Quail chicks die during lockdown

[mashal]

Please help me
This is my second batch, and for the second time i find my coturnix quail chicks dead in their shells, it looks like they died during lockdown period with correct temperature and humidity.
Could it be that i dont have a fan in my hova bator 1612 incubator or what ????
Please advice me i am depressed its the 2nd time....

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I don't have a fan in my incubator either, and I still hatch eggs in it. Broody hens aren't equipped with fans, and they're pros.
What temperature and humidity are you running the incubator at? Whats the humidity day 1-18 and what do you up it to during lockdown?
Where are you getting your quail eggs? Are they shipped? If they're from you're own birds, are the breeders old or out of condition? There are so many variable that can affect your hatch rate. More info is needed please

 

[mashal]

I can't stop laughing imagining broody hens equipped with fans up their butts hhhhhh
As for the for the temperature i kept it at 100 F
But i think the issue is with the humidity i open the lid at lockdown
More than once, could this actually be the reason ( loss of humid air)
My incubator has 2 troughs one is for the lockdown period so I up it with filling both troughs the last 3 days ( hova bator 1602 model)
As for the breeders, i raise them myself , they are young and healthy
Thanks for your help

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

That was the exact picture in my hen when I typed that out, haha!

Opening the lid multiple times can mess them up for sure. Do you have a hygrometer inside your incubator? If not, you should definitely get one. The instructions that came with mine say to keep all the bottom troughs full the first 18 days and to add a small dish of water with a sponge at lockdown. If I did that, I'd drown all my chicks. I run my incubator completely dry up until lockdown. Even dry its stays around 45%. I can't get it any lower. I fill one channel at lockdown and it goes up to 65-70%. My eggs went into lockdown 3 days ago and I haven't added water, the humidity is 68%. If its super humid where you are, you may be adding too much humidity and drowning them. The opposite is also true, if your house is really dry, you might not be adding enough. This is why I ask if you have a hygrometer. The humidity outside effects the humidity in your house, which in turn effect the humidity inside your incubator.

 

[mashal]

Hey, how's everything going
I got shocked today after buying a hygrometer.
I used to think i had very low humidity but i found out
That from day one i had the humidity at 71%.
But then again the chicks died during lockdown fully
Developed and at this humidity.
Now i am very confused of whats going on, could it be that
They drown at lockdown at 71% or what??????

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

What happened was the eggs didn't loose the proper amount of liquid the first 18 days. When that happens, there's fluid near the air cell/air cell doesn't get big enough. When they pip internally, they are met with a gush of fluid and they drown.
Your humidity during lockdown would have been fine if the eggs had lost the right amount of fluid those first 18 days. Better luck next time