it in the fridge does that alone stop further chick development? Thanks for helping me clear this up

Fertilized eggs don’t begin development until brooding/incubation begins. Before then it doesn’t matter.

 

[DJ_Quail]

If you put a quail rooster in with hens, how long until the hens lay fertilized eggs?

I would imagine it would take some time... and that the eggs they lay the next day wouldn't be fertile... or the next day... because the shell on some of the eggs was already formed inside the hen, before the rooster arrived.

Do any of you know the answer? How long it takes?

 

[Nabiki]

If you put a quail rooster in with hens, how long until the hens lay fertilized eggs?

I would imagine it would take some time... and that the eggs they lay the next day wouldn't be fertile... or the next day... because the shell on some of the eggs was already formed inside the hen, before the rooster arrived.

Do any of you know the answer? How long it takes?

I usually wait two weeks.

 

[007Sean]

ZOMBIE THREAD!!!!