Incubating coturnix quail eggs. Air cells too small? and other questions

[Linita]

Hi, I'm incubating quail coturnix eggs. It's the first time I incubate eggs. I followed a guy's guide to incubate them and he gave terrible advice of having the humidity high the first 14 days. The average humidity during the incubation was around 63%. I'm concerned about the size of the air sacs, I don't know if they're too small or how small they are.

Here are some pictures both with pencil marks and with light:

https://imgur.com/a/DppY0cs

https://imgur.com/a/yTshmDM

Also, I have other general questions recgarding monitoring the eggs during lockdown. So here are my questions:

1. Do the air sacs look too small for you? How small?

2. What can I do in this situation to help the eggs hatch when the air sac is so small? Give them security holes after internal pipping?

3.About shrink wrapping. Does it happen for openning the incubator just a moment? Or do you need to let it open for a longer time? Humidity going down to 50%-60% after opening for a few minutes can produce shrink wrapping? Or I shouldn't worry too much about it? Also, can it happen before external pipping or just after?

4. How bad is for the eggs to take them out to monitor them right now every day? It's impossible to know when internal pipping has happened without taking them out and candling/listening to them.

5. How much time is it normal to pass between these stages: internal pipping - external pipping - unzipping - hatching, for quail eggs? When do I know the chick is taking too long and I can intervene to help?


I really don't want to let down those small air sac eggs. They deserve a chance. I feel a bit angry at the guy who gave such bad advice. But I thought it couldn't be that bad since his chicks seem to hatch. Also I found very different humidity recommendations all around the place. It was very confusing.

 

[Kiki]

1. The egg almost looks like a quitter. Are you seeing movement inside it?
2. Nothing and absolutely do not poke a hole in the egg.
3. It can happen by opening the incubator too much.
4. Bad
5. They usually externally pip about 24 hours after the internal pip and then they will start zipping about 24 hours after you see the external pip.

 

[Kiki]

I incubate my quail eggs at about 30% humidity and I do not raise it until they have externally pipped and then I only raise it to 50%.

I find that most people incubate at too high of a humidity throughout the first 15 days and that alone causes eggs to quit.