Getting quail out of the incubator

[The Moonshiner]

You can absolutely shrink wrap them and kill them by opening it for a few moments.
It all depends what the humidity is in the room. If you're in the desert with next to no humidity it doesn't take no time.
But if you're in the rainforest you'd probably have time to make that sandwich and still be okay.

 

[Nabiki]

OK. I apparently misunderstood. I was led to believe that the humidity was super critical and that opening it up to get them out was sure to kill the rest.

There's no problem if you're quick. I pour a bit of water in (avoiding the eggs, of course) when I pull chicks out so the humidity bounces back up quickly.

 

[catesquire]

I've also heard of people putting in a wet paper towel after they get the chicks out or misting the air around the incubator with a spray bottle before opening, to help keep humidity high.

I personally haven't had issues just cracking the lid and kidnapping them out quick (I set a bowl with a towel in it next to the incubator, and move them all over in a few seconds), but my house has about 50% ambient humidity, which I didn't think is low enough to cause shrink wrapping in small doses.

 

[pac]

My last couple batches I tilted the lid of my 360 and reached in and grabbed one or two. Then put the lid back down to choose my next ones. The fan and heat were still blowing on the eggs (and water below) as I was grabbing. Temp and humidity loss was minimal.

 

[catesquire]

Honestly, the greater threat to chick life is the hatched ones suiciding out over the side the second you crack the lid, lol. They are death-seeking missiles

 

[pac]

Honestly, the greater threat to chick life is the hatched ones suiciding out over the side the second you crack the lid, lol. They are death-seeking missiles

Word.

I was missing a quail yesterday in my modified cat cage brooder.
It turns out that one figured out that if they hopped up onto to the wood encircling the bottom of the cage, six inches high, they could squeeze out between the wires.

As I was thinking on why there were only eight, I noticed it scurrying around the room's floor. Which was almost a three foot drop from the brooder. I popped him back in the brooder and up he goes, perched on the edge of the wood and ready to push his way between the two wires again.

Fortunately I had just emptied the tub brooder a few days earlier of that batch. So I set it up again and everyone got transferred.

Not even a week old and I had one flying up and looking for an escape.
I had read that wood surrounding the bottom would make them feel more secure and enclosed...