Another failed quail hatch...beginning to think it's our incubator...

[beakkeeper]

Temp spikes kill quick.
Are you sure your bator wasn't getting too hot in some spots?

When you say what would cause them to die before they even develop... Are you opening the eggs and are they completely clear with zero red spots in them?

So on our hatch of 60, many eggs had nothing, just kinda curdled yolk. Some had little tiny embryos, with little eyespots and little pink bodies. I think I found three fully formed chicks that had died. Definitely possible the temperature was a factor in that first one going wrong—we had it in a room where the temp changed a lot.

now with the second batch though it’s been in a room that is 70F all the time and we’re using a calibrated thermometer in there so I had higher hopes. Will wait it out to see if any hatch but it’s pretty demoralizing to see absolutely nothing upon candling.

 

[beakkeeper]

So on our hatch of 60, many eggs had nothing, just kinda curdled yolk. Some had little tiny embryos, with little eyespots and little pink bodies. I think I found three fully formed chicks that had died. Definitely possible the temperature was a factor in that first one going wrong—we had it in a room where the temp changed a lot.

now with the second batch though it’s been in a room that is 70F all the time and we’re using a calibrated thermometer in there so I had higher hopes. Will wait it out to see if any hatch but it’s pretty demoralizing to see absolutely nothing upon candling.

Do you use a forced air incubator? I think that would help.

 

[FloorCandy]

The 3 that were fully formed but dead could be caused by your high humidity, too high can cause there to be too much fluid inside the egg and the baby can slip around and not be able to get a good position to pip and zip. It can also cause the chicks to absorb too much fluid and they get too big around the middle to turn around and zip.

Your barely developed chicks could have been killed by temperature spikes, you should definitely calibrate some thermometers and hygrometers and check temp in all different areas, and check the humidity as well.

To lower your humidity you can put little cups or packs of rice in the incubator to absorb some moisture. You can also run a dehumidifier in the room it’s in, but the low tech rice trick is cheaper.

 

[beakkeeper]

The 3 that were fully formed but dead could be caused by your high humidity, too high can cause there to be too much fluid inside the egg and the baby can slip around and not be able to get a good position to pip and zip. It can also cause the chicks to absorb too much fluid and they get too big around the middle to turn around and zip.

Your barely developed chicks could have been killed by temperature spikes, you should definitely calibrate some thermometers and hygrometers and check temp in all different areas, and check the humidity as well.

To lower your humidity you can put little cups or packs of rice in the incubator to absorb some moisture. You can also run a dehumidifier in the room it’s in, but the low tech rice trick is cheaper.

Thanks that is helpful! What could cause the current hatch to have nothing visible when candling? I have a few more days before I'm giving up on them too...

 

[beakkeeper]

Thanks that is helpful! What could cause the current hatch to have nothing visible when candling? I have a few more days before I'm giving up on them too...

Also, what is the recommended humidity? I've read so many different things online...

 

[FloorCandy]

Thanks that is helpful! What could cause the current hatch to have nothing visible when candling? I have a few more days before I'm giving up on them too...

Temp fluctuation can kill the embryos early. Where did the eggs come from, rough shipping or transport can cause them to not develop. Then there’s also the question of whether they were fertile?

 

[FloorCandy]

Also, what is the recommended humidity? I've read so many different things online...

I keep mine at about 25-30% and I bump it up to about 40-50% on around day 15 or 16. My brinsea is great at managing the humidity itself, but my nr360 is always a bit high, so I’ll often use it for just lockdown and hatch during the spring and early summer, but I have tweaked it with rice a few times.

 

[FloorCandy]

Also, if all you see is a dark shadow and an air cell, they may be ok, mine normally look like a dark blob and an air cell just before hatch. Often I can only see movement depending on their position. I would give them time. If the temp was consistent and correct, you should start seeing pips on day 17, but if the temp was off, they can be early or late depending.

 

[beakkeeper]

I keep mine at about 25-30% and I bump it up to about 40-50% on around day 15 or 16. My brinsea is great at managing the humidity itself, but my nr360 is always a bit high, so I’ll often use it for just lockdown and hatch during the spring and early summer, but I have tweaked it with rice a few times.

Thanks for the rice trick. I'll have to try that out. Still holding out hope...