Jan./Feb. 2014 hatch a long

[KV Silkies]

Hi Everyone,

I have a bator full of button quail eggs. Just put them in on Sunday @ 1:30pm. First time hatching quail there eggs are soo tiny. My temps are steady and humidity is good. If I did my calculations right I just go in to lockdown on the 22nd and hope to start hatching the 24th . Anyone else have eggs due the same time?

I"m due on the 26th, locking down on the 23rd. 19 viable silkie eggs as of last night!

 

[Heidisgran]

my chick with curled toes now has a leg problem too... I cannot decide whether or not it is a slipped tendon.
heidisgran or anyone else who can help, would you please take a look at the post that I made?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/854952/is-this-a-slipped-tendon

I pm'd her your thread...you'll be amazed at her knowledge...good luck

 

[dolfi]

Day 18... One of my eggs just keep on wiggling!

day 18 today. We can be hatching buddy.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Sweet! Yeah us hatching buddies! I now have two eggs wiggling. Sometimes I chirp at them and they wiggle back! Very exciting!

 

[dolfi]

Sweet! Yeah us hatching buddies! I now have two eggs wiggling. Sometimes I chirp at them and they wiggle back! Very exciting!

I haven't had that experience or of a broody hen. Hopefully this summer will give me that.
By the way my rabbit wasn't pregnant so I put her in with the male today. She doesn't let him do his thing but I hope it gets done.
How will I know?

 

[BrandyJK]

Day 9! 8 eggs growing well! I threw out number 9. It was one of the three cracked in shipping that I sealed with wax. It was too damaged inside.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Dolfi, when rabbits breed they run in circles for a while. That's normal. Then the buck mounts, does his thing and will growl/squeal and fall off backwards or sideways when he's done. That tends to happen 3-4 times in a "session".

Then you either learn to palpate (kinda tricky, you feel the tummy on the doe and try to feel where the babies are, they'll be like big marbles at 14 days, helps to have practical experience with rabbit anatomy), or you just wait until you see a nest. Some people try weighing their rabbits, or re-breeding, but that's really unreliable. The most reliable method for me is just KNOWING my rabbits. I know how they feel, act, eat and look like all the time, so when they're full of kits I usually know around 3 weeks by changes in diet, behavior and shape. This is the most reliable thing for me. Palpating is pretty hard to learn but is more accurate and can be done at like 10 days if you get good.

 

[chickydee64]

I did candle before lockdown and they are all moving and good. I guess if they do start hatching I will try to take them out quickly. It is pretty dry here in the desert so I worry about the humidity, but if I don't take them out after they hatch I am afraid I won't have enough room. Thanks to everyone who has been giving me suggestions on how to start hatching. I really appreciate it!

I have a small mister, like you would use for house plants.
When I have to open the bator, I shoot a couple of sprays in there.
I believe that helps.......
Others have posted they take the incubator into the bathroom, run the shower until
the room is steamy, then open it up.....
Good Luck

 

[Beekissed]

Can I join the Feb. hatchalong? This is my first time incubating eggs and I started just today. Very exciting!

I'm hatching 18 LF eggs of mixed breed mutts so I can test out my incubation method before I get better eggs to hatch. I'm using a simulated natural nest incubation for my first go round.

 

[mustangluvrjen]

I"m due on the 26th, locking down on the 23rd. 19 viable silkie eggs as of last night!

Woo hoo so eggziting KV Silkies. I'm so proud of myself. I built my own egg turner so I don't have to open bator or handle the itty bitty quail eggs(I suffer from klutzability). Plus today I made my own egg candler and it actually worked on the dark speckled eggs. The candling was my daughters fav part of hatching duck eggs so I had to whip up something for the quail eggs.