"Quail Thread-Hatching, Mutations, and everything quail related!!!"

[CamiLynn]

Need help please! I'm not new to hatching, but I am somewhat new to quail hatching. My last hatch went awful and ALL eggs that made it to lock down had shrink wrapped chicks when I opened on day 22 or 23! I had ONE chick that hatched after I assisted and it had splade legs, curled toes, and was weak the entire 5 days in lived with complete assistance. I made some adjustments, and placed more eggs. Here I am on day 19 or 20 (they were placed the afternoon on 2 April) on corturnix eggs and NOTHING!! I'm afraid I had my humidity too high at one point or too low at another. I just do not know what I am doing wrong!

And the plot thickens!! On 9 April a friend GAVE us 56 quail hatching eggs (we gave half of them to another friend) and I only have one bator! So I placed the new ones in the same bator on 9 Apr. On day 14 or 15 I increased humidity for the ones that were due to hatch (which I think may have screwed things) and kept humidity up until yesterday morning, as I am terrified I have already damaged the ones due to hatch this Fri! I let the humidity go back down and its now running at 30%...is that too low? I really do not know what to do at this point!! On top of all this...I ordered chicken eggs and added them yesterday.

Please can someone give me advise on what is the best thing to do, before I kill everything! I have had amazing hatches of chicken eggs with no problems, just can't seem to hatch these quail. I know I can grow them cause they have growth and can see the chicks squirming...but hatching is a different story! HELP!!!

 

[CamiLynn]

And I plan on getting another incubator but, can't get one until Fri, so not sure how much help it would be at this point!

 

[oktx]

Humidity needs to be really high during lockdown. 60 or higher if you can manage it. At minimum above 50. You did not say what type of incubator you are using but shrink wrapped chicks sounds like humidity issues.

 

[CamiLynn]

I have a farm innovator still air and I kept humidity up but when I add a warm sponge to bring it up it spikes to over 70%. I guess what I'm worried about now is ruining the eggs that are due to hatch this fri by raising the humidity for so many days.

When should I pull the ones the are past due? Also, if I raise the humidity back up now will I have just ruined things and cause shrink wrapping? Ugh!! Wish I had a rewind button and could start this hatch over!

 

[Cknldy]

Incubatorwarehouse.com? I'll definitely check it out. Thank you. BTW- daughter's friend brought 2 (count them- 2) quail eggs to put in an otherwise empty 49 capacity chicken egg incubator. One week old eggs that kids had put under a light. Both infertile which is why I figure they were given but they claimed to see darkness in 1 (I believe in hopes that they'd see/ hatch a quail) so I pacified them by temporarily putting in bator all alone while the friend was here. I'll wait til the end of the inc. Period and tell them it wasn't viable. They did peak my interest in quail so perhaps I will try my hand at it at a later date. Are they very susceptible to cold winters since rhey are so small?

 

[serama hen]

Incubatorwarehouse.com? I'll definitely check it out. Thank you. BTW- daughter's friend brought 2 (count them- 2) quail eggs to put in an otherwise empty 49 capacity chicken egg incubator. One week old eggs that kids had put under a light. Both infertile which is why I figure they were given but they claimed to see darkness in 1 (I believe in hopes that they'd see/ hatch a quail) so I pacified them by temporarily putting in bator all alone while the friend was here. I'll wait til the end of the inc. Period and tell them it wasn't viable. They did peak my interest in quail so perhaps I will try my hand at it at a later date. Are they very susceptible to cold winters since rhey are so small?

Id recomend cournix quail buttons are more for avaries and cournix are hardy dont need no heat lamp when they are grown up and can survive harsh temps i believe. Try it it will be fun they can be with abby chicks but i wouldnt do that they might get squished.

 

[serama hen]

I have a farm innovator still air and I kept humidity up but when I add a warm sponge to bring it up it spikes to over 70%. I guess what I'm worried about now is ruining the eggs that are due to hatch this fri by raising the humidity for so many days.

When should I pull the ones the are past due? Also, if I raise the humidity back up now will I have just ruined things and cause shrink wrapping? Ugh!! Wish I had a rewind button and could start this hatch over!

if you see nothing in some off the egg throw them out or open them to see maybe if you can figure what went wrong.

 

[SilkieRose]

hmm maybe their bad eggs

They were!!! I got nothin'! So I bought some babies!!! LOL I need to post a few pics later to see what a few are. Mostly wild, but I got 3 white/yellow/black spots--thinking A&M, but not sure & I have a blonde wild colored boy :/ What's that!?

 

[serama hen]

oooohhh babies!!!how cute

 

[CamiLynn]

Ugh!! I left the eggs that were due to hatch this past fri or sat and that are now on day 21 or 22, with increased humidity and have had nothing. Then get home this evening from work and one egg had completely zipped almost around the entire egg and died

I never had problems w chicken eggs and I just can't hatch these quail for nothing! I'm leaving them be (of course removed the dead one) especially since my next batch is due to hatch this weekend...gosh I hope I get something!!