Is This a Pip?

[mdees88]

Right now it looks like just the one has pipped... I candled them before lockdown and I think only about 4 total will hatch, but they're certainly taking a while. They're gambel quail, and today is day 23.

4 won't be too bad at all. I have 40 in my brooder right now. Good luck with the Gambel's. I hatched some twice for a friend and did not have very good luck with them....

 

[Kiki]

Right now the heating pad is on a tank with a leopard gecko.. once the quails hatch I have an empty tank that I'm moving the lizard to so I can use the tank with the heating pad. But I have everything ready to put in the tank once they're hatched. The paper bag has 1.5lbs of game crumble. I don't have substrate placed down yet, but that's because I'm waiting to switch out the tanks. The lid is wire. I was planning on using this red light but I'll scratch that if it's a bad idea.
View attachment 2126582

I'm just now catching up on your thread...
Move that waterer over so there's room for the quail to walk all the way around it.

 

[Nabiki]

I'm just now catching up on your thread...
Move that waterer over so there's room for the quail to walk all the way around it.

+1 on this. I've had chicks get stuck behind it. I've lost one that way. The others I've caught in time to warm them up and save them, but it's still scary.

 

[Kiki]

Ok, I put the heat lamp on the brooder so I'll check back in an hour and let you know. I'm not sure if it's going to be hot enough though since it's sitting on the wire lid. I don't know how else to hang it lower in the tank.

Yep, I'm testing it now. I was hoping to avoid using it at night though because I heard that they're much more noisy if the light is on 24/7.

The problem with that is that the heating pad is stuck to the bottom of the tank because it is adhesive. I don't think there's a way to cut it off. I've tested the temp with it before and it could get to 110 but 100 if I folded the cloth twice over it.

Also the egg seems to have made no progress from yesterday, so I'll be patient.

100 is TOO hot.
110 will kill them.

 

[Kiki]

Ok, the red lamp by itself is 90 degrees when on the wire. I put it on the tank with the heating pad and I turned it on (folding the cloth over the heating pad twice), so I'll check back in an hour again to see if that makes it hot enough. I also have a heat lamp with a white bulb, so it's much more bright but more hot. I'll check on that too in an hour. I'll check on that one too. In the meantime, here's what the egg looks like this morning. I think the dark spots in front of the shell on the paper towel are pieces of the egg but there doesn't seem to be too much progress around the pip besides a piece poking out more.
View attachment 2127140View attachment 2127139

90 is PERFECT!

 

[Kiki]

99.5 should work but I really like mine warmer than they need so I'm usually around 102ish.

If you watch the chicks they'll tell you what they need. If they're directly under the heat source piling on top of each other they're too cold. If they stay at the far end of the the brooder they're too hot.

You won't need the wire lid for at least 5 days. I would put the back of a chair next to the brooder and tie the lamp to the chair so it hangs slightly below the top of the brooder. You could also place the brooder where it is slighter under the edge of a table and hang the lamp from the edge of the table.

You just have to make sure it is attached very securely to whatever you use. It can start a fire if it falls onto the bedding.

. I'm surprised you aren't cooking them.

 

[Kiki]

Haha thanks for the heads up. Do you recommend switching out paper towels once a week or more often? Hoping this egg makes more progress too...

Switch them out multiple times each day.

 

[mdees88]

As you can see many people do things different. The MOST important thing to do is watch the chicks and they will let you know if they're comfortable. Huddled directly under the light climbing on top of each other they're too cold, staying at the opposite end of the heat source their too hot.

At 90F my day old quail huddle directly under the light and will pile on top of each other. If there are a lot of them in the brooder the ones on the bottom will get smothered and die. Plus with the room temperature fluctuations 90F during the heat of the day would be around mid 80s early morning and I would have many dead chicks from piling on each other. I prefer 100F on day 1 or even a little hotter at the hot end but my brooders are 4ft long and the cool end is 80F so they position themselves where they're most comfortable.

110F inside the entire brooder will most certainly kill them. 110F at the hot end and mid 80's at the cool end is perfectly fine, though I never recommended 110F. I said I keep mine around 100-102 at the hot end to start.

My point is why try and regulate the exact the temp the quail need to be comfortable when you can give them a little more heat than they need and let them decide where they feel most comfortable.... make sense?

If you have it set at 90F at the hot end and the ambient temp changes or your A/C blows a draft on them and the temp drops some over night your in serious trouble....

I'm approaching a thousand quail and pheasants this way and haven't had any issues....

There are many ways to skin a cat and I'm just offering mine while emphasing that a little too hot is much better than too cold as long as they have a cool zone in the incubator to escape the heat....

 

[maxride14]

I'm just now catching up on your thread...
Move that waterer over so there's room for the quail to walk all the way around it.

+1 on this. I've had chicks get stuck behind it. I've lost one that way. The others I've caught in time to warm them up and save them, but it's still scary.

Got it, moving it now.

As you can see many people do things different. The MOST important thing to do is watch the chicks and they will let you know if they're comfortable. Huddled directly under the light climbing on top of each other they're too cold, staying at the opposite end of the heat source their too hot.

At 90F my day old quail huddle directly under the light and will usually pile on top of each other. Plus with the room temperature fluctuations 90F during the heat of the day would be around mid 80s early morning and I would have dead chicks from piling on each other. I prefer 100F on day 1 or even a little hotter at the hot end but my brooders are 4ft long and the cool end is 80F so they position themselves where they're most comfortable.

My point is why try and regulate the exact the temp the quail need to be comfortable when you can give them a little more heat than they need and let them decide where they feel most comfortable....

I'm approaching a thousand quail and pheasants this way and haven't had any issues....

Ok, my plan is to first use the infrared light alone. If that isn't enough, I'll try using the heating pad. Right now I'm testing the temp of the red light with the heating pad + one extra dishcloth layer. What I end up doing will depend on what the chicks do, but I'm still waiting for the egg to have more progress before getting my hopes up.

 

[Kiki]

Got it, moving it now.

Ok, my plan is to first use the infrared light alone. If that isn't enough, I'll try using the heating pad. Right now I'm testing the temp of the red light with the heating pad + one extra dishcloth layer. What I end up doing will depend on what the chicks do, but I'm still waiting for the egg to have more progress before getting my hopes up.

Don't cook them.