Calis Pipping and NOT Hatching

[Nichrome]

Ufffff...it is so frustrating. Every time I have high hopes that end up in disappointment. Yesterday I have put in another batch with 6 calis. These eggs were laid in a period when I had started feeding vitamins regularly. We'll see.

 

[bobsbirds]

Not once did you mention that you upped the humidity to 60%. Now I am not saying anything more about it, But everyone who makes a comment usually pops that in. .About upping the humidity .I always used to incubate at 37.5 with a humidity at 50%. Now I have been told to do it at 40 %. I have hatched calis at fifty before, So now, why should I change. That was in the sixties / seventies. Now I have an incie that does everything for me now. I just switch it on and watch everything die..lol But in it now are about a dozen ROUL ROUL partridge eggs and the same amount of MOUNTAIN QUAIL, Plus CALIFORNIAN EGGS of three different pairs So everything crossed.

Cheer's BOB

 

[Nichrome]

Hi Bob! I incubate at 37.5C and 40% and during lock-down I raise humidity to 75%...and it works brilliant for the other species.

Should it be different for calis???

 

[TwoCrows]

Hi Bob! I incubate at 37.5C and 40% and during lock-down I raise humidity to 75%...and it works brilliant for the other species.

Should it be different for calis???

Nichrome, going from 40% to 75% humidity difference is too much. Generally you should up the humidity only by 10% or 15% at lock down. And 40% during incubation is too low. If I were you, I would incubate atleast 50%, no lower, and then raise the humidity at lock down to around 65%. Never go higher than 70%.

 

[Nichrome]

Hi TwoCrows. I was incubating at 45% and the air cell was not developing enough until hatching. Incubating at 40% did the trick for cots and chinese. I need to point out that the environment is very humid here in Malta.

I'm sorry for being the "devil's advocate" but if 40% is too low and 70% is too high, why are my other quails hatching fine? Do Calis have a different requirement? If so tell me asap as I have a clutch of calis in my incubator just now!

 

[bobsbirds]

Hi Nichcrome, and two crow's.. Now this looks to be a very interesting conversation. I do it 37.5 and fifty % humidity. I get my calis out with that, no trouble. They have actually hatched out at that, even though, I haven't stopped the turning. Due to forgetting and not keeping an eye on the date they where put in. But Nic...I do not think that the humidity in Malta would make any difference to your incie. It would be set at the humidity that you want it to be. Malta is surrounded by the sea and One would surmise that the humidity would be high enough, without putting any water in at all. So what reading's do you get on a normal day. If and when I remember the hatching day are near, I up it to 60%. The trouble with me though, I m an impacient man. You can bet there will be a few eggs opened to see what's happening. Two crow's is totally opposite to you, and to me. He lives in a desert, I gathered that by just looking at his name and what is said underneath it. That man can get any quail that walks over there , I bet. What quail have you got two crows.I reckon that you would use a lot more water than both of us together. I Have started to leave my mountain quail eggs and the roul roul eggs in with the parent's to see if they will start to incubate them.
BOB...............................

 

[TwoCrows]

Hi Nichcrome, and two crow's.. Now this looks to be a very interesting conversation. I do it 37.5 and fifty % humidity. I get my calis out with that, no trouble. They have actually hatched out at that, even though, I haven't stopped the turning. Due to forgetting and not keeping an eye on the date they where put in. But Nic...I do not think that the humidity in Malta would make any difference to your incie. It would be set at the humidity that you want it to be. Malta is surrounded by the sea and One would surmise that the humidity would be high enough, without putting any water in at all. So what reading's do you get on a normal day. If and when I remember the hatching day are near, I up it to 60%. The trouble with me though, I m an impacient man. You can bet there will be a few eggs opened to see what's happening. Two crow's is totally opposite to you, and to me. He lives in a desert, I gathered that by just looking at his name and what is said underneath it. That man can get any quail that walks over there , I bet. What quail have you got two crows.I reckon that you would use a lot more water than both of us together. I Have started to leave my mountain quail eggs and the roul roul eggs in with the parent's to see if they will start to incubate them.
BOB...............................

Hi Bobsbirds....Yes, it is incredibly dry and arid around here. So maybe I do pump the humidity more than I should. This is place is all I know, LOL, and I forget that others may live in such humid places that maybe they can even do dry hatches. Not around here. With an average air humidity of 6 %, LOL, without adding tons of water to the bator, there would be NO hatching. LOL

Right now all I am keeping is Bobwhites, although over the years have also kept Tennessee Red Bobs, Coturnix and Gambels.

But on this note, Nichrome, maybe you should try a dry hatch. Don't add or only add minimal water to the bator during incubation and then at lock down, get the humidity up to 50% or 60%. Maybe you have too much humidity in the air. You need to experiment with this since you have had successful hatches of other types of quail. If your temp is dead on, the only other thing it could be is the humidity. Work on it.

 

[Nichrome]

6%? Here the average humidity in the laying season will be around 75! Maybe that's why I keep my bator on the dry side.

At pipping stage, the air cell is just the right size so maybe it is not humidity. What are are the symptoms of excessive humidity from pipping stage onwards?

 

[TwoCrows]

6%? Here the average humidity in the laying season will be around 75! Maybe that's why I keep my bator on the dry side.

At pipping stage, the air cell is just the right size so maybe it is not humidity. What are are the symptoms of excessive humidity from pipping stage onwards?

Chicks can drown with too much moisture. Sticky chicks, possibly smeared with egg yolk, navels not healing over, possibly the egg yolk not being absorbed. I am sure there are other problems with excessive humidity, but these are the most common issues. Late hatching is not a symptom of high humidity levels.

 

[Nichrome]

Hmmmm...I have none of these problems so I am presuming that I do not have a high humidity issue. Yet still, this time I'll try to hatch at 60% instead of 75%. Will keep you posted!