Bobwhite chicks pip but don't hatch

[PortugalBreeder]

My bobwhite eggs, develop very good, but then they can't get out of the shell. They can't rupture the membrane, they just do a little crack the shell, then I need to go and crack the shell for them. It appears to me that the air chamber is too small so the run out of oxygen to keep going.

[I have already addressed all the issues related to my problem in this link that user twocrowsranch user generously provided, but the problem persists. Lockdown humidity is 90% right now.]


My question: Is it possible that the humidity during the incubation is so high that the air chamber doesn't grow as it's supposed? And, will it hurt the hatch percentage if I remove the water containers from the incubator?

 

[greymane]

I keep my lockdown humidity around 65-75%. I have heard that much higher (10% or more above) will hinder the hatch, but I don't hatch Bobwhites.

 

[TwoCrows]

There needs to be some loss of weight and moisture to the egg so that the air sac is large enough. So if you are noticing the air sac is too small, you need to incubate at a lower humidity. Bobs are usually 55% to 60% humidity during incubation. 70% at lock down. But if you live in a humid swampy air area, you may need to lower this humidity by 5% or so.

Also, make SURE your vents are WIDE open on your incubator during lock down. VERY IMPORTANT so the chicks get enough air. This could also be your problem during incubation. You may need to leave these vents open the entire time to allow proper weight loss during incubation. A certain amount of moisture loss is needed for this air sac to grow large enough that the chick has just enough air to get from lock down to zipping out of the egg.

And make sure you know exactly what he humidity is with a good gauge.

 

[PortugalBreeder]

There needs to be some loss of weight and moisture to the egg so that the air sac is large enough. So if you are noticing the air sac is too small, you need to incubate at a lower humidity. Bobs are usually 55% to 60% humidity during incubation. 70% at lock down. But if you live in a humid swampy air area, you may need to lower this humidity by 5% or so.

Also, make SURE your vents are WIDE open on your incubator during lock down. VERY IMPORTANT so the chicks get enough air. This could also be your problem during incubation. You may need to leave these vents open the entire time to allow proper weight loss during incubation. A certain amount of moisture loss is needed for this air sac to grow large enough that the chick has just enough air to get from lock down to zipping out of the egg.

And make sure you know exactly what he humidity is with a good gauge.

Thank you again for your response.
I can't understand how my incubator could lack oxygen, I have hatched coturnix, chickens and goose whit no problem. How different are bobwhites?
I bet that my problem resides in the humidity somewhere along the incubation but I'm not getting what I'm doing wrong. My incubator is all made of wood, maybe that's what causing the problem because the wood auto-stabilizes the humidity, it doesn't let get neither low neither high when it's needed(?).

 

[TwoCrows]

Here is a web site on candling and air sac development. Scroll down to the drawing of the egg with air cell and you can see generally where you want it to be. Take in mind that this is for chicken development, but it is basically the same for quail. You can also read about how the air cell develops and how humidity plays a part in the size.

http://www.eggincubator.biz/eggs-candling.html

If air is not an issue with your incubator, then it is either temp, hot spots in the incubator, or a humidity issue.

I am so sorry you are having so much trouble.

 

[PortugalBreeder]

Here is a web site on candling and air sac development. Scroll down to the drawing of the egg with air cell and you can see generally where you want it to be. Take in mind that this is for chicken development, but it is basically the same for quail. You can also read about how the air cell develops and how humidity plays a part in the size.

http://www.eggincubator.biz/eggs-candling.html

If air is not an issue with your incubator, then it is either temp, hot spots in the incubator, or a humidity issue.

I am so sorry you are having so much trouble.

Thank you very much

 

[PortugalBreeder]

Problem solved! It was low temperature, off by probably less then half a degree.
I'm adding this here to help people in the future, since none of the Troubleshooting Guides I found have low temperature as "Probable cause" for "Pipped eggs, but died without hatching" symptom.