These eggs have me totally confused what to do?

[smallbluejellybean]

Hi, I have about 30 button quail eggs in my incubator. I am new at buttons, but have bred canaries.
I candled them the best I could. Those eggs are so hard to see what you want.
I have about 5 that I can tell are clear. The rest are dark - can't see through them at all.
With the ones I can't see through I couldn't even see the air pocket.
So I then thought I would try floating them, as thats what I would do with the canaries if their eggs are too hard to candle. Well none of them floated.
I was just about to stop rolling as they have been set for 12 days now.
Should I throw them out or should I leave them be.
I am just so confused what to do.
Could you please help me make a choice.
Sorry to sound frantic, haven't had a nice day at all, because my favourite baby canary got out of the aviary today and I couldn't find it. So feel a little sad and will miss it alot.

Oh! what a day.

 

[jameskchandler]

Hello,

I have hatched many hundreds of Coturnix Quail eggs since May, and gave up on candling them, because the spotted eggs just don't give you a good view of what is going on in there. I have found it to be best to just cross my fingers, and hope for the best. What is the worst that could happen? Your eggs are due to hatch soon; I would just wait and see what happens. Discard any eggs that don't hatch after four days of due date. You will be fine, good luck, and happy hatching!

Sincerely, Jim

 

[JJMR794]

I Think Jim Pretty Much Nailed It Here----

By Floating Do You Mean Float Testing Each Individual Egg In Warm Water? If So That Only Works Accurately In The Last Part Of Incubation As The Air Cell Largens....

Set Them And Forget It---- See What Nature/ God/ Whoever You Believe In... See's Fit To Bless You With And Enjoy The Parents. Unfortunately Those Tiny Dark Mottled Eggs Are Just Too Much Trouble To Try And Candle Accurately And The More You Fool With Them The Less Chance You Have Of Successful Hatch---- Put Them In Your Incubator And Leave Them Be Until Hatch Time, Once They're Done Count Your New Lil Fuzzy Jelly Beans With Feet And Start A New Plan

Otherwise, In My Experience Anyways, Your Going To Worry Yourself To The Point Of Needing Counseling! Lol. Good Luck And Enjoy!

 

[smallbluejellybean]

Thanks for your positive feed back.
I guess I went on the worry wart path after I lost my favourite canary and would really like a new baby or two.
I love raising birds and watching them grow.
Also its that time of the month for me and my hormones are getting me down. Hate being a female.
Anyways will keep my fingers crossed and just hope for the best.
If none of them hatch I will keep trying to find someone to sell me some of their eggs.
I live in Australia and I can't get them posted from overseas.
My girls keep laying, the problem is they all lay there eggs together and they never sit on them.
If I leave them I end up with a huge pile of 30 eggs and no babies - thats 10 days laying and thats why I built an incubator.
Oh well will just stop stressing and let things be.
Thanks guys once again for your advice. It is appreciated.

 

[sojono]

when i put my eggs [quail or chicken] in the incubator i never candle them once they are in the bator it is not opened until i take the turner out at lockdown.on my last chicken hatch i had just over a 90% hatch.21 days is not long to see what happens. sojono

 

[Elite Silkies]

If they are bad, you will smell it. I would let them go, they should be fine. Some of mine I candled and some were too small. But, I had a great hatch.

Don't forget to send us pics after they hatch........... Good Luck

 

[smallbluejellybean]

Thanks for your replies.
All my eggs are big and some are very big compaired to what I have seen in photos. I guess its the great diet I feed my parent birds.
I thought I saw a couple move today, but it might have been a trick of the mind, because I want them to be ok.
I don't have a store bought incubator. Mine is just thrown together with "stuff or junk" laying around.
It's a still air incubator, as I didn't have a fan.
The temp fluctuates from 98 to 102. It seems to get higher at night because I am not in there every few hours rolling them.
I actually have two lots of eggs in there one new lot as well as the original ones.
I checked the new ones by candling today. 3 I can see stuff and movement. The rest are still in the question mark stage. (not sure yet), but I can see in them.
The older lot that are ready soon to hatch are dark, can't see a thing. 5 of them are clear.
So I can tell the difference.
I just wish with the dark ones that I could have seen an air pocket, then I would know they were ok.
The old ones I have set and I have stopped turning them. I also lightly mist them when I go in to turn the new eggs.
I have them in sections and have codes on them, so I can remember which egg is what.
My girls layed more eggs today. Now there are another 21 in the aviary. If they once again don't sit, I will have to take them out soon, so need to clear out any of the eggs that don't hatch.
My hens lay one a day and there are three of them. Boy they clock up after a short time.
I have a large fish tank on stand by with a lamp and bricks etc, ready for the babys to go in.
I have hand rearing mix that I am going to mix with egg and biscuit to feed them. High protein and vitamins. I have a small waterer reading with rocks in it.
Now all I need are some chicks.
I wasn't planning on trying to incubate myself and I really don't have the funds right now to upgrade my incubator "Thanks to Christmas", but I have used this idea before with my canaries and it was just fine. Just alot of checking and turning etc.
I refurbished the aviary today with fresh straw and a new guinea pig straw tunnel for my "quailies".
I would like about 30 in there and I have a big rabbit hutch I converted that could at least hold another 30.
So wish me luck and all your best wishes are well greated by me.
Take care and if you have anymore ideas or suggestions I would appreciate it.

P.S. That makes 81 eggs in total I have here at my house and I only have 4 quail.

 

[farrier!]

It seems incubating Buttons is normal. They rarely go broody.
I add eggs to my incubators every 2-5 days.
I do not have a good way to candle so all I have ever seen with quail eggs is clear or dark. I really enjoy the light colored eggs from my Lakenvelders, I can see movement in there but I can tell very little on the dark chicken eggs either.

It sounds like you will have some cute little ones soon! Enjoy!

 

[smallbluejellybean]

Will let everyone know if any hatch. I have been very successful with canary eggs, so just keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
My problem is I need a magic "Patience" potion.

 

[Wifezilla]

When you find a source for that let me know! LOL