First quail hatch: Some babies fell UNDER incubator tray!! :(

[vtpoultrymama]

Ugh, what a sad start to the day!! I'm doing my first quail hatch. I went to bed at 11:00 last night and 3 eggs had pips. My husband and I got up at 3am to 6 hatched babies, FOUR were UNDER the incubator tray that's screwed in One was in the water trench and had already drown. 2 were doing okay for the moment and one lost strength, dropping it's head in the water and drowning while we frantically worked to heat another incubator, and get all the babies/eggs moved over, then unscrew and lift the tray. I'm so upset. I knew they'd be small babies, but didn't think an incubator would be designed in a way that would even allow this to be possible. Thankfully we noticed when we did, so hopefully the rest of my hatch is safe and successful, but it's still so upsetting

 

[Lovem all]

That sucks I'm sorry. Maybe next time you can lay a hand towel or wash cloth under the eggs before lock down.

 

[Nabiki]

Quail chicks are tiny. A lot of us put grippy shelf liner in at lockdown both to give the chicks a grippy surface to learn to walk on and to protect them from getting caught in the wire or ending up under things.

 

[Quailobsessed]

I'm so sorry you had to start your day like that

 

[vtpoultrymama]

Quail chicks are tiny. A lot of us put grippy shelf liner in at lockdown both to give the chicks a grippy surface to learn to walk on and to protect them from getting caught in the wire or ending up under things.

Thank you! I'll certainly do that next time.