Coturnix Quail First Hatch! Do I need to intervene?

[Quispherer]

Hi there. I always wanted chickens but quail kind of got dropped into my lap and I'm a quail lady now and I went into it head first.

This little guy just hatched this morning! About 45 minutes ago really.

He was the third egg to pip, about 18 hours ago. Im so excited I feel like im going crazy. The real thing driving me crazy is the first egg to pip. Lil guy pipped 36 hours ago, but I think he may have externally pipped when everyone else was pipping internally. But 36 hours feels like a LONG time?

Its hard to see but this egg has about 3 or 4 very clear spots he's poked through the shell. He's not zipping around, he's making a line straight down, perpendicular to the usual quail zip.

Does this mean this one is likely malpositioned? Being new Im afraid that Im jumping to conclusions and want to intervene too early but it would be tragic if the first Lil guy couldn't make it out on his own and I could have helped him but didnt.

As a note Im totally cool being hands on, I've read the guide for assisting, I just also know how dangerous it is to go in too early.

Pip #2 was also about 18 hours ago and has not made progress but I'm not nearly as worried for that one. Its got a solid dent lol.

Thanks all, hope to learn a lot and read lots of everybody's posts

 

[Susan Skylark]

I’ve had coturnix go 60 hours pip to zip, just let 5hem do their thing! You’ll do more harm than good in most cases. If you do try and help and see blood, stop and wait longer, the chick isn’t ready. Have fun, quail are addicting!

 

[Nabiki]

If your chick has been pipped for more than 24 hours, it probably needs help. Be aware, however, and if a chick has problems hatching, it usually has problems for reasons and is not likely to make it.

It is your choice whether to assist or not.

 

[Quispherer]

I’ve had coturnix go 60 hours pip to zip, just let 5hem do their thing! You’ll do more harm than good in most cases. If you do try and help and see blood, stop and wait longer, the chick isn’t ready. Have fun, quail are addicting!

How cool that you responded I've been reading all your threads the past few days haha. I appreciate the advice, 60 hours sounds crazy to me I would be so anxious! Admittedly I'm already sooo addicted this is one of 4 sets of eggs I have going right now

If your chick has been pipped for more than 24 hours, it probably needs help. Be aware, however, and if a chick has problems hatching, it usually has problems for reasons and is not likely to make it.

It is your choice whether to assist or not.

Thanks a ton! I've read so much about them going from pip to zip in no time, it sure has given me a lot to think about. I may have had my incubator at a slightly lower temp the first week as I worked things out, and overall it wasn't a perfect incubation by any means haha.

Turns out he does need a little more time! But I'm happy I intervened, it had been over 48 hours so I chipped the shell away around the pip and it was so dry it appeared to have closed back up. I don't know if it can do that, but that's what it looked like to me, it was very yellow and hard underneath the pips. I tried to take just the driest part and saw little red veins still in the membrane so I stopped and dabbed on a little coconut oil and back in he goes.

Despite my efforts I feel like I took way too much shell but the bator is by my bedside so I can keep a close eye on him and moisturize as needed. Even with this much gone I can't really tell if his positioning is bad, but that feels a bit moot now. Its fascinating watching him absorb the yolk, the little chewing motions are adorable!

Pip #2 is still making great progress thank goodness my favorite is at least going nice and easy haha

 

[Quispherer]

Pip #2 hatched out early this morning and shortly after the assisted egg starting really calling out. I added some extra coconut oil and didn't see any red veins so I peeled back a tiny bit more shell over the driest part of the membrane and he pushed himself the rest of the way out! He did appear to be turned slightly sideways which might have been why his pips were weird but I'm definitely not knowledgeable enough to be sure. I know the normal position they're in to hatch is weird as it is lol

Both babies are drying out before they go to the brooder to meet Peepers, the first chick.

There have been no other pips as far as I can see, we're on day 17 so is this likely to be one of those hatches where they come out in batches? Or should I candle the other eggs to see where everyone's progress is? I use a mini worklamp as a candling flashlight and its narrow so I can stick it under the edge of the lid without fully removing it or moving the eggs, totally recommend for anyone with anxiety around candling lol, though I imagine just about anyone here is more experienced than me anyway haha. But I dont have to move them or remove them from the incubator to check.

I know I'm hovering cause its my first hatch, hopefully I'll get over it by the time the next set goes into lockdown Monday or by the 4th set the week after haha

 

[Nabiki]

Since it's only day 17 and you mentioned that your temp was a bit low for the first week or so, I would give them a couple more days before candling.

 

[Esc_Quaily]

I'm all for assisted hatching. We had to help one little bird out of the shell. 7 weeks on the little bird is still little but thriving.
Try not to open the incubator too often though especially if other eggs have pipped. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[Esc_Quaily]

How are the eggs @Quispherer?

 

[Quispherer]

Since it's only day 17 and you mentioned that your temp was a bit low for the first week or so, I would give them a couple more days before candling.

Thanks for this, not worrying about the eggs for a few days has been super helpful. I still worry a little and see no pips, but yeah Im trying to give it till end of day 19 or day 20.

How are the eggs @Quispherer?

A few wiggles but no pips I can see. Trying to find my balance between hands on and not having my hands all over everything haha so one more day before candling.

Overall update is that I haven't updated before now because since I posted it has been stressful haha. Once the 2 new hatches were dry I put them in the brooder and went to bed with everyone happy and cuddling. Here I was worried about the assisted chick when it's the other one, the celadon that hatched on its own, that has me pretty much sleepless. I've spent the past 24 hours straight trying to get it to eat or drink as it showed less and less interest in anything other than hiding under its siblings while they ate and drank. I've been following advice from past threads here about similar situations, with very little progress other than me finally noticing his crop looking a little full.

I finally go to take a picture of the situation to ask for help, him next to the assisted chick right after they pooped so you could see how unwell the celadon baby seems, physically and the obviously runny droppings..

What a perfect shot I think, to show that he's laying down next to the water while the others drink. And the little butt stands up and starts drinking on his own after 5 hours of drip feeding him electrolyte water and egg yolk worried out of my mind. The moment I go to take a picture because I'm at my wits end! He stands up and takes a drink on his own! And then another. And then he laid down again but its huge progress!! The first drinks I've seen him take on his own since shortly after he went in the brooder.

Not out of the woods yet but honestly I wouldn't mind if none of the other eggs developed (I only removed 1 before lockdown because I was so unsure what a developed vs empty egg looked like, so many/all of them may be quitters) because these guys are keeping me busy enough.

And I have new eggs going in + a set going into lockdown after I clear these out of the incubator ... oh boy

 

[Esc_Quaily]

Quail are hardy little birds. Everyone will get the hang of eating and drinking eventually. Good luck with the chicks and the rest of the eggs.