Quail on day 14, and an incubation oops! Advice please!

[MaineChickens]

Took my quail eggs out of the turner, filled the water trays, put down some towels for traction, and placed the eggs into the paper carton I had for hatching. Well after a couple hours I noticed the paper egg carton was wicking water and I decided to open the bator and take them out to place them laying on the towel. I slipped and one egg is now missing 1/4 to 1/3 of the shell, but the membrane is intact.

Is there anything I can do? Is it now a lost cause? I thought I saw movement in the membrane, but it could be that I wanted to see it.

 

[Akane]

Wrap it in a warm damp paper towel and make sure there's no more than 1 thin layer over the end. Preferably try to leave the air cell end uncovered a little. We had a discussion on reasons paper towels over the mesh would be bad. It's better to just use a thinner mesh for quail if you need to. I use screen door mesh for button quail chicks to hatch on.

Make sure when you lay the eggs down they aren't touching the water. If the carton can wick moisture the eggs might weigh it enough they touch too. I lost part of my first hatch due to that mistake.

 

[MaineChickens]

Ok, thanks for the advice. I can pick up some screen today, but at this point it is probably too late to change it out- no?

What is in there is a couple of thin dish-type towels. They are not wet anywhere near the eggs. Apparently when I filled the wells I overfilled one side and that was where the paper carton sucked up the water.

These are my first ever incubated eggs- so I am so nervous I am going to screw it up!!