How to Candle Quail Eggs

Quail are a type of small gamebird found wild throughout the United States. Quail are raised domestically for ornamental purposes, as well as eggs and meat. Starting a quail flock by hatching quail eggs allows poultry hobbyists to observe the quails' development, and may help tame the birds and get them used to human activity. Hobbyists should candle the quail eggs during the incubation period to check for proper development and egg fertility.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Quail eggs
• Flashlight

1. Wait until the quail eggs have been incubating for five to seven days. This gives the egg time to develop tell-tale signs of fertility. Before this, fertile and infertile quail eggs look exactly alike when candled.

2. Take the quail eggs and a flashlight into a dark room, such as a closet or a bedroom with its windows curtained.

3. Turn on the flashlight pointing toward you. Hold a quail egg against the flashlight's lens with one hand. Cup your other hand around the flashlight to block out all of the light except that which is coming through the egg.

4. Look at the quail egg. The light will give the egg a soft glow. Fertilized quail eggs will have a dark mass with red or orange vein-like marks running through it.

5. Replace the fertile quail eggs into your egg incubator. Discard infertile eggs.

Tips & Warnings

• Quail eggs typically hatch within 22 to 25 days, depending on the quail species.
• Dark-colored quail eggs typically cannot be candled, as their dark color prevents light from sufficiently shining through the egg.

References

• Pennsylvania State University: About Bobwhite Quail
• "Keeping Quail: A Guide to Domestic and Commercial Management;" Katie Thear; 2005

Resources

• How to Raise Quail in Your Backyard
• UC Davis: Pictures of Candled Poultry Eggs