Button Quail hatch - - WE HAVE BABIES! Pics added

[cluckcluck42]

Well, to start off, my cats somehow managed to break into my quail cage. I have no idea how, my fiance did such a good job of building the new cover. My dog chased around the quail, broke some things, and ate him and threw him up. Thankfully I did not have to see that, I would be an absolute mess. Life has not been good to us. Yesterday our Ford Explorer flipped with my fiance in it and is totaled. We just got it 2 months ago and since it was older did not put collision on it. It is a loss of 1500 but I do not even care, we are okay. I am really upset about my male though. I just had to share.

So my quail hatch should be happening today but some eggs have been pipped since Tuesday evening. What is taking so long?? I cannot see any beaks or anything, just tiny breaks in the shell. It would crush me if these did not hatch. My cinnamon and now my blue male made those babies and are gone.

Please send good thoughts my way.

ETA: We have babies! Pictures to come!

 

[JJMR794]

If They Have Been Pipped That Long You Should Really Take A Hard Look At Your Humidity

 

[cluckcluck42]

Quote:
Steady between 55- 60% which is what I researched is the right humidity. Is this correct??

 

[mhwc56]

awwww. so very sorry for your losses..
Thank the good Lord you guys weren't hurt!
humidity sounds right. are you sure your meter is reading correctly?

 

[cluckcluck42]

Almost positive. I bought a digi therm/hygrometer and I am nearly positive it is correct. My other 'regular' one shows being off by 7 degrees and 7 or so percent of humidity. I've had problematic hatches before and I am chalking it up to my old hygrometer being crap.... but I just do not know. Shouldnt the digital one be pretty accurate?? Temps are steady at 99.7- 99.9

 

[cluckcluck42]

And thank you, we do feel lucky. I very narrowly avoided being in the passenger seat, which took the brunt of the damage. Would have been badly hurt for sure but I had cramps and stayed home at the last minute!

 

[cluckcluck42]

The girls keep crying out for him. It is so heartbreaking.

 

[mhwc56]

you probably never thought you'd be grateful for cramps huh!?

i have 2 digital thermometer/hygrometers for my incubator.. then i got a regular thermometer that i had to calibrate and found out the 2 digital ones were waaaaay off!

i had thought my digital ones would be the best choice but then was told that the indoor - outdoor ones aren't good for incubators and to get one for cooking ..i got 1 of the ones that has the little round ,flat temperature gauge at the top and the metal 'rod' attached to the underside of it. they come with a case that the end slides into and that you use to calibrate. i think i paid 5.00 for it at our local hardware store.
i know this doesn't help with the humidity but .....well just thought i'd add this info ....

 

[cluckcluck42]

Quote:
Nope! It's so strange because the passenger side was really messed up, so I would have had some serious damage. Who knows what could have happened.. so spooky!

That's very helpful, thank you- I will use that for next time. I have one of those in my new (well, really old) incubator I just bought. It is an older model but they are built to last so I hope it works. Next hatch will be in it.

If no quails pop out I am going to be so heartbroken. I am still hopeful. I forgot that the power has gone out four times over the course of two days about a week ago. That alone would delay the hatch. Just confused why there are so many pips and no hatching!

 

[mhwc56]

have any babies hatched out yet???

if not i would wonder about that power outage you had. What about the eggs.. did they all come from your birds or did you order some of them?
if they haven't hatched i would wonder if they just weren't strong enough to get out for some reason. ..and i would be concerned about them getting"shrink wrapped in the egg if there's air getting in and they haven't come out yet. Maybe add an extra source of humidity to the bator ...a wet sponge or something..?