pharoh quail hatching !!

[epmchickens]

Hello. I have 6 pharoh quail eggs in my incubator. Today is day 17 so I expect the hatching process to begin today, one pipped last night around 7pm. I do have a problem though. My mama hen was sitting on some eggs and gave up a few days ago so I quickly stuck them in the incubator along with the quail. They're all alive still but I need to turn them so I have been opening the incubator during lockdown 3 times a day to turn the chicken eggs as fast as I can. How bad will that be on my quail hatch? The chickens have 4 days till lockdown.

 

[TwoCrows]

How did the hatch turn out? You should never be opening the incubator during lock down and especially during piping and zipping time. Dries out the chicks. You can stop turning eggs up to 5 days before the hatch date, without any issues, for future reference should you do a another staggered hatch.

 

[epmchickens]

It did not go well. 2 pipped and both died in the shell. I think they drowned of all things. And the other 3 never turned into hatch position and 1 was a dud that I misjudged for a live egg. The one that pipped and opened the most peeped once and was really weak, probably too much moisture? If the chicken eggs were not as important to me as they are I would have either stuck them in my "crappy incubator" or just let nature do its thing. This was my first try at quail so I made a few mistakes. Do you have any advice for next time? I did not turn the chicken eggs until I knew the quail peeps were dead, maybe a day and a half? Hatching often goes badly for me

 

[TwoCrows]

The best advise for incubation is always use a good incubator. Remember, only nature can have issues. Artificial incubation must be perfect. So get a good incubator, use ONLY thermometers and hydrometers purchased from a brooding supply house, don't rely on broody quail hens, and always keep different species of poultry eggs separate. Staggered and mixed batches are easier once you have mastered the whole hatching business.

 

[epmchickens]

Lol thanks! I'm using a hovabator #1602N. BUT! I need to bring my humidity up by about 5%-10% and they've been on lockdown since midnight. Should I leave it be? Humidity is over 70% but my hatch in february resulted in my helping a lot of chicks with the humidity around 70%......

 

[TwoCrows]

No, don't go over 70%. That is enough humidity. Keep us posted!

 

[epmchickens]

I pip so far but it is not making any sound. No peeping. Lots of shaking around though!