HELP - eggs hatched 2pm yesterday and new eggs pipped and hatching now 20 hours later

[craynerd]

Hi guys, had two quails hatch between 12 noon and 2pm yesterday from 8 eggs. Went to get them out into the brooder now, 8am and found a few more eggs just pipped and a few breaking through. These two fully hatched have been in there now without food or water near 20 hours and they are looking hungry and thirsty, pecking everything and everywhere. I know I shouldn't open the brooder for risk of killing the hatching eggs. How long can these two survive ? Do I quickly transfer to the brooder?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hi guys, had two quails hatch between 12 noon and 2pm yesterday from 8 eggs. Went to get them out into the brooder now, 8am and found a few more eggs just pipped and a few breaking through. These two fully hatched have been in there now without food or water near 20 hours and they are looking hungry and thirsty, pecking everything and everywhere. I know I shouldn't open the brooder for risk of killing the hatching eggs. How long can these two survive ? Do I quickly transfer to the brooder?

Depends on who you ask as to what answer you get. I do chicks, not quail, but same concept and same arguments. Many people don't open the bator until the end of hatch even if it takes 2-3 days working off the philosophy that the yolk sustains them for that time period. Some people remove chicks to the brooder once they dry and are fluffed. I myself, remove chicks as they hatch and become active in the bator. (I also keep my bator's humidity 75% to compensate for opening it. I'm a meddler.) I have never lost a chick that has pipped or started zipping. I'll spare you my thoughts and philosophy of "opening the bator" during hatch.

I always advise: As long as you have adequate humidity and can bring the humidity back up after opening the bator, to do what is comfortable to you. As long as it works for you and your chicks that it what counts.