THEY ARE HATCHING!!!!! Updated Pic Post #56

[becky3086]

I just got quail eggs from PC yesterday so I am on day 1. The waiting begins. I have had quail before and am looking forward to having them again. Wow, 29 is a great hatch!
Becky

Pickled quail eggs are wonderful and so is roasting the quail in the oven with a can of cream of mushroom soup poured on top!

 

[Buster]

Oh that sounds good!

I just helped the 30th chick out. I'll go down in a bit and check on it. I haven't ever helped a chick out of the shell before but I figured with 29 others already here, what did I have to lose?

 

[PurpleChicken]

We lost our second to drowning last night.

It must have been one of
the weaker ones. I had to cull a few with bad legs. We should end up
with 20 good ones. We have 20 eggs set to hatch this Sunday and 60
on Christmas day. Someone really needs to come take my bator away
from me.

 

[Buster]

I was going to ask you how your hatch went PC. I don't have any with bad eyes or legs in the whole group. I saw them drinking from the brooder waterer last night so I'm not worried about that anymore. This has been a great hatch! Best I've ever had.
We got sibling quail PC! Thanks!

 

[becky3086]

I have never had quail drown before and I never got any with bad legs either. PC maybe you should check and make sure everything is alright with that incubator although I have to say that mine never has been perfect on humidity or anything else but I haven't had these problems with quail. Anyway, just weird. For a waterer I always use a very small, very shallow container--usually a jar lid with marbles or those pretty rocks in them and just enough water to cover these, if the quail get wet when they walk across the water they may get chilled and quail die quickly when they get chilled.so less is better. I have also used the quail waterers but even those I put little rocks in at first-just in case.
Becky

 

[Ladyhawke1]

I am double posting this I need advice.

Dear Friends:

This is my first experience at hatching eggs and it has come with its failures. I have had other birds and their mommies did all the sitting. This is MY first sit and I am a nervous wreck.

I have had a lot of trouble with the incubator. It is my fault and not the incubators. In fact, the people who manufacture it have been great. I set the eggs on November 19…so I counted to December 10. Surprise!

Yesterday I thought I may have lost my hatch but today at 10:30 AM, I heard cheeping. Now I am crazy. I have been able to maintain a temperature of 98 to 100 and stabilizing around 99.5. Humidity ranges from 72 to 65. I have not seen any piping yet.
What is your advice?

I do not want to intervene too early. It would just kill me if I were wrong. There are three Silkie eggs and I cannot tell which one is cheeping or if they are taking turns. They are quite now. I have a stethoscope that I put over one of the air holes, and once in a while I think I hear pecking or scratching.

I never realized how much these little eggs would affect me like this.

 

[Buster]

Quote:
Do not open the incubator or touch those eggs! It is very normal to hear cheeping before they ever pip. They will be just fine. You've done everything you can do by setting the incubator right and now it's time to let nature do its' thing. Pretty soon they will start pipping and zipping- LEAVE THEM ALONE WHILE THEY HATCH! I personally don't take mine out until about day 23 or 24 when I'm sure nothing else is going to hatch. In fact, my last batch of chicken eggs didn't even pip until day 23 and 24 so PATIENCE IS THE KEY HERE!

Let me know how they do.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
Do not open the incubator or touch those eggs! It is very normal to hear cheeping before they ever pip. They will be just fine. You've done everything you can do by setting the incubator right and now it's time to let nature do its' thing. Pretty soon they will start pipping and zipping- LEAVE THEM ALONE WHILE THEY HATCH! I personally don't take mine out until about day 23 or 24 when I'm sure nothing else is going to hatch. In fact, my last batch of chicken eggs didn't even pip until day 23 and 24 so PATIENCE IS THE KEY HERE!

Let me know how they do.

Thank you so much for your advice.

The Lady at the incubator place said that when you hear them cheeping it means they want out NOW.

I know you guys might be laughing at me but I am so scared for them.

I thank you for your advice and I will try to be patient. I haven't heard them peeping for a while.

I have so many other devices around and I have turned them off so I could hear.

 

[Buster]

Yes when they cheep they want out, but they will work it out. I personally view the cheeping as if they were encouraging each other to get out. Just wait until the first one is out- it will be VERY loud. It'll just be calling it's buddies to come out and play so be patient. Sometimes you can get them to cheep at you by whistling or cheeping at them.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
Believe it or not, that is what I have been doing. However, they have been very quiet for a while now.