bob white lockdown

[ggarden]

his foot is bent right back and he still manages to walk with a wobble though and flutters at the same time, hopefully it will correct

no other eggs have hatched yet one has a crack in but thought i would try anyway im not expecting that one to hatch but no sign of the other 3 so maybe its been a bad batch?

 

[TwoCrows]

I think you said you candled recently and they all looked good? Generally, deaths late or during lock down is due to improper humidity and or lack of ventilation. The humidity was maybe too high or too low. Usually it's too low as the too high scenario gets them after pipping. The too low keeps them from being able to move inside the egg to do their work, and they die. Chicks need HUGE amount of oxygen around lock down and to hatch and if they don't have enough, they die. So vents need to be wide open at lock down.

Foot issues in babies is many times due to too high of heat or using a still air incubator instead of a forced air. Force air bators are easier to use and the fans keep the heat temp circulating and constant, always drawing in oxygen. Still air bators take some time to learn how to get the best hatches. Because there is no moving air, they create hot spots in certain eggs or places in the incubator. High heat causes foot issues many times along with other skeletal problems. Some swear by still air bators, I only use forced air with movable vents.

Is this your first hatch? Many times the first hatch is a learning experience to future hatches. You learn your mistakes and what to do or not to do. What day are you on now? I usually go 4 or 5 days past hatch date. So by day 28, you can assume nothing more is going to hatch.

I am sorry if this was the only one to hatch. It happens. If you have a small stuffed animal you can put in there with him or soft fuzzy things, he will enjoy curling up with them. Even an overturned feather duster. A small mirror at his level, proped up so he can see himself, and he will believe there are others with him. I have kept solitary chicks and they do ok with enough attention paid to them. My first hatch yielded only 3 Bob chicks and they loved snuggling on this fuzzy parrot snuggler....

 

[ggarden]

Hi,

I candled at around 5/6 days and you could see veins on the eggs, I didn't candle any more after this, the incubator it is in is a janoel-12 and I have an external thermometer also, the temp has been on 37.8 it is a forced air incubator, the only thing I have struggled with is the hygrometer with it not turning up on time,

the 2nd one to hatch was fine, its just the 1st one that seemed to struggle getting out

I hatched some japanese quail and 5 out of 12 hatched okay apart from one having spraddle leg which i placed a plaster on to help him

Your quail looks cosy on the picture

Thanks again

 

[TwoCrows]

Hi,

I candled at around 5/6 days and you could see veins on the eggs, I didn't candle any more after this, the incubator it is in is a janoel-12 and I have an external thermometer also, the temp has been on 37.8 it is a forced air incubator, the only thing I have struggled with is the hygrometer with it not turning up on time,

the 2nd one to hatch was fine, its just the 1st one that seemed to struggle getting out

I hatched some japanese quail and 5 out of 12 hatched okay apart from one having spraddle leg which i placed a plaster on to help him

Your quail looks cosy on the picture

Thanks again

Oh great, you have two that have hatched!! (I am still half asleep over here, please forgive me. LOL)

It sounds like this could be a humidity issue but since you didn't candle after the 5th or 6th day, they could have died sometime after? Where did you get the eggs? Genetics play a huge part as well. I think if you can get the hygrometer working correctly, you should have good hatches. Stuff happens. Incubators love to give you a hard time, don't they? LOL I hate when I have to fuss with them.

Good luck with your two babies!! I would keep the others going for a couple more days anyway. I have had them hatch 1 1/2 days after the last one hatched.

 

[ggarden]

haha yes the 2nd healthy one that hatched just zipped straight out, it was the poor first one thats struggling

I need to save up for a more reliable incubator though these two are a struggle, I got them from a breeder on ebay

 

[TwoCrows]

haha yes the 2nd healthy one that hatched just zipped straight out, it was the poor first one thats struggling

I need to save up for a more reliable incubator though these two are a struggle, I got them from a breeder on ebay

How is the first little guy today? I THINK his leg will straighten out or heal up for the most part. You could try making a split? Quail babies are just so tiny!

I am sorry you got some dud bators on Ebay. Some people are just not very honest or sell very old equipment. These things aren't cheap, I know! Have you looked in our Buy Sell and Trade section here on BYC? You might find one here and for the most part, members here are trust worthy. https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/19/everything-else (check their Feed Back section, if they have sold here before they should have Good feedback)

 

[ggarden]

He's seems okay had to seperate him as the others are picking on him, caught one chucking him all over had to grab him out

I'll try a splint and see how he goes I'll also check the section on here

 

[ggarden]

Day 26 and another one's trying to hatch with 2 eggs and the cracked one remaining

 

[TwoCrows]

Whoo hoo!! You have lots of babies!! Do you have the others out of the hatcher now? Bobs do not like any drafts and die easily. Make sure your brooder has solid walls and floor, but leave the top open. You can put a screen over the top to keep things out and them in. They drown easily and with so few birds, you can even use jelly jar lids as drinkers until the grow bit enough to drink from a regular waterer. Lay down paper towels and sprinkle feed around the floor and tap with your finger so they can find their food. You have to show Bobs where things are, so always dip the beak once or twice so they know where the water is too. You can remove the towels in a few days, once they figure out where the food is kept. Keep the heat off to one side and the food and water on the other. There should be cool places in the brooder. Thermometer on the floor directly under the heat lamp. Start them out a bit warmer than Coturnix, I like to start Bobs out at 98 degrees for a few days, then lower to 95. Lower the temp 5 degrees from there. Bob are very slow growers and need more heat for a bit longer than Cots. Really, they aren't full grown for one full year and won't be mature to mate or lay until this time next spring.

Good luck with those babies!!

 

[ggarden]

Yes took them out yesterday and put them on the brooder they seem happy now

That egg still hasn't hatched yet but every now and then you can see it move

It's day 28 tommorow could the remaining eggs hatch after that or is it not likely