Lockdown

[Alwayswantchics]

Tomorrow is day 14 for my cortunix. When is lockdown. And any advice? This is my first quail hatch. They are shipped eggs so I know not all will hatch.

 

[Nichrome]

Coturnix will hatch at the 18th day, sometimes at the 17th so you have to lock them down on the 15th day so they have time to settle for pipping. Make sure you do not open the incubator unless necessary. Increase humidity up to 70% and after a couple of hours make sure temperature is stable at 37.5C. Close everything down and GO AWAY OR ELSE THE WAIT WILL DRIVE YOU MAD! To distract yourself, start preparing the brooder.

On the 18th day go to the bator and you'll find some chirping lads waiting for you I have learned not to help my quails hatch. Every quail I have helped has died and I think that many times by helping weak quails I have compromised the hatch of healthy ones.

Good luck!!!

 

[Alwayswantchics]

Should I cover the wire that is over my water well with anything to keep their little feet from being stuck? Thanks Nichrome for your reply.

 

[James the Bald]

several paper towel sheets will work.
And I agree 100% with Nichrome. Pump the humidity to 70% (add warm/hot water) to your resevoir. Also, do not consider opening your incubator to remove any chicks while there are still eggs hatching. They may look thirsty and hungry, but they can feed off of their yolk for 24 hours. When the incubator gets opened, it looses moisture and dries out the membrane of the egg literally "shrink-wraping" the chick inside the egg and killing it (sorry to make it sound so brutal, but that is what happens when the incubator gets opened).
Good luck and don't forget to post some pictures.
James

 

[veggiecanner]

A lot of people recomend the plastic non skid shelf liner instead of paper towels. But what I am finding is I can't get the humidity up when I have it in the incubator. To get my humidity up and to stay up I had to put a lid full of water with pieces of cloth in it right on the grate with the eggs this last hatch. The cloth was more to keep hatched chicks from getting in the lid and drowning. Cotton balls would work in the lid. But I always use the t-shirt material (recycleble).
Not sure if this is a problem with paper towels.

 

[rmbull]

I'm on day 21 for Bobwhitequail I turned them this morning and put sponge in I'm on lock down now. Is it to early ? Help

 

[veggiecanner]

MY coturnix hatches start on day 16 and have been lasting till day 18.

 

[rmbull]

Do you stop turning day 14/15

 

[marksouth]

This is my first hatch in the incubator now at day three. I put screen door wire over the wire in the bottom of my hova bator. The reasoning was better air and humidity flow. Any reason this is a bad idea?

 

[Alwayswantchics]

Day 16 and nothing. By nowwith my chicks I usually have something. This waiting is pure agony.