Just moved my coturnix hatchlings to the brooder

[Jacob Duckman]

These three hatched on day 17 using 99.5F temp, automatic egg turner, and dry-incubation method. I've got a few more eggs waiting in the 'bator. will update if I get any more hatches. Big thanks to the master Quailers in here who helped me with all my questions

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

Congratulations! It's normal if a few of your eggs don't hatch. My chicks hatched on Apr 16 and I just took them out of the brooder. Out of 9 eggs I had two duds, one died in the shell during hatch and the last one hatched blind and deaf and died a couple of days later. I hope your remaining eggs are just late "bloomers".

 

[Jacob Duckman]

Congratulations! It's normal if a few of your eggs don't hatch. My chicks hatched on Apr 16 and I just took them out of the brooder. Out of 9 eggs I had two duds, one died in the shell during hatch and the last one hatched blind and deaf and died a couple of days later. I hope your remaining eggs are just late "bloomers".

I've had one more hatch last night, just moved him to the brooder today, and one more just hatched today. My birds just started mating/laying a couple weeks ago, these are their first eggs, and I didn't candle them so I wasn't expecting too high a yield. Pretty amazed at how mobile they are right out of the shell. heck of a difference from other birds

 

[Fishkeeper]

Quail eggs are laid on the ground and the babies have to get up and follow their parents to safety right off. It's a strategy you see in most ground-dwelling birds, including quail, chickens, kildeer, many shorebirds, and kiwi.

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

I've had one more hatch last night, just moved him to the brooder today, and one more just hatched today. My birds just started mating/laying a couple weeks ago, these are their first eggs, and I didn't candle them so I wasn't expecting too high a yield. Pretty amazed at how mobile they are right out of the shell. heck of a difference from other birds

Yup - they grow really fast too. Mine are 3 weeks old and already look like adults except a bit smaller. The male has started to crow. A week or so after hatch they start to play, which is really cute. They hop and pop like popcorn and sometimes hop over each other. Mine still do it, but not as often.

Candling is kind of hit or miss because their eggs aren't clear. I wait until a week after setting them in the incubator to check for signs of fertility. While they were incubating I learned that if they look greenish they are probably duds (but don't give up on them!). The green comes from the lining of the egg. Once they're about a week away from hatch you can tell because the duds still look greenish and the good eggs are mostly dark inside.