Hatching date please

[Fat Daddy]

Jo thats GREAT! I move'm to a brooder as soon as they are mostly dry and fuffy. Game birds dont have the reserves chickens do. they need to get close to food and water sooner. But only air lift'em once every couple hrs or so... opening the bator alot, is hard on the ones that have pipped but not yet hatched. More of a chance to shrink-wrap. In fact, i dont like to open the bator at all if I see one in "mid-zip",I let him get done then open and scoop! Here again, the mister bottle is your friend. Hope you get a few more! Bill

 

[Jo Gridley]

9 in total, no more have pipped, so have opened the others and there were no more chicks in them, think we may have a sterile cock. LOL. All moved to the brooder now apart from one, who was the last one and still not too fluffy, that one has only been born for about three hours. We had a panic on earlier, we recently bought a Brinsea Brooder, we tried it out the day we got it and all was fine. Then this morning turned it on all ok again, but then when we wanted to move the chicks to the Brooder it wouldn't work. Phoned the manufacturers who will send out another one tomorrow, in the mean time we have got it working temporarily, didn't need that extra worry. They are just soooo cute and soooo tiny. Thank you again Bill for all your advice. Jox

 

[Jo Gridley]

Sorry Bill just a few more questions, as I now have total faith in your info and not what I have been reading and researching. What day is best to candle eggs? With this hatch we did it on day 7 some we just saw black, and others we saw an air sac at the top. Should we of disposed of the all black ones? How many weeks should they stay under the brooder for? Thank you. Jox

 

[Fat Daddy]

To tell ya true Jo, I dont often candle coturnix. some you can tell and some you cant. but to answer your question, I candle at 10 days. the black or completely dark ones (with the exception of the air cell) are the developing eggs and the ones you KEEP. they are dark because the developing chick prevents the light from passing thru. Coturnix spots make it tough to get a light to shine thru some even if they are clear.

As to how long to brood. For the record 6 weeks. But in reality you can shorten that up alot if your in a warmer climate, or raising them in a barn or shed. I try to keep mine in the house for no more than 2 weeks. they will get stinky with a quickness. The dust or dander they produce is bad too. I then move them to my un heated shop but I have a heat lamp set up on a wafer thermostat. the goal here is to keep them just a wee bit cooler than they want to be, and they will feather faster. Its just nature. Before you just move them out side with no heat at all, Check under their wing. Its the last place to feather out proper.... Holler if I can help, Bill