Is opening the incubator going to kill my quail?

[teria]

I am in day 20 since I set my quail eggs (tuxedo, Rosetta, and jumbo browns) in my incubator. Put them in lockdown on day 15. Decided to float test them since nothing had happened yet. The first egg floated on its side but it's cheeping. The rest mostly floated as viable eggs. The shell on the cheeping egg has a small indentation and I gently scratched the shell to feel for any pipping and some of the shell came off in that spot. I put all the eggs back in the incubator and now it's been a few hours and nothing is happening. Did I kill it?

 

[Nabiki]

Opening the incubator will not kill your quail, but the float test very well might.

Opening the incubator won't affect the internal temperature of the eggs unless you leave it open for a long time.

As for the float test, the shell is porous, and the sudden temperature change isn't good either.

I would candle the remaining eggs. You can also hold one up to your ear and tap on it. You may hear cheeping or tapping back

 

[Nabiki]

It also sounds like the temperature in your incubator was a bit low. Always keep a calibrated thermometer or three inside the incubator.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coturnix-incubation-tips.76184/

 

[teria]

Opening the incubator will not kill your quail, but the float test very well might.

Opening the incubator won't affect the internal temperature of the eggs unless you leave it open for a long time.

As for the float test, the shell is porous, and the sudden temperature change isn't good either.

I would candle the remaining eggs. You can also hold one up to your ear and tap on it. You may hear cheeping or tapping back

Opening the incubator will not kill your quail, but the float test very well might.

Opening the incubator won't affect the internal temperature of the eggs unless you leave it open for a long time.

As for the float test, the shell is porous, and the sudden temperature change isn't good either.

I would candle the remaining eggs. You can also hold one up to your ear and tap on it. You may hear cheeping or tapping back

Opening the incubator will not kill your quail, but the float test very well might.

Opening the incubator won't affect the internal temperature of the eggs unless you leave it open for a long time.

As for the float test, the shell is porous, and the sudden temperature change isn't good either.

I would candle the remaining eggs. You can also hold one up to your ear and tap on it. You may hear cheeping or tapping back

Thanks I'll give that a try. I did have the one peeping when I did the float test. It was the one that floated on its side.

 

[teria]

It also sounds like the temperature in your incubator was a bit low. Always keep a calibrated thermometer or three inside the incubator.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coturnix-incubation-tips.76184/

I do have it calibrated. I ended up returning an incubator that killed an entire batch due to not maintaining temp and humidity. The one im using now is calibrated and I monitor it so it's doing fine.

 

[Nabiki]

I do have it calibrated. I ended up returning an incubator that killed an entire batch due to not maintaining temp and humidity. The one im using now is calibrated and I monitor it so it's doing fine.

Never trust the readings on your incubator. They lie.

 

[Huntmaster]

Thanks I'll give that a try. I did have the one peeping when I did the float test. It was the one that floated on its side.

I never float test incubating eggs always candle them.

The one im using now is calibrated and I monitor it so it's doing fine.

Coturnix eggs usually hatch between 16 to 18 days, mine always start hatching about 16 1/2 days and finish by end of day 17.

 

[teria]

Never trust the readings on your incubator. They lie.

Oh I agree. I meant I calibrated it with 2 different pre calibrated thermometer/hygrometer.

 

[Nabiki]

Oh I agree. I meant I calibrated it with 2 different pre calibrated thermometer/hygrometer.

It still sounds like your temps were low. Coturnix hatch on day 17. They may hatch a bit earlier if the temp is a bit high, and late if the temp is low.

Where did you get your eggs from?

 

[teria]

I never float test incubating eggs always candle them.

Coturnix eggs usually hatch between 16 to 18 days, mine always start hatching about 16 1/2 days and finish by end of day 17.

That's what concerned me. It's day 21