Cadleing, I didn't see anything are my male Buttons shooting blanks?????

[Pumpkan]

I tried candleing my eggs (in the nest) today and I didn't see anything in there! I accidently dropped one and it cracked so I took a peak inside there was nothing in there !! Are my males shooting blanks or could they just be too young to be fertile??? I didn't check the ones in the incubator for obvious reasons but do you think i should pull one out and see if theres anything going on??? I don't want an incubator full of unfertile eggs! .....???????....... At what stage would you be able to see if anyhting is going on?

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

We candle our eggs at day 10 to be absolutely sure, though you can tell earlier. What is your male to female ratio? How old are the males?

 

[Pumpkan]

I am not sure exactly how old my males or females are but due to the recent breading mating and fighting and having to seperate them id say just a few months old!! I have one male per two females and one pair. They mate alot !! So I'm not sure , my eggs are a dark olive color so it's hard to see inside but i don't think there is anything some od them look like theres a band around them on the inside but its not really distinctive and it seems like it might just be how the shell is made.???????????

 

[Stellar]

I wouldn't candle button quail eggs. They are so small you are delaying hatch each time by cooling them.

 

[jbobs]

yeah honestly, they are so small I wouldn't even bother. Like I said in my last post just let nature take care of it, it will either happen or it won't. I would say the chances of both your males being unfertile is very small - especially if you are seeing them mate, the eggs are very likely fertile. Now it's just about keeping them at the right temp, humidity, and turning to get them into chicks. Candling them isn't going to make it happen any faster and could very well cause more harm than good. I think the one you looked at was from the nest - I doubt your birds are fully into incubating them. If you are turning the eggs, the eggs were a week old or less when you put them in, your incubator settings are correct and you are watching the temperature and humidity daily, then with fertile eggs in there I don't see why you shouldn't get at least a couple chicks. Just have to wait an see!

 

[jbobs]

and if your birds are a couple months old they are PLENTY old enough to breed.