Second try at hatching quails! (This time I'm sharing the whole experience with you!)

[Kiki]

I

also, other question: currently it's just past the 13 days mark, tomorrow at 7pm it'll be 14 days since the incubation began. when should i be preparing them for lockdown? between 14 and 15 days or between 13 and 14?

Take my turners out on day 15.

Turning eggs late in the game isn't as important as during the beginning so either day is fine.

 

[IceHax]

Lockdown has officially started. I raised the humidity to 60% and I will now proceed to ignore the eggs for 3 days, and hopefully wellw see some chicks pop out of the eggs by then! I'll also attach a pic of the eggies chilling in the bator (look at that cute little white egg ahaha)

 

[Kiki]

Lockdown has officially started. I raised the humidity to 60% and I will now proceed to ignore the eggs for 3 days, and hopefully wellw see some chicks pop out of the eggs by then! I'll also attach a pic of the eggies chilling in the bator (look at that cute little white egg ahaha) View attachment 1694142 View attachment 1694143​

Watch for small cracks to happen near the fat end of the egg.

 

[IceHax]

Watch for small cracks to happen near the fat end of the egg.

You can bet that's what I'll be spending my next 3 days doing ahaha, fortunately I don't need to open the incubator to add water in this particular model an automatic pump will do it for me, so that's a reason less to touch the incubator even ahah

 

[Kiki]

Did you candle a few at lockdown to check air cells?

I candle non stop.
I like to watch for the drawn down of the air cell. Once you see it drawing down you know it's getting really close to show time.

 

[IceHax]

Did you candle a few at lockdown to check air cells?

I candle non stop.
I like to watch for the drawn down of the air cell. Once you see it drawing down you know it's getting really close to show time.

I did, some had a really pronounced dip on the side, others were still only at the fat end , they are completely dark from top to bottom and in the white egg I can even see the chick inside moving they are due to hatch Saturday night

 

[Kiki]

I did, some had a really pronounced dip on the side, others were still only at the fat end , they are completely dark from top to bottom and in the white egg I can even see the chick inside moving they are due to hatch Saturday night

Woot!
So far my quail eggs have been hatching very close to 24 hours after the external pip.

 

[IceHax]

Woot!
So far my quail eggs have been hatching very close to 24 hours after the external pip.

I was talking about aircells , still no peeping , how long should I wait to take them out of the bator btw, I saw some guy say you shouldn't touch the bator for 3 days after the first chick hatched but I think that's a bit too extreme ahah, I'm worried about humidity drops and accidental shrink wraps though

 

[Kiki]

No way you should leave quail in that long. I'd say get them out asap. As soon as they find their feet...a few hours after hatch.
Do you have the rubber grip stuff down on the floor of the bator now?

 

[IceHax]

No way you should leave quail in that long. I'd say get them out asap. As soon as they find their feet...a few hours after hatch.
Do you have the rubber grip stuff down on the floor of the bator now?

There's the plastic grid that came with my bator, last time it was enough for them to have a good grip on