Pipping progress. Any concerns or advice?

[aart]

I believe I had eggs pointy end up in egg carton for the fist 18 days.

In the incubator?
Yes ,fat end up, but carton not always a great idea, can restrict heat and airflow.
Did you turn them?

There's a lot of little details that can adversely affect incubation.
Here's some good reading about incubation/hatching.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...gs-no-problem.1046313/page-5385#post-16540512

 

[Cazook]

I candled eggs on day 21. There was no movement in egg, no chirping, very large air sac, and no veins visible; only a large dark mass existed. It had not pipped internally or externally. Its face was pointed toward the pointed end. My gut feeling was it was dead and it was. This was chick/egg #3.

Chick/egg #4 appeared dead like #3 (same data from candling). I investigated only to see if the problem was same, but the chick wasn't dead.

I believe I had eggs pointy end up in egg carton for the fist 18 days. Does this explain why the chicks #1 and #2 were not positioned to pip in the air sac end? These chicks were able to pip and hatch unassisted.

I suspect the remaining chicks' beaks are pointed opposite of the air sac. With this in mind, do I need to put a small hole in the air sac end? Do I need to candle again today for movement? There are no external pips today and no internal pips as of yesterday. Thanks.

What do you mean? They were in a carton in the incubator?

At day 18 eggs should be locked down, so after that there should be no turning of the eggs or candling, etc. This is because the chicks are trying to get into position for hatch. And you also want to maintain a higher humidity in the incubator.

 

[Pappyof5]

What do you mean? They were in a carton in the incubator?

At day 18 eggs should be locked down, so after that there should be no turning of the eggs or candling, etc. This is because the chicks are trying to get into position for hatch. And you also want to maintain a higher humidity in the incubator.

Yes in a carton; pointy side up until day 18...I turned at least 3 times a day. On day 18, I candled the 12 eggs; discarded a blood ring egg, and did lockdown. I candled them again on day 21 1/2. I'm just thinking they need an airhole in the round end because I had them upside down.

Will putting a hole in the air sac end be a bad thing since 4/4 have been positioned in correctly? The one that appeared to have suffocated was a large BO, fully developed.

 

[Cazook]

I think you are better off leaving them to hatch on their own honestly. A lot of the time if a chick can't hatch unassisted it's because of something congenital. The only time I assist is if something like shrink wrapping happens (when they get stuck to the egg membrane and can't zip out themselves, which can happen from opening the incubator and dropping humidity. So not the chick's issue)

 

[Pappyof5]

I think you are better off leaving them to hatch on their own honestly. A lot of the time if a chick can't hatch unassisted it's because of something congenital. The only time I assist is if something like shrink wrapping happens (when they get stuck to the egg membrane and can't zip out themselves, which can happen from opening the incubator and dropping humidity. So not the chick's issue)

Chick # 3 was not moist; dry to the touch...does that mean anything? Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Cazook]

It could have just been a late quitter. It happens, even in ideal incubation circumstances. The eggs being pointy-end up isn't great but if the air cells didn't look malpositioned it shouldn't have caused problems, esp since you let them on their sides at lockdown? I've always just incubated eggs on their side which is how they go in my incubator so it can roll them easily, so other people might be more knowledgable about that.

 

[Pappyof5]

It could have just been a late quitter. It happens, even in ideal incubation circumstances. The eggs being pointy-end up isn't great but if the air cells didn't look malpositioned it shouldn't have caused problems, esp since you let them on their sides at lockdown? I've always just incubated eggs on their side which is how they go in my incubator so it can roll them easily, so other people might be more knowledgable about that.

Which Incubator do you use?

 

[Cazook]

It's just a cheap one with autoturner.

 

[Pappyof5]

It's just a cheap one with autoturner.

Good hatch rate?

 

[Cazook]

Good hatch rate?

I think so, but the last quail I hatched wasn't so good. I think the temp was fluctuating, so I insulated it more with cut-out polystyrene. Not sure if quail eggs are more vulnerable to that or not, being smaller.