Any Reason I shouldn't Put some food and water in the incubator for the first hatchlings?

[Snowingamanda]

My quail eggs that pipped in the bottom all go shrink wrapped because I took out baby quails after 24 hours there

 

[Phunktacular]

I let a handful of eggs hatch and dry out inside the incubator. Once they're dry, if there's no more obvious pips, I remove the hatched to put in brooder. I don't wait a full 24 hours but, I don't open the door all the way, either. I only open enough to get my arm in and reach the babies. I've had very successful hatches ranging from 80-90%. I incubate at about 45-50% humidity and hatch at 55%.

 

[Maiahr]

2 of my incubators are very shallow so at every hatch I shrink wrap some, thankfully only 2 at the last hatch and I managed to save one of them, but now dealing with curly toes on both legs. SO I actually do put food and water in the incubator. Very little though - a bottle cap of water and a bottle cap of food. Chicks indeed do not them, but quail start eating right away.. and quail shrink wrap more.. at least my experience.

 

[Xxmushyxx]

I wonder the same thing. Was incubating quail and they don’t have the same reserves as the chicken chicks do. So, after waiting over 24 hours I decided to take those that hatched out. Even though I added extra water which raised humidity to over 70%, took out only a small window to quickly snatch the chicks, and misted inside the incubator before closing it, sure enough all the other babies that had pipped got shrink wrapped. And i didn’t even see that they pipped until later because they pipped face down.
So, now I’m seriously considering at least when hatching quail to try to leave a shallow dish with water and sprinkle some food on the carpet. The ones that made it were very active inside, pecking at the floor, but after 25 hours in there they were less active and that was nerve wrecking. I searched the internet and did not find a solid reason why not to leave food and water for them inside... if anyone knows, please do share!

This is where I stand at the moment I have one that has hatched this morning and one zipped and three popped and I sitting on to take out or leave till tomorrow night