First hatching and a question

[SEP Board]

Got a surprise last night and four of the twenty-one eggs hatched. I really wasn't expecting anything till tomorrow which would be the 18th day. Nice surprise!

Had the brooder already set up. They've seem to take to the water (with marbles) and by pecking with my finger they've found the ground up feed.

Question: Do they require any grit at this stage?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Congratulations

So cute aren't they! Like little bumble bees!!

While they are on chick crumb/ground up feed they will be fine without grit. Have you checked this article out ~
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-quail-eggs-and-brooding-quail-chicks
Lots of fab info in there.

Good luck with your new chicks

 

[SEP Board]

Congratulations

So cute aren't they! Like little bumble bees!!

They really do!

I appreciate that link, it was very helpful.

 

[ChickennLoverr]

Congrats!!

 

[SEP Board]

This is the end of day 18, how long do you all wait on the unhatched eggs before you determine they aren't going to hatch?

 

[SEP Board]

Ah, I see that many will wait till day 21-22 and some up to day 25. Today's day 21 so I'll wait to see if any hatch today and then probably turn the incubator off tonight. I'll get the incubator cleaned out and I'm saving eggs for the next go around. Shooting for 18-24 for the next batch. I'm pretty consistently getting 5-6 eggs a day from my 6 hens so I'll wait for 3-4 days and then start it up again.

 

[pkhunter]

This is the end of day 18, how long do you all wait on the unhatched eggs before you determine they aren't going to hatch?

I give mine till the end of day 19, most of mine start hatching on day 16 and 17. If its taking 20 plus days then probably your temperature is to low.

 

[SEP Board]

The temp seems to have held steady throughout the whole process. And I'm glad of that since this is the first experience I've had with an incubator (Janoel 10). I put in a separate thermo/humidity just to make sure. I'm thinking since this was the first batch of eggs that many/most weren't fertile.

And I know there are better, professional grade incubators available but I figured I'd start with this one. Seemed to have pretty good reviews on Amazon and have to say that the temp did stay steady though I did have to wrap a small towel around the outside if the AC was on in the house. But that was only a fluctuation of a few tenths of a degree. Generally I stayed between 99.5 and 99.8 which as I understand it is fine for a forced air incubator.

I'll know more after I hatch out the second batch. I'll probably start that up around Wednesday I'm thinking.

 

[pkhunter]

Sounds like your incubator is fine probable the eggs are not fertile yet . I would open them up and check just to make sure. Hope your next hatch is better, I've hatched hundreds and it's still exciting to watch them hatch. Good luck

 

[SEP Board]

Opened up the eggs that didn't hatch, nothing but yoke in all but two that just seemed dried up inside (no liquid at all). So I'm satisfied with the 6 that did hatch and would anticipate that the next time I'll get a much higher hatch rate. I know the roosters are 'of age' as I've seen them with the hens on several occasions.