Day 20 of Button Quail Incubation

[ButtonHoarder]

So it's day 20. I have some internally piping, 2 that have sort of an external pip? That have been like that for almost 24 hours without progress. There's also one that I think is externally piped at the wrong end, and it's been like that for almost 12 hours. I think I'm going to candle and see what I see, should I be assisting soon?

@MysteryChicken @casportpony @MGG @Nabiki @CluckNDoodle
and anyone else I didn't tag that can help. Thanks!

 

[MysteryChicken]

I don't know much about quail hatching.

What's the humidity?

 

[MysteryChicken]

@Kiki

 

[Kiki]

So it's day 20. I have some internally piping, 2 that have sort of an external pip? That have been like that for almost 24 hours without progress. There's also one that I think is externally piped at the wrong end, and it's been like that for almost 12 hours. I think I'm going to candle and see what I see, should I be assisting soon?

@MysteryChicken @casportpony @MGG @Nabiki @CluckNDoodle
and anyone else I didn't tag that can help. Thanks!

What has your humidity been at the whole time?
And... Did you salt test a humidity gauge?

Day 20 does not look good.
If a quail cannot hatch on its own it's probably screwed up and not meant to be.
I would not assist If I were in your shoes.

 

[ButtonHoarder]

I don't know much about quail hatching.

What's the humidity?

I've been trying to keep it around 60%

What has your humidity been at the whole time?
And... Did you salt test a humidity gauge?

Day 20 does not look good.
If a quail cannot hatch on its own it's probably screwed up and not meant to be.
I would not assist If I were in your shoes.

Before lockdown it was 50, not I'm trying to keep it at 60%.
I didn't salt test one, I didn't know that was a thing. I seem to be doing everything wrong.
I candled them all, and they're all internally piped except one. I made tiny holes in the tops of them so they can breath because I read that that wouldn't hurt them. One is dead, and I think it's because it suffocated.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I've been trying to keep it around 60%

Before lockdown it was 50, not I'm trying to keep it at 60%.
I didn't salt test one, I didn't know that was a thing. I seem to be doing everything wrong.
I candled them all, and they're all internally piped except one. I made tiny holes in the tops of them so they can breath because I read that that wouldn't hurt them. One is dead, and I think it's because it suffocated.

I've had chicks suffocate if the pip wasn't complete. Usually it's some outer membrane that never got pierced. So usually when there's a pip, I help with the pip, & let the chicks do the rest. If they can't hatch on their own, & in obvious distress, that's when I assist.

 

[MysteryChicken]

All I do.

 

[Nabiki]

Day 20 doesn't sound good. It sounds like your temperatures were low during incubation. Never trust the incubator's readings.

Leave them alone. The ones that have internally pipped still have a chance, but if you assist and they're not ready, they're going to die. The one that has pipped at the wrong end is not likely to make it out of the egg without assistance, but as @Kiki said, it probably won't make it even if you do assist.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

@Nabiki and @Kiki are definitely far more experienced with quail than I am. I can add that I have a quail right now that I assisted. All 12 chicks that hatched are perfectly fine (no losses) but I do have one with a wonky neck and I wonder if it's the one that hatched with a hernia (on her own) or if it's the one that I assisted. I didn't band the chicks so I have no way of knowing for certain but I kind of look at my wonky neck chick as probably the one I assisted to hatch since there really wasn't any visible reason that the chick shouldn't have hatched without assistance other than what I'm assuming is neurological. I will say other than looking goofy she's just as plump and happy at the others and gets around fine.

 

[ButtonHoarder]

I've had chicks suffocate if the pip wasn't complete. Usually it's some outer membrane that never got pierced. So usually when there's a pip, I help with the pip, & let the chicks do the rest. If they can't hatch on their own, & in obvious distress, that's when I assist.

They don't seem to be in distress, the one at the wrong end is chirping and it looks like trying to wiggle.