Is there anything wrong with adding a small tray of water and some food when you set Button Quail eg

[yellowherb]

I try to keep a breeding flock of sultans. Right now I don't have a breeding flock, but I am growing out the ones you seen to be my new flock. They should be laying in 3-4 months.

The roosters do crow as loud haha. But there is a thing called a No crow collar. Not sure if it's humane, but people use them so they do not have to give up their roosters.

 

[CondoCountryBoy]

I do not think I could force a rooster not to crow. It is part of his nature. Just like I will not clip the flight feathers on my quail. If I choose to keep them, I am the one that should make the adaption.

 

[gpop1]

Sorry if I lead you to believe that 6hrs was the limit. In a idea world food/water with in 6 hrs of them drying off is the best practice but in reality who ever has hatched gets moved to the brooder before work and the rest wait till I get home if yellows not about.

With chickens its best to wait until all chicks have hatched before opening the hatcher which can be 24hr or more. I wouldn't worry to much about buttons shrink wrapping as they tend to pip and zip unlike chickens which pip then tend to wait a while before zipping. I just didn't want you to leave the buttons for 24-36hrs.
We don't panic about opening the hatcher to remove the chicks. Just check that no one is zipping then open the hatcher/incubator and remove the chicks. If someone is zipping just give them a few minutes to finish and then open the hatcher. We have had a lot of buttons hatch in the incubator by accident so low humidity during pip and zip doesn't seem to affect there hatch rate like it would a chicken.

 

[CondoCountryBoy]

It is ok we are just nervous parents expecting our first! We are doing everything make it perfect for them

 

[CondoCountryBoy]

Well it is day 13! Eggs are set and my brooder is warming. Just waiting like a nervous father.

 

[yellowherb]

Good luck!

 

[CondoCountryBoy]

so will I hear them peeping when they start to pip, which I assume means stick their beaks out? I set today but am watching them closely. It was a little warm the first three days and I have heard that can accelerate things a little. I am ready with my brooder warmed up and an infrared light. I have been adjusting the height of my lamp and checking the temperature in my brooder box in the direct light and in the shade. I have created a couple shaded areas with cardboard if they prefer a cooler part of the box. Just waiting with fingers crossed now!

 

[JaeG]

so will I hear them peeping when they start to pip, which I assume means stick their beaks out? I set today but am watching them closely. It was a little warm the first three days and I have heard that can accelerate things a little. I am ready with my brooder warmed up and an infrared light. I have been adjusting the height of my lamp and checking the temperature in my brooder box in the direct light and in the shade. I have created a couple shaded areas with cardboard if they prefer a cooler part of the box. Just waiting with fingers crossed now!

They tend to only peep if they hear another chick peep. Not many make much noise - they save that for after hatching, they tend to be concentrating on absorbing the last bit of blood and yolk, and rotating to start unzipping. If you hold an egg up to your ear you would hear them tap tapping away in there. Good luck!

 

[CondoCountryBoy]

Thanks for the reply, it is day 14 so I am not going to open the incubator. I do not expect activity for a couple days but do not want to do anything to disturb them at this point

 

[CondoCountryBoy]

well 3 hatched last night and I put them in the brooder before I went to bed. I thought that might be it but 2 more were hobbling around inside the incubator this morning. I have a red light in the lamp at one end of the box and I put a heating pad on the floor underneath the box in one corner. They tend to be hanging around the heating pad area, so I guess they can feel the heat from below. I have a couple shaded areas also but last night they slept in corner that is warmed by the pad. We will see what today brings!