Egg movement

[bostontaylor]

This is my first hatch (quail) and I'm getting impatient! The eggs have been moving and I've been hearing peeps but no pips yet! How long after egg movement should I expect to see some pips? They're on day 17 right now.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

What species of quail are you hatching? Coturnix?

Keep your humidity up to a point that you see fog on the viewing window. Generally 15% higher than you had during incubation. So somewhere between 60% and 70%. This will help to soften the shell and inner lining of the egg so they can zip out easily. If they are peeping inside the egg, they have internally pipped into the air cell. When they have used up all the oxygen inside the air cell, they will externally pip, and break through to the outside to breath air. At this point, do NOT open the incubator as the loss of humidity will cause the chicks to stick to the inside of their shells and die.

Once they get to the stage of externally pipping and breathing outside oxygen, they can sit like this for over 24 hours, sometimes for 48 hours. They are busy absorbing the last of the egg yolk and detaching blood vessels from the inside of the shell. Do not feel you need to break them out when they pip and rest for a day or two. They are not stuck, just doing their thing.

However back to your question, when they are peeping inside of the egg, they are getting very close to externally pipping, probably within the next 12 to 24 hours after you start hearing peeping.

I like to use the cup and sponge method to keep the humidity up, I get a small cup with water and with a clean kitchen sponge cut in half, I just dampen it and put it in this cup of water and put this into the incubator.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[bostontaylor]

Thanks for the great tips!!! My humidity was at 61% before so I ramped it up a bit. Hopefully we'll see some pips today. Fingers crossed!

 

[TwoCrows]

It usually not long after hearing them peeping inside the egg that they want out. The peeping alone uses up precious oxygen, LOL, which causes them to pip to the outside air. It's funny sometimes....when other chicks have already hatched and they hear peeping in the incubator from the unhatched chick, those in the brooder will call back to them. Like they are encouraging them to hatch already. LOL

Good hatching vibes coming your way!!

 

[bostontaylor]

Update: waiting for a hatch once you've seen pips is so tedious!

Three hatched early this morning though.

 

[TwoCrows]

Update: waiting for a hatch once you've seen pips is so tedious!

Three hatched early this morning though.

LOL....yes, its like time just doesn't pass quick enough!!

YAY....you had 3 hatch!!!

Congrats!!!!

 

[geniash]

Congratulations! I know how impatient it is to wait for them the last couple of days!!! Give them time to hatch - it can take up to 48 hours since the chick breaks the shell. The eggs starting to visually move about 5-6 days prior to hatch in my experience.

 

[bostontaylor]

Final update: had 13 out of 19 hatch. Only 12 made it. I had to cull one because it had prolapsed intestines (ew) but the rest are super healthy. Of the eggs that didn't hatch, 3 weren't fertile, 2 stopped developing in the first week and the last was a fully developed chick. I feel like it was a fairly successful first hatch!

 

[TwoCrows]

Final update: had 13 out of 19 hatch. Only 12 made it. I had to cull one because it had prolapsed intestines (ew) but the rest are super healthy. Of the eggs that didn't hatch, 3 weren't fertile, 2 stopped developing in the first week and the last was a fully developed chick. I feel like it was a fairly successful first hatch!

13 out of 19 is an excellent hatch!! Congrats, you did a great job!!

Enjoy all those babies!!!