Late quail hatch

[Dididugg2]

Hi I’m a newbie, I started off with 7 quail eggs. It’s day 23 and I’m down to two, 5 failed float test and were undeveloped. The two that passed are still in the incubator, but no signs at all, no movement no pips. I have a paediatric stethoscope and I can hear the heartbeat of one. Not sure what to do? How long do I leave them. Thank you

 

[Davidmarq]

First off what type of quail are they? If they are Coturnix or button they are possible too far gone, if it's bobwhite or gambel you should check if they internally pipped, don't open the incubator often, opening it even once can cause chicks to get shrink-wrapped, if the chick internally pipped it may need some help, gently make a hole and crush the egg a bit, not to hard as to not hurt the chick, but giving that's it's your first time it's okay if none make it, the important part is that you try again, don't get discouraged, get a good incubator with stable temperature and humidity

 

[Davethebirdman]

If you are a beginner, I strongly urge you to NOT raise quail. They are wild by nature not domestic? Why do you want quail????
I have raised hundreds and they don’t survive a lot of them, they aren’t good pets, etc. its really cruel to keep them actually. Try chickens. What gave you the idea to raise quail when you don’t know what you are doing? To torture them?

 

[JaeG]

It sounds like your temperature was a little on the low side. Incubators are notoriously inaccurate in their temperature readings and you need an independent, calibrated thermometer to know for sure that the temperature is correct. This is an excellent article explaining how to calibrate a thermometer: https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

Shine a light into the fat end and see if they have internally pipped. There's not much you can do if they don't pip internally, but if they have you should see them moving a little as they get used to breathing for themselves. You will hear a tapping noise but that's actually them breathing.

This is an article about assisted hatching, but helping too soon can kill the chick so it's a good idea to read the article so that you know what to do and when:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Unfortunately sometimes incubation doesn't go to plan and it is very difficult to get to the end and have no cute little chicks (I've been there) but don't let it stop you trying again because when it works it's extremely rewarding. But getting to know your incubator is the biggest step in successfully incubating eggs, and that can take a few tries.

Coturnix/Japanese quail are very much a domesticated species and are the best pets if you interact with them a lot as chicks.

 

[Davethebirdman]

Ive hatched hundreds of quail and never assisted one in the hatching process.
I also never got anything out of owning them. They are totally wild, horrible pets and everything kills them off. They suffer in captivity. Its cruel to keep them.

 

[Davidmarq]

Ive hatched hundreds of quail and never assisted one in the hatching process.
I also never got anything out of owning them. They are totally wild, horrible pets and everything kills them off. They suffer in captivity. Its cruel to keep them.

That's entirely your opinion, quail are amazing pets, most aren't aggressive and if you actually put in the effort, and spend time with them, they can be docile and let you hold them and pet them, if you got nothing out of the experience then you probably didn't, try your hardest, quail are extremely easy in comparison to chickens, they are easier to clean, males aren't a loud and to be honest if yours were steadily dying off then you probably skipped over somethings, they thrive in captivity it's just whether you treat them right

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Ive hatched hundreds of quail and never assisted one in the hatching process.
I also never got anything out of owning them. They are totally wild, horrible pets and everything kills them off. They suffer in captivity. Its cruel to keep them.

Domesticated quail do not suffer in captivity if you raise them right. Some lines are harder to maintain due to agresson or health problems, but others are perfect for pets or eggs or meat.

They are not wild, because they cannot survive in the wild. It is not cruel to keep quail as livestock or as pets. Not anymore than it is to keep a duck, chickeb, goose, turkey or Guinea

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

Just saw this thread, but I want to chime in that quail can be difficult on several fronts: namely, males will not share their females and all of them need to be caged to protect them from predators.

HOWEVER, they are highly efficient for the backyard farm. They're small, they're quiet, they lay eggs and if you choose to eat them, they're delicious. Oh yes, they can also be good pets if that's your thing.

As far as your hatch, I'm sorry. Don't stop trying though, and check out the quail forum for help and tips from others.