HELP! Should I Start Lockdown A Day Early?

[luvlucky]

Day 13 just began and a few of my quail eggs also began rocking! I was reading that when you see the rocking, that means it has internally pipped?

I'm not sure what to do because I was planning on going into lock down starting day 14!

 

[BantamLover21]

I haven't bred and hatched quail before, but I have incubated chicken eggs. I don't think it would hurt for you to lock down a day early. Rocking doesn't necessarily mean the chick has internally pipped, but it does certainly mean the chick is moving around a lot, getting in hatching position, and pipping soon (or already). You wouldn't want to accidentally disrupt the the close-to-hatching chick's positioning, so locking down now is the best option.

Good luck with the hatch!

 

[gpop1]

Day 13 just began and a few of my quail eggs also began rocking! I was reading that when you see the rocking, that means it has internally pipped?

I'm not sure what to do because I was planning on going into lock down starting day 14!

welcome

what kind of quail are you incubating? Day 13 is a little early but with out having the history on the eggs its hard to tell. My incubator runs a touch warm as my buttons normally hatch on day 16. No harm in going into lockdown a day early. Also don't panic if they are buttons as I've had many hatch in the turner with out going into lockdown. Larger quail can be more of a problem as they take there time piping and zipping where buttons seem to pip the with in a hour the are already zipped and running around.

 

[luvlucky]

They are coturnix quail and early in the incubation, the incubator ran a few degrees warmer than it should have. This could be the reason why they're wobbling a day before their lockdown.

If it did pip internally, would I be able to tell without disrupting it? (Would I be able to hear anything like cheeping?)

 

[gpop1]

They are coturnix quail and early in the incubation, the incubator ran a few degrees warmer than it should have. This could be the reason why they're wobbling a day before their lockdown.

If it did pip internally, would I be able to tell without disrupting it? (Would I be able to hear anything like cheeping?)

Use the flash light from your cell phone to candle the egg.(look at the air pocket and see if the beak is into the pocket) If you suspect that they may be internal piping then keep the egg pointy side down while candling.
Day 13 is to early for coturnix so I wouldn't expect them to be internally piped. If they are then you have no option but to go into lockdown and get the humidity up as they are slower to hatch which runs a higher risk of shrink wrapping.
They may pip then wait before zipping. Try not to assist unless you see a egg where the chick is making a large hole rather than zipping as early chicks may still have a large yoke sack attached.

 

[JaeG]

You should hear tapping as the chicks begin to try and externally pip. You can sometimes feel them wriggling in the egg when you pick them up too. There's no harm in locking down a bit earlier. So make sure you get the humidity up and good luck! Let us know how it goes - hatching baby chicks never gets old.

 

[luvlucky]

Thanks guys!! I'm so excited but also very nervous!! I want them all to come out fine!

Also, last night I woke up to check on them and the temperature was at 104! I have no clue how long it was like that for and I'm very worried that it might've killed them. I did everything I could to lower the temperature in the house so it could lower the incubator temp. Then I watched intently as it slowly crept down ( I couldn't open the lid cause I put them in lockdown :/).

I hope this random tempurature spike didn't affect them as the ones that were wobbling before stopped. @.@

2 more days until they're expected to hatch!

 

[DK newbie]

Actually the 99.5 degrees or whatever it's supposed to be is just an average temp. Just read an article (about parrots, but I guess the same thing applies) and apparently the temp varies between 95 degrees and 104 in intervals of approximately 1½ hours. The theory is that this helps the egg breathe - when it's warm, the contents expand and push the old air out, when it's cold fresh air is pulled into the egg.. Not saying that 104 is good for your eggs, just that it might not be all bad. Good luck!

 

[luvlucky]

This is some consolidation! Thank you!! I've been worried all day haha, hopefully this is the case

 

[luvlucky]

I think I heard one internally pip! I'm not sure though... thought I saw an egg wobble and heard a tiny cheep... but then no movement or cheep after that.