Help: Day 23 abandoned Gamble Quail eggs

[KToddy]

Please forgive my novice, and no doubt various mistakes.

7 quail eggs in my planter and mom disappeared.. so my neighbor lent us her incubator. (We cleaned and thoroughly rinsed).

Humidity has stayed pretty much at 60% the whole time (as an app advised) and temp at 99°- purchased digital gauge. The neighbor asked us to include some of her chicken eggs… it is her incubator so we happily complied. Commence emotional rollercoaster. Temp varies - got up to 100.4° for a brief time and as low as 94°F. Candled everyone and 2 chicken eggs and one quail were lifeless.
Problem, the app I was using defaulted to non specific quail breed- so the lock down happened 3 days early. Chicken eggs didn’t get turned. Once we realized this- we made a contraption to roll the chicken eggs without opening incubator. Gave the quail one turn and back into lockdown. 1 day later we wake up to 2 CHICKS jumping all over the quail eggs… dry and fluffy and pecking at the quail eggs. We steamed up the shower in the bathroom and took the chicks out. We observed some pipping on many of the chick eggs and quail too (happy dance they didn’t all die). This process repeated 3x over day 1 & 2 as chicks were hatching and harassing quail eggs- each time we swiftly/gently removed a chick or two and put the rest back in, alway keeping the temp & humidity up per the gauge. But this last time the humidity got very high- and temp to 100.1°. we were worried so we very slightly and slowly vented until the humidity was closer to 60%. When I checked the app again.. I realized they need 80% So I added water through the vent in the top with a straw… but the paper towel under them got soaked. This stressed me out- (going on 2AM) so I used a skewer to twist the papertowel out from under them through the vent hole.

They have not progressed in their pipping all day (felt movement this afternoon) 5 of the chicks are fantastic and keeping our spirits up).

We are a day late already hatching quail.
Did I kill them ? Which of my fiascos was the worst offense?

*chicks are a slice of heaven (pic of the first 4 and Herman is the gray silkie)

 

[Emma-Daisy]

Sorry, I can't help, novice with quail here too (my first eggs go into lockdown tomorrow). Just wanted to say, cute chicks and hope someone more knowledgeable can help.

 

[KToddy]

Sorry for that 4AM pleading- Could anyone tell me when I should intervene on gambel quail eggs that have begun pipping- stopped and made no progress for 12 hours- and are already at day 24?

Sorry, I can't help, novice with quail here too (my first eggs go into lockdown tomorrow). Just wanted to say, cute chicks and hope someone more knowledgeable can help.

We got 5 of the 7 to hatch- man are they cute!! One pipped but never broke the membrane. One might just have been laid later- so we will give him a few days. They just love to see us - run up to our hands etc.

 

[007Sean]

The app you used was wrong....most 'New World' quail should be incubated at 40 to 45% Rh. Raising it to 55 to 60% for the last 3 or 4 days of the incubation period. Gambles, typically hatch in 23 to 24 days. There may be some early hatches and some late hatches, depends on the temperature of the incubator....as all incubators have 'hot' and 'cool' spots.
I'm kinda surprised any hatched!

They should have a complete and balanced feed ration of 24% protein. Their feed will need to be crushed up finer for about the 1st week. I usually lay a paper towel down on top of the bedding and sprinkle the crushed up food all over it...that way wherever the peck, they find food. Make sure you have drown proof waterers....they can drown themselves in 1/4" or less of water.
They should be in a brooder setup with a heat source on one end of the brooder and the other end cooler, preferably in the 70's and the temperature, measured at the floor of the brooder should be 90 to 95°F for the 1st week, under the heat source, the temperature should be reduced by 5°F each week until the ambient temperatures are 70°F or they are fully feathered.
HTH

 

[KToddy]

The app you used was wrong....most 'New World' quail should be incubated at 40 to 45% Rh. Raising it to 55 to 60% for the last 3 or 4 days of the incubation period. Gambles, typically hatch in 23 to 24 days. There may be some early hatches and some late hatches, depends on the temperature of the incubator....as all incubators have 'hot' and 'cool' spots.
I'm kinda surprised any hatched!

They should have a complete and balanced feed ration of 24% protein. They feed will need to be crushed up finer for about the 1st week. I usually lay a paper towel down on top of the bedding and sprinkle the crushed up food all over it...that way wherever the peck, they find food. Make sure you have drown proof waterers....they can drown themselves in 1/4" or less of water.
They should be in a brooder setup with a heat source on one end of the brooder and the other end cooler, preferably in the 70's and the temperature, measured at the floor of the brooder should be 90 to 95°F for the 1st week, under the heat source, the temperature should be reduced by 5°F each week until the ambient temperatures are 70°F or they are fully feathered.
HTH

Wish I would've had some better sources for information. We were able to glean the rest of what you shared online.. however there are a wide variety of humidity recommendations. All in all my daughter and I are relieved that most of them survived after being abandoned in our planter. We had to keep reminding ourselves that we were doing our best and they had zero chance without us. We will be releasing them as soon as they are ready. Thanks!

