HELP!!! So many pips and then nothing

[mrbstephens]

I have 111 bobwhite quail in the incubator. Some of them pipped 36 hours ago, most of them pipped 12-24 hours ago and then nothing. I don't hear peeping and there is no movement. What is going on??? I added extra water to the incubator on lockdown and haven't opened it at all. I did notice a drop in humidity yesterday so I added more water through the vent hole on top. I've been leaving the vent closed to keep in the humidity. I'm so nervous that they'll all died! HELP!!!

 

[98Luna]

If you closed the vent hole, are they still getting air? Only thing I can think of...

 

[sdm111]

In my experience with incubating chickens that happened to me when the humidity was too high while incubating or temp too high. Chick either drowned or grew too big to turn in egg.

 

[mrbstephens]

I opened the vent. Am I too late? That's a lot of chicks to die. Oh, I feel awful!!!

 

[sumi]

If that was the only vent hole the lack of ventilation may have killed them. Chicks of any species (quail, duck, chicken...) needs extra fresh air and oxygen when they start hatching. Rather add a wet cloth or sponge to the incubator to help bump up the humidity. If the humidity drops during the hatch and stays low undetected for awhile, the chicks may get shrink wrapped by the inner membrane drying out, making it near impossible for them to hatch by themselves. I'd suggest going in there and checking if they are still alive and what the situation is with their inner membranes. Good luck and

 

[mrbstephens]

Oh no! I just hatched guineas with no issues and I did the same thing I'm doing now. I had the plug in the vent while they hatched too and I had 100% success. There is a small hole where the cord comes through for the egg turner, so it wasn't the only opening. It's been very hot and humid here. I have the incubator in the garage.

 

[mrbstephens]

Should I really open the incubator and open an egg? Ugh!

 

[mrbstephens]

OK. Now I really need help! I started opening one where the pip was made. The pip was not made through the membrane, I poked a hole through the membrane and there is a live, moving chick. Not peeping, just kind of saying, "hey! what are you doing? I'm trying to sleep here." So, what's the deal? Are they just really lazy? Is that normal that they haven't broken through the membrane? I was the outter membrane that I broke through. The chick did not look at all to be shrink wrapped.

 

[mrbstephens]

I only made an opening in this egg and quickly put it back in. The chick isn't making any attempt to hatch. What's up with these guys???

 

[mrbstephens]

UGH! SOmeone please tell me what to do!