A few questions as I approach my hatch

[Emilys3guppies]

Today we're going into lockdown! WOOT! I've got the humidity at 64%...do quail need it higher?

Also, my first brooder is a 20 gallon tank...2' by 1'. I've got 17 dark eggs out of 22. YAY. I wonder how many will hatch? How long can I keep how many chicks in that size a space? I also have a metal rabbit cage that I can hook the heatlamp to. It's 3' by 3'. I figured that for the first few days, at any rate, the tank would hold heat better for the babies.

I have one really small egg at just over 1" long and one really big egg at just under 2" long. I hope they both hatch! LOL! Here's a pic of them...both sitting just above the white egg with the large one to the left.

Thanks for all the help!
Emily

 

[Emilys3guppies]

Also, is it Shelley or Saddina who recommend lowering the temp by 1 degree? Do you do this for all of lockdown or just the last day?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
That would be me, I do it for the whole lockdown, and it really does seem to help. I would try to get the humidity higher if you can, try adding some wet paper towels to the bator to increase it.

ETA: The chicks grow very fast, they will double in size weekly their first 3-4 weeks. So the tank would probably work the first week. But the good thing is they also feather out pretty fast, so they won't need to be quite as enclosed either.

 

[Emilys3guppies]

Higher, like 70%? What are your minimums and maximums, Shelley?
Thanks for the reply!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I keep it at 50% during incubation (no lower than 45%), then at least 65% for the hatch, though it is usually in the 70's (sometimes 80's

).

 

[Swamp Roo]

I've got my humidity at 80%+/- right now for a hatch. I use a 10 gal aquarium as a 1st brooder with two layers of paper towel on the bottom. I put about a dozen-18 chicks per 10 gal. When the paper towel can't handle the moisture for 24 hrs, I move them to a 2' x 3' wire front brooder with pine shavings out in the hen house. The paper towel is nice, because I can put ground quail starter (elc. coffee grinder) right on it and see if/how much they eat. Also a 10 gal aquarium is about two sheets long and one wide!

 

[ecogen]

Swamp Roo, do you think a 55 gallon tank (about 13"W by 48"L) can hold 20-25 chicks for 4 wks - 5 wks? I am about to set a hath tonight and I was very graciously given over double the amount of eggs I ordered. I asked for 20 and got 55! I have to figure out how many I can brood in the tank so I can put the right number in the bator tonight. I am assuming a 60% hatch as this is my first time. Thanks and wish me luck.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
First off, they won't need to be in a brooder that long, they can go outside (as long as it isn't super cold) as early as 3 weeks. Since this is your first hatch, you should go ahead and set all the eggs. My first quail hatch, I set 18 eggs. Only 2 hatched. I didn't know what I was doing. You can always sell any extra chicks

 

[ecogen]

If I take them out of the brooder at 3wks to the outside coop, should I keep a light on them during the night. I am new to TN, but I assume the weather here is mild.