HELP!: Overdue Quail Chick

[luvlucky]

I recently had 12 out of 13 eggs hatch (all within 12 hours on the expected hatch date). I have one that still hasn't hatched and now it's 2 days overdue. I candled it last night and I though I could see a feint heart beat. I also did the float test and it had the right buoyancy but it didn't wobble. I candled it again today and the heartbeat is even fainter.

It hasn't internally pipped yet and I'm not sure what to do to help it or if I can even help it at all. :/

Is there anything I can do?

 

[cavemanrich]

Just leave it in the incubator if you think you see a heartbeat. It may be an egg that started developing later for some unknown reason.
WISHING YOU BEST and

 

[luvlucky]

Thank you!! I hope it'll be alright! Especially seeing the heartbeat has been slowing. Or maybe I just caught it in a time of sleeping haha.

And thanks! BYC is my new favorite website to go to!

 

[dianneS]

I have my very first quail eggs in the incubator right now. Lock down is tomorrow. Did you lay your eggs on their sides to hatch?

 

[Binki]

Thank you!! I hope it'll be alright! Especially seeing the heartbeat has been slowing. Or maybe I just caught it in a time of sleeping haha.

And thanks! BYC is my new favorite website to go to!

Good luck, I have helped some that have pipped and the membrane turns to hard leather due to humidity loss but have never helped one that hasn't pipped itself. If it hasn't pipped itself, there *might* be a reason related to its health? :O

I have my very first quail eggs in the incubator right now. Lock down is tomorrow. Did you lay your eggs on their sides to hatch?

I take mine out of the turner and put them on their sides at lockdown

 

[luvlucky]

This little guy never was able to internally pip. had to pull the plug on the incubator yesterday because it was for sure dead and it was so sad.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

This little guy never was able to internally pip.

had to pull the plug on the incubator yesterday because it was for sure dead and it was so sad.

Its better that way, it most likely would have been too weak to survive the 3 week to molt. Better to focus on the 12 that did make it.
Sounds cold, but that is natures way of weeding out the weak.

 

[gpop1]

Its better that way, it most likely would have been too weak to survive the 3 week to molt. Better to focus on the 12 that did make it.
Sounds cold, but that is natures way of weeding out the weak.

+1

I use to try to save them all and that was harder than excepting that some were never meant to hatch. If you assist a malformed chick that shouldn't have hatched then its your responsibility to deal with the chick including culling when required.

 

[crimsonmama]

One I helped after it pipped and the membrane went leathery and after eight hours from the others hatching wasn't getting anywhere so I helped and he made a full recovery into a fluffy bumbling chick!
Another, who was being hatched by mama, did the same thing. Pipped but no zip. As it was with Mama I decided to let nature take its course and didn't help. It died 12 hours later. I regret not helping it like I did the other one.
I don't think I would consider helping one that hadn't at least pipped a hole though....

 

[gpop1]

One I helped after it pipped and the membrane went leathery and after eight hours from the others hatching wasn't getting anywhere so I helped and he made a full recovery into a fluffy bumbling chick!
Another, who was being hatched by mama, did the same thing. Pipped but no zip. As it was with Mama I decided to let nature take its course and didn't help. It died 12 hours later. I regret not helping it like I did the other one.
I don't think I would consider helping one that hadn't at least pipped a hole though....

Catch 22 you will always ask "what if ". If you don't have a problem with culling then I would say go ahead and assist. If you have a problem with culling then you have to ask what are you going to do with a cross beak, malformed chick. You will save some good ones by assisting but you may also save some others.

Any thing that doesn't make it was a male at least that's what I tell myself.