Setting up the bator and setting shipped eggs this week....anyone else wanna join?

[delisha]

65?

I just set 65 mail order coturnix eggs for hatch expected Monday or Tuesday. Wish me luck!!!

65?

 

[crazyhen]

Wow someone is going to be busy with chicks,
I have never grown quail. If I thought I could kill the cute little things I might would grow some but otherwise I would not. Just to much trouble. Would they be hard to sell?? I wonder?

 

[delisha]

Wow someone is going to be busy with chicks,
I have never grown quail. If I thought I could kill the cute little things I might would grow some but otherwise I would not. Just to much trouble. Would they be hard to sell?? I wonder?

I would not know what to do with them either. I could not eat that many in a year. My DH would not eat them, because they are so small and cute.

 

[sjshaw1980]

Well, 64...I had 65 but I found one broken and dry when I set them all yesterday, but it didn't stink and looked like I had apparently missed a hairline crack, so I don't think it's going to be a huge problem.

I'm expecting about a 60-70% hatch (they were shipped from TX to NJ), so that's 38 or 39 chicks, 4 different varieties. You should see the setup I built for them in the basement! There is no movement and no pips yet tho so I'm starting to get a lil paranoid. It's my first time hatching.

Assuming they DO hatch, we are going to set up 4 breeding pens, and a colony pen for the laying hens. The extra roos will find a new home in the freezer.

My husband and I are total foodies and he's all about the self sufficiency, so getting our own quail breeding program going is right up his alley. We are totally eggcited!

 

[chickenlickin8]

Well I see 3 pips in my staggered (5 days) bunch. Looks like the humidity didn't bother them! I have some movement in another so looks good.

Any zipping yet? I love little ameraucana chipmunk babies!!

 

[chickenlickin8]

Wow someone is going to be busy with chicks,
I have never grown quail. If I thought I could kill the cute little things I might would grow some but otherwise I would not. Just to much trouble. Would they be hard to sell?? I wonder?

I would not know what to do with them either. I could not eat that many in a year. My DH would not eat them, because they are so small and cute.

I used to love raising button quail and hatched out dozens of them. Sooooo cute! They are such good little egg layers too! It would take 24 to make a small omelete....

I sold the babies on craigslist like hot cakes.

 

[fishermans wife]

WooHoo! Hubby had a weak moment, and said I could order more silkie eggs! Catdance is shipping them to me tomorrow! Haven't even put the bator away from the first round. I am so excited!!

 

[delisha]

WooHoo! Hubby had a weak moment, and said I could order more silkie eggs! Catdance is shipping them to me tomorrow! Haven't even put the bator away from the first round. I am so excited!!

I am so happy for you! I will be ordering from her again. Next time my hatch should do much better.

 

[fishermans wife]

I am so happy for you! I will be ordering from her again. Next time my hatch should do much better.

Any advice? Last time (my eggs were from a different source), I let them rest for a day, put them in the bator in cartons for another 5 days, humidity at 40-45% . After 5 days then layed them down, turned 5x a day (I hand turn), then bumped humidity to 60-65% on lockdown. I had 6 of 11 at lockdown hatch.

 

[delisha]

Quote: This is just my opinion..nothing else

Silkie eggs have more liquid that needs to be absorbed and it seems they die at pip time because they drowned. or shortly before because of to much liquid.

I feel silkie eggs should be dry hatched. If you are getting catdance eggs, they are fresh..that day collected and shipped. She has 100's of laying silkies and send out only the very best. They have very little air pockets because they are so fresh. You are 100% correct about setting them out for a day, fat end up. That does two things. It allows the air pockets to settle and the ones not attached ...gives them time to attach, and it brings the eggs to room temp so it is not a shock going into the incubator. I have not done 5 days with out turning, I place them in the turner when cells attach. unless you are talking about shifting the cartons high end to low end that is fine too. I always hatch big end up on shipped eggs. I lay down at day 18. It sounds like you do not have a turner. I would carton hatch if I were you, till day 18. I try to keep my humidity at 30% and under 35%. I do not increase humidity until internal pip on first egg. You have to check your air cells if they are wonkie. Check your moisture level in your eggs during candling. With such an important investment I would weigh the eggs at arrival, day 10, and day 18. You should loose about 6-10% weight at day 10 and day 18. Than you know you are all good. If it is more weight, you need more humidity. If it is less, you need less humidity. Your humidity levels at lock down are perfect.

for example ..
egg one
arrival weight 1.315 day10 1.170 that is 11% loss....... you have to average it out with all the eggs. I have one egg with to much loss I have one egg with not enough loss and I have 10 eggs that are right on the mark. I know that my humidity is good.