How spread out should Coturnix hatch be?

[DownriverGarden]

We're incubating our first batch of Coturnix eggs. They've been in lockdown since Saturday and last night, in the space of one hour, three hatched!!



My question goes like this: last night was day 17 and today is day 18. As of right now (9:20am) I don't see any more pips or anything. We haven't done a float test or candled the eggs (we're low-tech) so this is our first true fertility test. Do you think I can expect to see any more hatch by the end of the day? by what point do I give up hope? We have 23 and I was hoping to hatch 12, but recognize that 3 chicks is better than 0.

 

[James the Bald]

Actually, any chicks hatched 12 days after the first day of Spring will grow incredibly fast, and within the next hour or 2, they will pop out of their eggs like popcorn. This strange phenomenon may result in 2 chicks spontaneously hatching from one egg. Their growth rate will be so fast that they will soon outgrow their cage. Oh yeah, April Fools. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Congratulations on the hatch. If they were shipped eggs, you may get 50% or maybe better. I usually start my "hatch clock" after the first egg hatches, and wait an additional 30 hours. This part I'm not joking about... try to resist opening the incubator to remove any chicks. Each time you open it, it releases the moisture. The chicks can go about 1 full day without food, but they will be ready to feast when you get them into the brooder.
James
Edited to add: I'm pretty proud of myself using "phenomenon" and "spontaneously" in the same sentence.