How long before removing chicks from incubator??

[HidingInTheHenHouse]

My coturnix quail from MacNugget starting hatching this morning. How long is it safe to wait before removing dry ones? I want to give all of them the best chance at hatching, and humidity has been good, so I don't want to open it unless I have to, but I don't know how long the ones that are out can go before they have to have food or water.

 

[JJMR794]

I Like To Leave Peepers In With My Coturnix Eggs As The Chronic Peeping Tends To Stimulate The Slow Hatchers To "get A Move On" And Hatch. But I Usually Dont Leave Peepers In The Hatch More Than About 12 Hrs If I Can Help It.... I Take Them Out In Order Hatched In Batches, Example--- 3 Dry Hatched Peepers Tearing Around In The Hatcher With 3 More That Are Still Damp And 2 Others Pipping And Zipping--- I'll Take The 3 Dry Ones Out And Place Them In The Brooder. Later I'll Check And See If The Damp Ones Are Dry And Take Them Out Leaving The Latest To Hatch--- So On And So Forth... I Dont Have Any Problems With Humidity So I Dont Worry About Opening The Hatcher.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yep, 24 hours is the max, but 12 hours is better. I usually set mine in the evening, around 9 or 10 p.m., that way they start hatching early evening (normally), then I remove the chicks (except any that are really wet looking, unless they all are!) around noon the next day.

 

[JJMR794]

So I Am Not The Only 1 That Sets Eggs At Night!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I would drive myself nuts watching them if I set them to hatch during the day!!