Quail Chick Pipping - Help Required

[Caille]

Hi everyone,

I set one Coturnix egg for 18 days in a king Suro incubator, and it is situated right under the central fan and seems to move due to the air flow. This morning I noticed the bottom side of the egg cracked and there are small egg shell fragments right in that spot, so I assume the chick has pipped (Candling at day 10 showed blood vessels, black mass and some movement).

It's been 10 hours since I left the egg in the above state this morning, and still no progress. I am worried that the chick might not be able to break the shell since the egg is directly under the fan and it is subject to the constant airfow, which might keep the chick from moving the egg about in order to hatch. The temp is 37oc and Humidity at 60% following manufacturer's instructions.

I am not sure if I should try to open the incubator and check the egg at this stage; can't really tell if the egg is moving by itself or if the chick peeps. Is it a good idea to open the incubator and move the egg to farther from the fan so it won't be affected by the airflow? Should the humidity be raised?

This is my first time hatching quail eggs, and I would really appreciate your assistance in the matter!

 

[Stellar]

You can open the incubator and pick up the egg and hear it if it's peeping or working but that's all I suggest and put the egg back. Helping the chick out usually is not a good idea.

 

[Caille]

Thanks for the advice, quail lady.

A small update: I opened the incubator and checked the egg - the chick inside peeped at me (so cute!

). I placed the egg inside the incubator away from the fan, and tried positioning so that the crack the chick made would be to the side, but twice already the egg just flipped back down and the crack in the shell is on the bottom side again. The temp is currently 37oc and humidity at 65~68%.

 

[7L Farm]

Little iddy will zip that egg open like a sardine can.

 

[Caille]

Well, good news!

The chick (now called Reign),

hatched around 6~7AM this morning, and is now exploring the interior of the bator. It's blonde in color, although the father is a cinnacom and mother is regular coturnix hen (pictures follow). I took the pictures using my cell phone cam, so the quailty isn't great I'm afraid

'Reign', the newly hatched chick:

'Ginger,' the father:

And 'Jumbo,' the mother hen:

Ginger now has four more girls with him in the cage, so maybe there will be more "reigns" to come

 

[snyd08]

interesting chick to come from the parents... interested to see what he turns out to be. coturnix colors are cool. but im just getting into buttons and i think these colors are even cooler. just need to keep them indoors tho.

 

[Stellar]

I think those who have Coturnix always get buttons eventually

ADDICTING!

ETA: Reign is cute! I love your Roux dilute male

Ginger

 

[Caille]

Thank you both for the kind comments!

Today I'm going to transfer little Reign to a home-made brooder (just taking a big plastic container and placing EcoGlow 20 in it), and am so excited at the thought of holding the little one in my hand!

As for the color variety, I wonder too what turns out eventually, since the chick is all blonde and does not show the regular black-yellow marking a regular coturnix would have. The biggest surprise would be if it will be all white!

"Ginger," the father, is quite gentle and I hope this trait passes on the young. I have recently added another hen from the same color variety to the pen, she's 7.5 weeks old, not laying eggs nor is she interested in mating, but hopefully it will sort itself out

I always thought buttons have nice colors (especially the lavender\\blue variety), and I might get some in the future