California/Bobwhite Hatch

[Ted_Harrell]

Hey congrats, they are too stinkin cute, how long do quail take?

 

[Nabiki]

Also, little chick has curled toes.

Give it 24 hours or so to straighten up on their own with something grippy to walk on (as @Kiki suggested) and if they still don't straighten out, you can try cardstock and masking tape shoes. They're a pain to get on, but I've managed to fix 3 or 4 chicks feet like that.

 

[Quailobsessed]

I have the chick on paper towels, the toes seem to be straightening out.

 

[maadroj]

Did the other chick hatch? There's a really good article on here somewhere about when and how to assist a hatch.

 

[maadroj]

I used this one for instructions: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/

And this one looks really good, too: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Don't worry about curled toes. They'll probably straighten on their own, but even if they don't, they'll probably be fine. One of my hens still had a curled toe despite much hassle trying to help her straighten it, and it doesn't seem to disturb her at all.

 

[Quailobsessed]

@maadroj the chick didn't hatch

I mostly parent raise my birds so I don't have experience with assisted-hatches. I don't know how long it had been pipped for, I wish I had tried to save it.

 

[maadroj]

@maadroj the chick didn't hatch

I mostly parent raise my birds so I don't have experience with assisted-hatches. I don't know how long it had been pipped for, I wish I had tried to save it.

How long has it been? It might still be possible. If it's still in the incubator.

 

[Quailobsessed]

How long has it been? It might still be possible. If it's still in the incubator.

I saw that the egg had pipped on Saturday, it is now Wednesday.

 

[Nabiki]

I saw that the egg had pipped on Saturday, it is now Wednesday.

Sounds like it's time to either give up on it or perform a necropsy. Sometimes they just don't make it out of the egg.

 

[Mtnboomer]

So I've been incubating some bobwhite and california quail eggs I got from my pairs and...

...THEY'RE HATCHING!!!

One california just popped out. Another one has been hatching, I'll see how that one goes.
I don't think they'll all hatch, we've had some really hot days and the incubator may have overheated, but I'll see how we go.

I'll try and get pictures tomorrow.

@muddy75 @Kiki @Quaicken108

Awesome! Where do you source your eggs? I would like to try quail and pheasant but hear so many nightmare stories about buying 50 eggs and only a handful were viable when they arrived.