I decided to try to see if I could make a "hatcher" or second bator so I could hatch different types of eggs at the same time. So I did. My quail were very quick to point out the design flaws and safety hazards (to quail). I used the egg carton method that Purple Chicken suggested for the final 3 days.
Day 15, the 48 eggs go into the "Hatcher" - everything is good, temp is right, etc.
Day 18, the first little quail emerges from its egg. And shows me how to go over the edge and over again, just like in POTC 3. She goes over the hardward cloth edge and down below where the water tray is, and over the water tray edge, into the water. So I shut everything down, take everybody out, and get her out. (gender will be assigned randomly). She is fine, just got a little extra wet from her swim. Into the receiving box she goes.
So off I go to find materials and such to fix (hopefully) that problem. I am only gone a short while. When I return to my hatching area, upstairs from my business, I find 2 little fellas one on each side of the bottom of the "hatcher" wedged between the hardware cloth platform and the wall of the bator. I turn off the "hatcher," take out the egg cartons, and very carefully and nervously extract the hardware cloth being careful not to push to either side for fear I would hurt one or both of these little guys in the process.
They are both fine. And into the receiving box they go.
Rather than run back and forth from my Gram's to my business, I decide to move the hatcher and receiving box to her place. So I get everything turned on, put a shirt over the bator to restore heat more quickly and get the temp warm again, so that we can then go out into the cold night for a 5 minute walk.
Shortly after getting to my Gram's, a couple - three more hatch and me and my mom are ready and grab them as soon as they emerge and put them in the receiving box to dry. Then, I fell asleep. My Mom woke me with urgency. evidently 4 more little ladies had hatched. One was dangling upside down, her foot caught in the hardware cloth. Two were ok. One wasn't. The little circus performer was fine once we got her free. Evidently, they had tried to venture under the egg cartons. Only one was sadly successful.
When the sun announced the arrival of a new day, I Knew I would soon have to leave my hatchees and pipping and peeping eggs to go to my house and tend my animals, Or would I?
I pack up the "Hatcher" and load it into the car and take the 1/2 hour drive out to my place. I put it in my cold house, where I couldn't get the temp up over 90. While I was out feeding my horses, 2 little guys came out of their shells. I found them by the light bulb. One was ok the other was under the light bulb. After a couple more chores, I loaded up the"Hatcher" and my little chick and headed back to town. Another 1/2 hour trip. The little fella curled up on my fingers on the way back in to town.
Back at Gram's: I'm able to get the temp back up to 99. I add more water. As soon as the temp stabilized, 4 more quail ladies made their entrance into society.
By the end of the day, everyone who was going to hatch was out and the pipping and pecking slowed down to nothing. I knew that several of the eggs were cool. When I had gotten back from my house.
I think each time I went in, even though it was for a good reason it made it difficult for the others to hatch. Because they were all pipping and peeping.
All in all, it was a very successful hatch, in spite of the technical difficulties. Or I thought it was. Anyway, I have time to redesign and fix some of the problems so that it will be ready for the next little eggs, Turkeys this time. Six Eastern Rio Grande. Due to Hatch Dec. 1.
Day 15, the 48 eggs go into the "Hatcher" - everything is good, temp is right, etc.
Day 18, the first little quail emerges from its egg. And shows me how to go over the edge and over again, just like in POTC 3. She goes over the hardward cloth edge and down below where the water tray is, and over the water tray edge, into the water. So I shut everything down, take everybody out, and get her out. (gender will be assigned randomly). She is fine, just got a little extra wet from her swim. Into the receiving box she goes.
So off I go to find materials and such to fix (hopefully) that problem. I am only gone a short while. When I return to my hatching area, upstairs from my business, I find 2 little fellas one on each side of the bottom of the "hatcher" wedged between the hardware cloth platform and the wall of the bator. I turn off the "hatcher," take out the egg cartons, and very carefully and nervously extract the hardware cloth being careful not to push to either side for fear I would hurt one or both of these little guys in the process.
Rather than run back and forth from my Gram's to my business, I decide to move the hatcher and receiving box to her place. So I get everything turned on, put a shirt over the bator to restore heat more quickly and get the temp warm again, so that we can then go out into the cold night for a 5 minute walk.
Shortly after getting to my Gram's, a couple - three more hatch and me and my mom are ready and grab them as soon as they emerge and put them in the receiving box to dry. Then, I fell asleep. My Mom woke me with urgency. evidently 4 more little ladies had hatched. One was dangling upside down, her foot caught in the hardware cloth. Two were ok. One wasn't. The little circus performer was fine once we got her free. Evidently, they had tried to venture under the egg cartons. Only one was sadly successful.
When the sun announced the arrival of a new day, I Knew I would soon have to leave my hatchees and pipping and peeping eggs to go to my house and tend my animals, Or would I?
I pack up the "Hatcher" and load it into the car and take the 1/2 hour drive out to my place. I put it in my cold house, where I couldn't get the temp up over 90. While I was out feeding my horses, 2 little guys came out of their shells. I found them by the light bulb. One was ok the other was under the light bulb. After a couple more chores, I loaded up the"Hatcher" and my little chick and headed back to town. Another 1/2 hour trip. The little fella curled up on my fingers on the way back in to town.
Back at Gram's: I'm able to get the temp back up to 99. I add more water. As soon as the temp stabilized, 4 more quail ladies made their entrance into society.
By the end of the day, everyone who was going to hatch was out and the pipping and pecking slowed down to nothing. I knew that several of the eggs were cool. When I had gotten back from my house.
I think each time I went in, even though it was for a good reason it made it difficult for the others to hatch. Because they were all pipping and peeping.
All in all, it was a very successful hatch, in spite of the technical difficulties. Or I thought it was. Anyway, I have time to redesign and fix some of the problems so that it will be ready for the next little eggs, Turkeys this time. Six Eastern Rio Grande. Due to Hatch Dec. 1.