 

[eveliens]

5 out of 7 really isn't a bad hatch, especially considering the conditions. If the pip-er is still in there, just let it do its thing. They can take up to 24 hours to 'zip.' But my experience is if they can't get out on their own, they probably won't do well even if you help them hatch Since it sounds like you plan to release them back outside, it is probably for the best not to help and let things go as they will. My last batch of Gambel's had several stragglers that managed to come out a day later and they were a-ok! As 007Sean said, depending on if the egg landed in a cool spot, the chick could be slightly less developed than the others.

 

[KToddy]

5 out of 7 really isn't a bad hatch, especially considering the conditions. If the pip-er is still in there, just let it do its thing. They can take up to 24 hours to 'zip.' But my experience is if they can't get out on their own, they probably won't do well even if you help them hatch Since it sounds like you plan to release them back outside, it is probably for the best not to help and let things go as they will. My last batch of Gambel's had several stragglers that managed to come out a day later and they were a-ok! As 007Sean said, depending on if the egg landed in a cool spot, the chick could be slightly less developed than the others.

Thanks for your comment! We saw that he pipped and zipped, so we left him for 24hrs.. he just sat in there breathing.
We felt compelled to peel back the membrane since he was the one who had a blob of candle wax repair on him from getting bumped by the post in the incubator! (We had no idea of that danger- our fault). We ran the shower & went into the steamy warm bathroom.. tediously and slowly helped him out of his shell and into the incubator to fluff up. 3hrs later in with his siblings! We call him “Seven” as in Lucky Quail #7.

How soon can we release them?

 

[eveliens]

Thanks for your comment! We saw that he pipped and zipped, so we left him for 24hrs.. he just sat in there breathing.
We felt compelled to peel back the membrane since he was the one who had a blob of candle wax repair on him from getting bumped by the post in the incubator! (We had no idea of that danger- our fault). We ran the shower & went into the steamy warm bathroom.. tediously and slowly helped him out of his shell and into the incubator to fluff up. 3hrs later in with his siblings! We call him “Seven” as in Lucky Quail #7.

How soon can we release them?

Great! There is a curve to hatch but it sounds like it worked out in Seven's favor!

You know, I'm not sure at what age they're releasable. I raised my breeding pairs as pets (purchased from a breed not wild ones) and sell the chicks to augment my hobby. When I was raising the pairs up, I put them outside I think around 5 or 6 weeks , but I'd imagine they'd probably be ready to go as soon as they feather up and can fly. Young quail are pre-programmed to scratch and eat food/water as well as run. You'd just want them big enough to grow some brains, feathers (keeps them warm and cool) and be big enough they're not a roadrunner or crow snack. If they make it to the fall, they will find a covey to join for the winter. The only thing in some areas releasing them might be against the law - I wonder if you could find a licensed wildlife rehabilitation in your area? They'd know how to prep the quail for release and all the laws regarding it.

 

[Chip76]

I recommend releasing gradually if you can around the time the quail start forming coveys. (They are a little aggressive while they are paired up with their kids.) When I introduced my gambels to the neighborhood (around 10 weeks old - end of August) they stuck around for a while. I expected them to take off, but they didn't. We put food and water outside for them (you'll definitely want to provide food and water for them while they transition, maybe longer) and at night they came into the patio to sleep. Then they went out during the day. After a few months they started sleeping outside too. Now three years later they still come by to visit. Quail really don't roam too far. I recognize most of the quail that come through everyday. I can always tell mine though. They are the ones that run toward me when they see me. The others run away. And it's also fun when they bring their families by. I just love watching the quail with their babies.

This is Speckles. He dropped by with his mate just a couple days ago. Glad to he's still doing well after 3 years.

 

[KToddy]

We are hoping for the same experience you had! Your quail are lovely- and so fortunate to have the wonderful help you gave them!

We will take your advice for sure. We are trying to keep regular temp- where they are dispersing throughout the pen and not huddling under the heat or trying to avoid it. We have a plate of water and stones and high protein food- (adding crushed meal worms to chick starter).

We lost one today (not Seven)… it just went to sleep - not under or farthest from the heat lamp.. we don’t know what happened. So sad.

Any advice is appreciated!