Help I think I need to do an assisted hatch.

[The chicken Hatcher]

Eek! If i was wrong i am so sorry!!!! I only hatch chickens, I've never helped a chick pip before

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I am not a quail expert but I believe Coturnix quail take 17-18 days to hatch so 21 days would be really late. You're sure they're coturnix? Do you have a secondary calibrated thermometer in there? The temperature may have been really low.

Using a q-tip apply some antibiotic ointment without pain reliever to the membrane, this will make it translucent so that you can see better and it will also help to keep the membrane moist. You can open a small hole for the chick to breathe but you need to be very careful not to hit any blood vessels so you want to make sure you know what you're poking at.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Did you see that chick moving? The one in the image? Because the membrane looks discolored like it may have already started decomposition. No harm in trying, I'm just preparing you for the possibility of ick.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Eek! If i was wrong i am so sorry!!!! I only hatch chickens, I've never helped a chick pip before

Not wrong, I just wanted to make sure they knew to look out for blood vessels.

 

[The chicken Hatcher]

Not wrong, I just wanted to make sure they knew to look out for blood vesseIs

I had a brain fart, That is something you should look out for

 

[Chicalina]

watching with interest.

 

[lshepp]

I am not a quail expert but I believe Coturnix quail take 17-18 days to hatch so 21 days would be really late. You're sure they're coturnix? Do you have a secondary calibrated thermometer in there? The temperature may have been really low.

Using a q-tip apply some antibiotic ointment without pain reliever to the membrane, this will make it translucent so that you can see better and it will also help to keep the membrane moist. You can open a small hole for the chick to breathe but you need to be very careful not to hit any blood vessels so you want to make sure you know what you're poking at.

I already did it before you commented as I was panicking. I hit a blood vessel . I was told they were coturnix by the lady I bought them off. Temps have been consistent apart from one day when I was at work and who ever turned them left lid off a little bit. I'm devastated now I've killed it. I've got 9 more eggs in so will leave them be for a few more day's just in case they are a different breed. what the longest time to leave them for please.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I already did it before you commented as I was panicking. I hit a blood vessel . I was told they were coturnix by the lady I bought them off. Temps have been consistent apart from one day when I was at work and who ever turned them left lid off a little bit. I'm devastated now I've killed it. I've got 9 more eggs in so will leave them be for a few more day's just in case they are a different breed. what the longest time to leave them for please.

Oh I'm so sorry. According to Google Bob whites can take 23-24 days. I don't hatch enough quail to know how big of a difference there would be for other breeds.

 

[The chicken Hatcher]

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Coturnix quail should hatch sooner though so if they really are on day 21 that seems quite late to me. Hopefully someone else will chime in as far as the number of days to hatch.

As far as the temperature, are you using a secondary calibrated thermometer or just the one on the incubator? It's not uncommon for uncalibrated incubator thermometers to be incorrect, that's why I'm asking.

The day you mentioned the incubator being open if it was cool for long enough can slightly delay the hatch as well. Typically for about the same amount of time that they were cooled.