Help with incubating baby button quail....

[chloemae]

Happy New Year .
Hi Everyone, I have a question. I have 7 button quail eggs in the incubator. I have followed the guidelines for hatching then both in regard to humidity and temperature and turning as well as lockdown. Today is day 16-17. I got anxious, which is totally my fault. I did a float test on one egg that I checked prior to floating, as I had with prior chicken eggs and after taking it out (it was only in the warm water for about 5 seconds before I saw wiggling and immediately removed the egg) I sadly saw a small pip looking crack, a tiny almost 'x' at the large air sac end of the egg. I immediately and quicky dried the egg, returning it to the incubator. I am heartbroken, do you think I killed the baby chick? The crack was present but no piece of the egg was missing. The crack was literally the size of this 'x' which I swear was not there seconds before the float test. Could the float test have caused the chick to try to pip? Thank you all, I appreciate any and all input. I did not float test any other eggs and I pray I did not harm this baby....

 

[Pyxis]

I personally do not like the float test, for this and other reasons. If water entered the pip and filled the air cell, then yes, the chick could have drowned. Hopefully that did not happen. Time will tell. I hope you get a good hatch

 

[chloemae]

I personally do not like the float test, for this and other reasons. If water entered the pip and filled the air cell, then yes, the chick could have drowned. Hopefully that did not happen. Time will tell. I hope you get a good hatch

Thank you, I do worry, I will keep my fingers and toes crossed. The weird thing is I swear that the pip was not there prior to the float. I was brief but thorough in my inspection. I will keepeveryone posted. This is my first time with quail.....I worry so this gets stressful for me because I never want to do harm....

 

[Pyxis]

Thank you, I do worry, I will keep my fingers and toes crossed. The weird thing is I swear that the pip was not there prior to the float. I was brief but thorough in my inspection. I will keepeveryone posted. This is my first time with quail.....I worry so this gets stressful for me because I never want to do harm....

Hopefully it will be fine. I just did buttons recently for the first time, and you pretty much just have to wait and see what happens. When they start hatching they pop out like popcorn.

Do you have the brooder ready to go? They need to be eating and drinking before they are 24 hours old or they will die - they don't have that much yolk to sustain themselves on.

Just to check, what temperature have you had your incubator at, and is it still air or forced air?

 

[chloemae]

I have the brooder up and set up, since 2 days ago, lol, I am anxious. The incubator is a Brinsea mini (not still air). I have non slip grip down in it for when they hatch. Temp has held steady at 100 (on both thermometers) and humidity has been around 50-60 prior to lockdown and 70 since lockdown. Is that correct? I have done a lot of reading and so many variables are posted with everyone having different opinions. I also have gamebird starter (28% protein) ready to go (and a pill crusher to grind it so they can consume it). I also have a small water tray with smooth small river rock in the brooder so they do not drown.....

 

[Pyxis]

That all sounds good to me! I bet in a little bit you'll have quail chicks popping out

 

[chloemae]

Thank you, I feel very worried about the egg I float tested. Thank you for your help. Did you have a 100% hatch rate with your buttons? Mine are off of ebay and were shipped from North Carolina.

 

[Pyxis]

I did not - they were shipped, and with shipped eggs even getting 50% to hatch is good. I also slacked a little on turning mine and the humidity may have been a tad low so that didn't help. Out of 16 eggs I hatched 7.

 

[chloemae]

I have read a 50% hatch rate or less is routine for shipped eggs. Thank you so much for helping me, I will update this thread as things progress

 

[The Golden Egg5]

I hope she hatches!