Hatching multiple sets

[Casey224]

1st time hatching quail...
We currently have 3 sets in our Sportsman incubator. We put them in 1 week apart from each other. The 1st set (53 eggs) was put in the hatcher on day 15 and the humidity was increased from 45% to 70%. The 1st ones started hatching on day 16. On days 16 and 17, we had 17 hatch. We removed them from the incubator and put them into the brooder. It is now day 18, and only 4 hatched today. There are a few that have pipped, and are zipping.

My question is...how long can we leave the humidity up without causing harm to the other 2 sets?

 

[le_bwah]

You say 2 sets. Do you mean 2 still in the incubator or in a hatcher? If you have a designated hatcher, high humidity there is what you want, right? High humidity in the incubator probably won't hurt the others unless they aren't losing enough fluid to enlarge the air cells. People typically avoid staggered hatches for this reason, among others.

 

[Casey224]

Our incubator has a hatcher box on the bottom. All the literature I've read says they eggs typically hatch on day 18, but some can be early and some late. But I haven't been able to find anything on the effects of a higher humidity on the younger sets.

 

[RosieR]

It will hopefully be fine? Maybe next time lower the humidity from 45 to compensate?
Or use a desktop incubator to hatch in so you don’t have to worry about it.

 

[feedman77]

I hatch in my sportsman. Quail eggs are very forgiving. The raise in humidity shouldn't affect the other batches much. After you believe the ones hatching are done remove the water tray. Let humidity come back down.

I hatch quail, Turkey, pheasant, and chicken in mine. I have noticed that the longer duration eggs turkey and pheasant have tendency to hatch sticky. So if I have a strung out hatch and multiple days of high humidity I will hatch in a desktop for a few days just so all the eggs will lose enough moisture. I generally incubate dry 20 to 30 percent humidity.

My last batch of quail 250 set. Hatched 214 never raised the humidity. Won't suggest it but if you want to experiment try a batch dry all the way thru.

Just watch all the down from hatching birds will settle on fans and heating elements.

Congrats on your first hatch and good luck with the rest.

 

[Casey224]

So today is day 19. No more action in 36 hours. 1 of the pippers had stopped moving. The other 3 hadn't made any progress but I could see them moving. I decided to help them get out and pull the rest of the eggs. The 1 was dead, but the other 3 are chirping and running around. We hadn't candled any of the eggs, so I decided to go ahead and check the rest of the eggs. 22 were not fertile or just never grew. 6 were mostly to fully formed, but died before internally pipping.

Next time we're gonna candle before putting them down in the hatching tray, so we don't get worried about eggs that were duds from get go.

 

[le_bwah]

Sorry some didn't make it, but glad you were able to get 3 more out.

 

[Casey224]

Thanks everyone. 77% hatch rate doesn't seem to shabby for the 1st time.
We'll start this all over again on Monday night at midnight. Wish us luck!!

 

[Casey224]

Update...
We had 69 in our 2nd set. 61 were fertile, and put into the hatcher on Monday night. 52 of them hatched, and all are healthy and running around in the brooder. So the rise in humidity for almost 5 days doesn't seem to have done any harm. I'll do another update next week when the 3rd set goes into the hatcher.

 

[Flamens Farm]

Congratulations on what I would consider a very good first hatch. Hoping your 3rd set is even better.