Hatching Quail - how long from Pip to Zip? *first pic added*

[Jocasta]

The lady I got the eggs from said that quail are like popcorn - you see that first pip and then hay presto, you've got an incubator full of quail. I got my first pip (well, I first noticed it) this morning. 14hrs later and nada. I'm guessing the lady I got them from was full of the brown smelly stuff and quail are just like everything else, they can take an agonising 24-30hrs from pip to zip?

 

[Denninmi]

24 hours is reasonable. Anything over about 36 and I'd start to worry about problems like possible shrink wrapping.

 

[Jocasta]

Thanks. If there's nothing by morning, I'll reassess. I be there will be though

 

[Grey and green feathers]

i had everything with my little coturnix... i had one that i literally watched take 8 minutes to pip and be out (i was floored. that was fast) and then i had one that sat in so long, it died

wish i coulda helped it, but thats natures way. i also had another that started to die on me but i wasnt gonna do that again, so i helped it a little bit (i know, shame on me...) and its become an adorable little tux.

 

[Griffin Nest]

when my quail hatched, it was pip to zip in less than 2 hours! but those were button quail, the smallest quail.

 

[Jocasta]

Well I've just come down to 12 little fuzzies and lots of little guys zipping!

 

[Jocasta]

 

[Alexander]

What are you going to do with all that quail?

 

[Jocasta]

We're planning on fattening them up for the table although I hope to keep seven hens and a roo for breeding.