Cortunix drama. a Hatch on day 22 ?!??

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Jacob Duckman

Jacob Duckman

Chirping
Jul 4, 2016
125
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Lehigh Valley
update from my last post

Yesterday evening, after giving up on my dozen cortunix eggs in the incubator with no sign of life on day 21, I decided to unplug the bator and wrap it up.

Today (day 22), I get up and walk over to the bator to throw out the eggs and disinfect it for a next batch, when I noticed an egg had pipped. I was sure it would be dead after a whole night with the house temp at 65, but amazingly enough it was alive. I quickly plugged the bator back in and set the pipped egg back in.

It's been about 9 hours. The chick has fully exited the egg and is laying in the bator chirping, not walking yet. I'm not sure what to expect but wanted to share this story so far. No action from the other eggs. If the chick is still alive by tomorrow, I will move him to a brooder and do the float test on the rest of the eggs. Will update with pics as soon as I move a chick. This is my first cortunix batch, any and all advice welcome!
 
Don't float test (too much room for error - and if you miss an external pip you will drown the chick). You should candle them. If the egg is dead there is a thin, clear, yellow gap between the black of the embryo and the air cell with no veins visible. If they have pipped internally there will be a little shadow in the air cell. If you can't see a shadow look at the membrane where the air cell slants as you may see it flexing as the chick tries to pip through.

Quail legs are very weak to begin with. Try giving it a fluffy cloth to sleep under - it will push up into it as it would its mother which really helps to strengthen those little legs.
 
JaeG said:
Don't float test (too much room for error - and if you miss an external pip you will drown the chick). You should candle them. If the egg is dead there is a thin, clear, yellow gap between the black of the embryo and the air cell with no veins visible. If they have pipped internally there will be a little shadow in the air cell. If you can't see a shadow look at the membrane where the air cell slants as you may see it flexing as the chick tries to pip through.

Quail legs are very weak to begin with. Try giving it a fluffy cloth to sleep under - it will push up into it as it would its mother which really helps to strengthen those little legs.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info! I really can't see much of anything in these eggs. Should I try to help if I see internal pipping? How long should I keep the hatched chick in the incubator before moving to the brooder?
 
Jacob Duckman said:
Thanks for the info! I really can't see much of anything in these eggs. Should I try to help if I see internal pipping? How long should I keep the hatched chick in the incubator before moving to the brooder?
Click to expand...

Only step in to help if they haven't progressed past an external pip for at least 24 hours. If you jump in too soon you are far more likely to kill a chick than help it. There's a lot that goes on as they hatch, including absorbing all of the egg yolk (well, what remains of the yolk). There is still blood in the veins of the membrane until they start unzipping too. So if you need to help go slowly and cautiously.

Your incubator must've been a little on the cool side for them to have taken so long to hatch but they'll get there.

How's the hatchling looking? Hopefully some friends will hatch for it soon. It may need a little mirror for company for now if you have one.
 

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