First hatch questions - Button quail

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I put the eggs in the incubator late Saturday, 5/31, so I am assuming that day 1 would be Sunday, 6/1. If they are supposed to hatch on day 17 (correct?) then what would be the last day I open the bator and up the humidity - the 13th or 14th? What is the ideal humidity level and do I increase the temp? Been holding steady at 99-100.

Also, when I turned the eggs this morning, I had a couple that refused to lay sideways. They kept rolling little end down. What does this mean? Is this normal?

 

[Mrs MIA]

Late Sunday would be considered day 1. Turn them until day 14, then up the humidity to about 70-75% and stop turning them. Keep the temps the same, around 99.5-100.5°F. They should start hatching around day 16-17, but I had one hatch take an entire week to hatch. Wait until you have about 4 days of no activity before ending the hatch.

The ones that tend to "stand up" on their tips I've found are not good. All of the ones I opened that were like that had the yolk dried up in the tip, and had either died or hadn't developed at all. But I'd leave them in, just to be sure.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Thank you for the info. I was hoping the ones on their tips were good news

Maybe I haven't added enough water? Would that make them dry up? I have a digital therm/hygrom in there and when I filled up one of the rings (there are two in my hovabator) the humidity measured 70+%. This was before I put the eggs in and was trying to get everything stabilized. I emptied out the water and only add a little to keep it anywhere between 46-56%. Is this ok?

 

[Mrs MIA]

I try to keep quail eggs about 50-55% humidity for incubation, but I don't think that was it. Even with ideal conditions you lose some. They might have been slightly cracked for all you know. So don't beat yourself up over it.

I could be wrong, so don't be tossing them yet, but take notes, ok?

We'll all learn from it!

 

[Mom 2em All]

I am setting buttons tonight- Good luck with yours. I thought they hatched on Day 16?

 

[Mrs MIA]

Just like any egg, they might be a day early/late... shoot for day 16, and stop turning at 14. But let them go at least a week over before giving up on the hatch.

Good luck! I'm on day 9 for some coturnix quail... 115!!!

 

[Mom 2em All]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Just like any egg, they might be a day early/late... shoot for day 16, and stop turning at 14. But let them go at least a week over before giving up on the hatch.

Good luck! I'm on day 9 for some coturnix quail... 115!!!

I hatched out coturnix- those are some tough babies! Those are what I call my abused eggs- I went out of town twice during their incubation, and they didnt get turned even one time for a weekend- I had some chicken eggs hatch during their incubation, didnt move them out (they are so tiny, hard to transfer) and they didnt get turned during the two hatch days with high humidity....and they still hatched out great!

Mine are a week and a half, and so many people I know wanted babies, that I only have six now. My daughter told me with the last batch I gave away- "NO MORE QUAIL ARE LEAVING MOM".
lol.
I tried to give away the noisy ones....but I still have one noisy chick that peeps even during the night. The rest will be sound asleep, and it has its head up, peep peep peep...sounds like a cricket chirping.​

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Awww...how cute! I've never seen button quail in person. My SIL breeds them and sent me some eggs so I can't wait!!! I took a flyer to the feedstore today and am hoping to sell them. At least one phone call would make me feel good!

As soon as these are out of the bator, I'm planning to set some chicken eggs, also to sell at the feedstore. Nobody around here does that anymore and they get a million (well, not a million) calls a day. They were begging me to do it! What a way to jump into this!

 

[Mom 2em All]

Quote:
Be warned- these little guys fly straight up!!! I had them years ago, and several of mine skinned the tops of their heads! You really need to use soft mesh for their top- like window screen so they don't break their necks when they pop up.

The coturnix can really fly already. More like springs on their feet. I opened the bator- and one popped out and into my daughters dresser drawer.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

What do you keep them in? My SIL said to buy (and I did) one of those plastic boxes from the dollar store. Said to cut a square out of the lid and put window screen in so I still need to do that.

What do you put on the floor of your incubator? The squares of mesh seem awful big.