➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[JacinLarkwell]

Hey quail friends, are any of you the writing type? We just added a new section to the Learning Center here about processing birds, and I was wondering if anyone would be interested in writing up an article (with pictures!) about how to process quail for the new section.

There's a chance we may also host a new article contest to help get new articles too, so you might be able to enter it in said contest and possibly win a prize.

I can, but it will be another month before I process any, so someone else who's doing it quicker will probably beat me

 

[Britt712]

Here's the third update! All are pipped but one is malpositioned!! I made a small pip hole for it to begin breathing but I'm not sure if I will have to assist. Any advice?? Also the bottom one has been pipped for 17 hours now. Should I be worried?

 

[Fenrisulfr]

First advice... 17h is not too long.

Always difficult. Real breeder do not help for two reasons:
First, they don't want to have weak genes in their line. If the chick doesn't make it on its own, they don't want to breed further with it.
Second, The survial rate of helped chicks is poor anyway.

Nevertheless I help on day 20, if there is still life in the egg.

But be aware, many things can happen and survival rate is poor, as mentioned.
Think about helping a chick and hit a bloodvessel, bleeding to death. You will feel real bad.
I had this once, when I had no patience, in my beginnings. Or you are too early and the yoldsack hasn't been sucked in completly.
Also picking up died chicks from the bator or brooder also doesn't feel good.

If you dare to help, I can suggest a video, I was inspired ...I do it right this way (beside I place the chicks back in the 'bator to dry), BUT I do it on end of day 20 with eggs I still HEAR life (scratching, skrippling, pecking or peeping ... please do not do the water test). All losses then, would be lost anyway.

I helped 4 of these late chicks in my last hatch and only one made it and, as these lateties are always smaller as the rest, the suvivor was injured by the bigger ones with week four and I had to cull it.
So you shoud think twice, if you can handle this.

Good luck!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

First advice... 17h is not too long.

Always difficult. Real breeder do not help for two reasons:
First, they don't want to have weak genes in their line. If the chick doesn't make it on its own, they don't want to breed further with it.
Second, The survial rate of helped chicks is poor anyway.

Nevertheless I help on day 20, if there is still life in the egg.

But be aware, many things can happen and survival rate is poor, as mentioned.
Think about helping a chick and hit a bloodvessel, bleeding to death. You will feel real bad.
I had this once, when I had no patience, in my beginnings. Or you are too early and the yoldsack hasn't been sucked in completly.
Also picking up died chicks from the bator or brooder also doesn't feel good.

If you dare to help, I can suggest a video, I was inspired ...I do it right this way (beside I place the chicks back in the 'bator to dry), BUT I do it on end of day 20 with eggs I still HEAR life (scratching, skrippling, pecking or peeping ... please do not do the water test). All losses then, would be lost anyway.

I helped 4 of these late chicks in my last hatch and only one made it and, as these lateties are always smaller as the rest, the suvivor was injured by the bigger ones with week four and I had to cull it.
So you shoud think twice, if you can handle this.

Good luck!

I'm not arguing since you say you help anyways, but I don't agree that a 'real breeder' is someone who doesn't assist chicks hatching. Sure, maybe they are weaker, but odds are if they're so weak it's a bad thing, they'll die anyways. I helped 3 or 4 of my quail this time around, including (slowly and carefully) having 2 hatch in my hand. Only one had problems and had to be put down. The others look just like happy babies. It's up to each person to decide if they want to just let nature take it's course or if they want to help and know what the risks are.

 

[Fenrisulfr]

I'm not arguing since you say you help anyways, but I don't agree that a 'real breeder' is someone who doesn't assist chicks hatching. Sure, maybe they are weaker, but odds are if they're so weak it's a bad thing, they'll die anyways. I helped 3 or 4 of my quail this time around, including (slowly and carefully) having 2 hatch in my hand. Only one had problems and had to be put down. The others look just like happy babies. It's up to each person to decide if they want to just let nature take it's course or if they want to help and know what the risks are.

I just repeat, what the poultry breeders told me in my club, they doing it for over 30 years.
What is a real breeder or a hobby breeder ... You are right, I cannot draw a line.
I may did name it wrong.

As you said, I help either, as I think life got to have a chance.

 

[Britt712]

First advice... 17h is not too long.

Always difficult. Real breeder do not help for two reasons:
First, they don't want to have weak genes in their line. If the chick doesn't make it on its own, they don't want to breed further with it.
Second, The survial rate of helped chicks is poor anyway.

Nevertheless I help on day 20, if there is still life in the egg.

But be aware, many things can happen and survival rate is poor, as mentioned.
Think about helping a chick and hit a bloodvessel, bleeding to death. You will feel real bad.
I had this once, when I had no patience, in my beginnings. Or you are too early and the yoldsack hasn't been sucked in completly.
Also picking up died chicks from the bator or brooder also doesn't feel good.

If you dare to help, I can suggest a video, I was inspired ...I do it right this way (beside I place the chicks back in the 'bator to dry), BUT I do it on end of day 20 with eggs I still HEAR life (scratching, skrippling, pecking or peeping ... please do not do the water test). All losses then, would be lost anyway.

I helped 4 of these late chicks in my last hatch and only one made it and, as these lateties are always smaller as the rest, the suvivor was injured by the bigger ones with week four and I had to cull it.
So you shoud think twice, if you can handle this.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for your help. I was not planning on assisting any hatches in a way that would keep it from hatching on its own per say. Just enough to encourage it. The increase in CO2 inside the egg causes the chick to resort to the air cell but without the air cell I wasn't sure how long it would last. It did pip but it did not get through the membrane so I wet it down to see if there were any vessels and I gently punctured it. I was just wondering about my approach if it doesn't end up hatching on its own. The water test is beyond my plans. I never do the water test especially if they were to pip first. I want helping the chick to be my last resort. It hasn't been 24 hours since the pip so I will let it be to progress. And learn how to help it if so be it. If it doesn't survive then at least I tried. Thank you again I'll be looking at this link.

 

[Britt712]

I'm not arguing since you say you help anyways, but I don't agree that a 'real breeder' is someone who doesn't assist chicks hatching. Sure, maybe they are weaker, but odds are if they're so weak it's a bad thing, they'll die anyways. I helped 3 or 4 of my quail this time around, including (slowly and carefully) having 2 hatch in my hand. Only one had problems and had to be put down. The others look just like happy babies. It's up to each person to decide if they want to just let nature take it's course or if they want to help and know what the risks are.

I just repeat, what the poultry breeders told me in my club, they doing it for over 30 years.
What is a real breeder or a hobby breeder ... You are right, I cannot draw a line.
I may did name it wrong.

As you said, I help either, as I think life got to have a chance.

Regardless I am not a breeder. These are simply pets. I will step in if I have to because I think it's better to try than let a possibly healthy chick die if it could be saved. I was just wondering the steps I should take to help so that I can reduce possible injury. Thank you for that video it is very useful!

 

[muddy75]

Hey quail friends, are any of you the writing type? We just added a new section to the Learning Center here about processing birds, and I was wondering if anyone would be interested in writing up an article (with pictures!) about how to process quail for the new section.

There's a chance we may also host a new article contest to help get new articles too, so you might be able to enter it in said contest and possibly win a prize.

we are due to process “yesterday” i will take some pics and try to put something together when we do

 

[Ted_Harrell]

My 20 Quail Just went into lockdown yesterday, hopefully I get to see my first quail babies!

 

[Fenrisulfr]

End of day 16 ... I came home and 5 new born babies are bowling around

My HomeGrown Celadon Splitter are the first.

But the other eggs are already starting wobbling