Gosh people!!!! 195 posts later I finally caught up! I am so bummed these last three days ended up being crazy busy because I couldn't even look at BYC.
I don't even recall if I updated the beginning of the hatch of Coturnix.
I couldn't multi quote or the thread would probably explode.
Let me just sum it up by wow! I am jealous of the huge cabinet bator, the babies are all so cute, and I feel everyones hatching anxiety right along with you.
I tried to remain calm but it really isn't my nature. Although being so busy I wasn't able to get obsessive over the hatching. Saving my sanity a bit.
Anyway, at 10:15pm Thursday, (day 17 by exactly 2 hours and 15 minutes). I was lucky enough to check one last time before I went to bed and was able to watch my first egg ever in this world hatch!!! Oh.......well excluding my daughter!
Kind of like Ron mentioned he came out on a mission! 10 minutes from zip to out.
Woke up to 7 more loud peepers.
Long story short out of 37 set. 14 appeared to be infertile. I have 15 now. The very last one that hatched yesterday, half zipped and pushed his way out but he can't seem to stand. He isn't splayed, just curled toes and can't really stand. I don't think he is going to make it. One zipped and had something that looked like pale yolk pop out of the zip area and he never came out. I haven't checked the remaining eggs yet because I have the sick chick in the bator still. The others would kill him for sure if I put him in there. Since it is running anyway I just thought I would wait to see if anymore hatch.
The very first one I saw move on Wednesday I ended up having to help out of the shell. Friday night I heard him peeping an there was a marked change in his peeping which became distressed sounding. Sort of similar to HELP I AM STUCK. GET ME OUT! Well at least in my mind.......
I waited about an hour to see what would happen and there was no pip or anything I could see just a lot of noise and rocking. So I steamed up my bathroom and reached in to get him. I turned the egg over and he had chipped away a portion of the shell in the middle but no zipping. A good portion was chipped out and he was wanting out! Now! He had been that way for a while. I just didn't know because it was on the side laying down.
I didn't even hesitate much with chipping away the shell because now I knew he had been that way for at least 24 hours. Shell came right off the membrane was harder than the shell to get off because it was so rubbery. Out he came. For a day, one of his feet was curled but a day later it was pretty straight all on its own. I can't even tell him apart anymore.
The last hatcher though is another story. He just can't seem to make his feet work.
Quail are strange. They will grab each others toes and run like hell to try to get away....dragging the other one behind it. I haven't yet decided if I like them. I am sure I will like the eggs though.
Not being able to fix the other one bothers me too. I don't have a good way to put him to sleep if he doesn't get better. Just waisting away seems unusually cruel. He was a strong quail other than his legs. Now I have to work tomorrow so I can't keep a close eye on him.
Blah. Other than that one though they are all moving quick and like being held less with each day that passes.
