➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

Another update. I helped all four wrong enders out of the egg last night. Three looked pretty good but the one I made bleed a bit seemed really weak. I was so sad that I didn't even come to post about it. He just lay on his side panting all stretched out. This morning he looked a little stronger but still lay all stretched out and could not get his feet under him when he kicked. He did better when I held him up so I cut the end off of an empty toilet paper roll and made him a little chair. lol - I really did not expect him to live. But, a couple of hours later he had climbed out of his chair and was up and walking around. He looked great except for a little bit of drooping in the wings. Since he had been in the incubator for nearly 24 hours after hatching, I put him in the brooder. Now he running around like the others. I have 8 total, half of which I helped out of the shell. I don't know if any more will hatch or not. I am terrible at trying to candle them. That is about a third of the eggs I set. Not terrible for eggs that were over a week old and had been refrigerated for about 24 hours early on.
The fella who gave them to me offered me more today. I told him I need a break. lol - this is much more stressful than I expected.
Thank again for all the info you folks offered me. It took some of the anxiety away.
 
I assisted the final hatch this evening and it was another malpositioned chick. I candled the remaining eggs and they were all early and late quitters. Final is 31/39 hatched and in the brooder. A few with curly toes and final runt is wry neck. Good mix of colors....I have grau fee, Italian, pansy fee, pandas, tuxes, fawns, rosettas, range, and Tibetan. These are the most skittish chicks I’ve had in a while. Every time I get close to the brooder, they scatter. 😂
 
Has anyone used a heating pad type warmer for quail chicks? I see lots of threads on using them with baby chickens. I just wondered if they are good for quail chicks too.
I use a heat plate that is pressure activated with a thermoregulator designed for plant heating mats after the first week. I lay it flat and cover it with dog training pads and then pine shavings. The trick is to place it in the same place they gathered under the heat lamp. I put a small stuffed animal (goes in day one but helps activate the heat pad with enough weight one the chicks step on with it) on one end of the plate for them to snuggle into.
I had previously tried the heat plate from day one with a little hut over the top and they just didn't get it. I spent all day putting them on the heat to no avail. I adore my quail, but some just chicks are not very bright.
 
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So exciting!

I use a strawberry carton to separate eggs, I have to put a small bowl of rocks on top or they move it, that wire thing looks great, how tall is it, where did you get it?
The wire thing is a basket for some kind of small mini deep fryer.
I just found it and took the handle off.
I did not think about putting something on top of it to weigh it down but that's a good idea.
I'm thinking they are probably not going to be in the basket long enough to move it though.
You know what I bet I could turn the basket upside down so that way I can just reach in and grab them out instead of lifting the basket up.

Yes! I better do this right now before the action starts.
 
Good will or other thrift shops are your friend. I've seen some of these looking for a purpose. Will need one shorter than your incubator. Looks like a baby bottle nipple cleaner for the dishwasher. The one you put the bottle tops in. I've got a wire Easter basket that is a smidgeon too tall to work. Good luck.
 
looks like a french fry basket. Guessing she got it from the kitchen.
Neighbor's trash.
I think they decided to clean out their kitchen cabinets. I spotted that basket on top of the box and had the perfect idea for it.
 
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