➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[Maiahr]

you don’t want to assist as soon as you see pip they need time to absorb yolks are these your personal eggs or are you buying them from somewhere

I had 7 of my own and another 60+ from a supplier. Bad hatching rate with both - 63% overall for all eggs that went to Lockdown.

my guess would be that it is related to breeder age, genetics and health (ie nutrition)...egg storage and age can be a factor, but incubation temp and humidity can also be a factor. (incubators can malfunction at any time without warning). my “homegrown” eggs have a high fertility rate but tend to produce much smaller chicks with higher rate of issue in direct comparison to myshire eggs, but at same time, I have incubated hundreds of myshire eggs compared to 60+/-homegrown.
I would recommend double checking incubator calibration and possibly running some test batches from each breeding group to start ruling out possible issues. I don’t recommend routine assisted hatching as those that can’t hatch normally tend to have other issues/deformities.

You may be right about age.. as all the 'parents' have just started laying eggs 2 weeks prior to collection.
I am pretty certain the incubators are OK, as I clean and test them after every hatch.
In regards of assisting I was planning to just help them zipping, as they failed at that point.
My next batch is only my own eggs so I will see what happens.

 

[Matieus27]

I don’t recommend routine assisted hatching as those that can’t hatch normally tend to have other issues/deformities.

I found this to be true with my scissor beak

 

[Matieus27]

I always say I’m not going to help them but it was trying and trying and I came home for lunch and I could hear it cheaping in the egg I just had to help it but then I seen why it wasn’t able to hatch also even just a tiny bit of dried membrane will impede their hatching I found that out with this hatch

 

[BantyChooks]

That’s far for you guys!?

It's a 60+ mile round trip for me.

 

[Kiki]

Ok, I did the read the Hatching failures but it wasn't clear for me... I had too many pips with no zip or partial zip and then the baby quail died. No shrink wrap. Any ideas why this could be? I know most often it is weak chicks, but why are they weak?

I have decided for the next hatch in 10 days will monitor each egg individually and as soon as I see a pip will start assisting.
Also, as of today I have changed the food for the adults with Quail Layers mix which just came out on the market this month. I will see then if the babies are stronger.

First thing, I say, is to look at your humidity.
What was it at?
How many eggs didn't hatch?

 

[Nabiki]

When I need turkey starter, it is a 20 mile round trip to the lumber yard on the other side of town that is the only place here that will carry it.

That's a one way trip to work for me. It's almost exactly 20 miles from my door to my desk.

 

[Kiki]

First thing, I say, is to look at your humidity.
What was it at?
How many eggs didn't hatch?

@Maiahr I said this before I finished catching up and saw your post about setting young layer's eggs and ordered ones.

It is probably a number of things... Out of your control for the bought eggs.

 

[ShrekDawg]

It's a 60+ mile round trip for me.

Oh wow that’s far!

That's a one way trip to work for me. It's almost exactly 20 miles from my door to my desk.

That still doesn’t sound too bad to me haha I just looked it up and according to Google, Boston is like 30, 35 miles away. It’s like 40 mins to an hour usually but in rush hour traffic it can be several hours each way.

My brother goes the other direction to the cape (Cape Cod) but it’s still about an hour to and from work. Nobody goes that way so really no traffic.

Some people also live just over the border in New Hampshire, North of Boston, because New Hampshire has no income tax, and commute from there. I think it’s slightly further or maybe about the same distance as it is from here.

Some people also take the commuter train or subway in which I think is kind of a good idea cause then you can work on the train. From our train stop which is only like 5-10 mins away it’s an hour in.

Most people do this every single day.

My dad is lucky that he’s always worked from home. He does travel but at least doesn’t have to commute into the city every single day.

So I think some people would likely be jealous of your commute.

 

[R2elk]

I have decided for the next hatch in 10 days will monitor each egg individually and as soon as I see a pip will start assisting.

This is a bad idea.

The number one cause of failure to hatch of fully formed chicks that die at the end is too high of humidity during the incubating phase. It prevents the air cell from increasing to the proper size needed for hatching. It can also create chicks too large to be able to maneuver and zip after they pip.

 

[BantyChooks]

Oh wow that’s far!

It's not too bad because I drive nearby 2--3 times per week anyway.