Chick in need of a rescue!

[QuailMcQuail]

I have 3 Quail eggs in my incubator, one of the eggs hatched yesterday and the chick is doing fine, the second egg isn't making any noise and I think it was a dud from the start, however the third noise has been making tapping and scratching sounds even the occasional chrip since the day before yesterday, today it is making a lot more scratching and tapping noises. I'm wondering if perhaps it's not strong enough to hatch and if so should I help it? I know that you should avoid helping a chick hatch if you can, so I want to make sure that I know whether to or not at this stage.

Also the other two eggs left with my female Quail hatched yesterday.

Thanks in advanced.

 

[mdees88]

If he already pipped and you opened the incubator to get the other chick out the humidity likely dropped out and you may have "shrink wrapped" him inside the shell. You can tell by looking at the pip and looking at the membrane under the pip. If it is brown then it is dry and he likely wont be able to get out of the shell on his own. If it is white he "should" be able to get out.

I had this happen to me for the first time two days ago. Until then I have never helped a quail out of its shell, never had to. But I knew I caused this problem, I did my first staggered hatch and had eggs hatching on three different days. I opened each shell up with a toothpick by the pip. I zipped each shell and left the birds in them so they would have to push their way out. 5 of the 6 birds ended up surviving and are doing just fine.

Did he pip around the same time as the one who already hatched?

 

[QuailMcQuail]

If he already pipped and you opened the incubator to get the other chick out the humidity likely dropped out and you may have "shrink wrapped" him inside the shell. You can tell by looking at the pip and looking at the membrane under the pip. If it is brown then it is dry and he likely wont be able to get out of the shell on his own. If it is white he "should" be able to get out.

I had this happen to me for the first time two days ago. Until then I have never helped a quail out of its shell, never had to. But I knew I caused this problem, I did my first staggered hatch and had eggs hatching on three different days. I opened each shell up with a toothpick by the pip. I zipped each shell and left the birds in them so they would have to push their way out. 5 of the 6 birds ended up surviving and are doing just fine.

Did he pip around the same time as the one who already hatched?

It hasn't actually pipped yet. So should I perhaps get a needle and pip it carefully myself or?

 

[mdees88]

Hard to say. If it hasn't pipped then the drop in humidity from getting the first chick out should not have affected it..... I wouldn't think

All mine had pipped and I could see the very dry brown membrane

 

[QuailMcQuail]

Hard to say. If it hasn't pipped then the drop in humidity from getting the first chick out should not have affected it..... I wouldn't think

All mine had pipped and I could see the very dry brown membrane

Is there a way I would be able to encourage it a bit more?

 

[mdees88]

Is there a way I would be able to encourage it a bit more?

You could try shaking it violently but that's probably not the best idea. I really don't know what to tell you. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

Are they coturnix? What date did you put them in the incubator?

I had some quail hatch last night and the rest of them are just now starting to hatch, I set them all at the same time.

 

[QuailMcQuail]

You could try shaking it violently but that's probably not the best idea. I really don't know what to tell you. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

Are they coturnix? What date did you put them in the incubator?

I had some quail hatch last night and the rest of them are just now starting to hatch, I set them all at the same time.

It is a button quail and I put it in the incubator the day before yesterday...

 

[mdees88]

Oh... so your quail laid them and has been sitting on them for an unknown amount of time and you just put it in the incubator correct?

 

[QuailMcQuail]

Oh... so your quail laid them and has been sitting on them for an unknown amount of time and you just put it in the incubator correct?

Yes, she just decided to abandon her eggs after two of them hatched, so I had 3 in my incubator one of them was half way through hatching it hatched yesterday, now I have 2 one that I think is a dud and the other is the one I can hear chirping and what not.

So before she abandoned them she had 5 eggs, 3 of which hatched yesterday.

Hopefully that makes sense..

 

[mdees88]

It does... I don't know what to tell ya, sorry