How early do they start peeping?

[le_bwah]

So I turned my Coturnix quail eggs yesterday and some of them peeped! It's day 13 now and lockdown is tomorrow, but I'm new to quail and I worry about them hatching early. When did your chicks (quail or otherwise) start peeping in their shells? Does peeping mean they're close to hatching?

 

[ashlierami]

So I turned my Coturnix quail eggs yesterday and some of them peeped! It's day 13 now and lockdown is tomorrow, but I'm new to quail and I worry about them hatching early. When did your chicks (quail or otherwise) start peeping in their shells? Does peeping mean they're close to hatching?

In my experience yes the peeping means they are close or within their last days. I had a quail chick hatch on 16 and on 17.

 

[le_bwah]

In my experience yes the peeping means they are close or within their last days. I had a quail chick hatch on 16 and on 17.

If some of them are making noise now, is it worth going into lockdown a day early? Could that hurt the ones who haven't "woken up" yet?

 

[ashlierami]

If some of them are making noise now, is it worth going into lockdown a day early? Could that hurt the ones who haven't "woken up" yet?

I've always weighed it out with if there's more making noise than not then I lockdown early. If there's just a few then I don't and things have always been okay for me. Use your own judgement I really don't want to advise your wrong but that's just based on my experience with my quails and chickens.

 

[le_bwah]

Thanks for sharing your experience, it does help me make a clearer judgement call.

 

[MargaretAnneHK]

My Coturnix eggs arent due til around Tuesday but I thought I heard peeping, the first time that has ever happened!! So I hope mine hold off a while yet. Keep us updated if yours hatch early!

 

[featherhead007]

Anticipation? or are you hearing things?

 

[le_bwah]

My Coturnix eggs arent due til around Tuesday but I thought I heard peeping, the first time that has ever happened!! So I hope mine hold off a while yet. Keep us updated if yours hatch early!

I will update as soon as they start hatching. These are my shipped eggs and I've been especially worried about them (they were "misthrown" to a neighboring town by USPS, took a while to get back on track). I hope yours hatch out alright!

 

[MargaretAnneHK]

Mine are shipped too. 100 eggs from NC to MN. In my experience Coturnix eggs are pretty resilient. Fingers crossed on your hatch!