Utter Quail Newbie - Hatching Questions!

[~*MissouriSweetpea*~]

I bought a Mini Advance from Brinsea and have the small egg insert. I set it up to 99.6F (37.6C), filled one of the water pots (just one or both?), put it on automatic turning every 45 minutes (should it be more or less?) at egg size 5. I tried to point them small end down, but they don't seem to be sticking that way (any ideas on that?)...Sorry I'm rambling. I'm so excited!! Anything else I need to do for them?

 

[TwoCrows]

Set the egg turner timer for about an hour. My very first incubator had the exact same trouble, the eggs did not want to lay tilted big end up. So every time I walked by the incubator, I tilted them upward by hand. Everything seemed to work out in the end.

Keep an eye on the water pans and keep the humidity somewhere around 50% to 55%.

Good luck!

 

[~*MissouriSweetpea*~]

Thanks!

 

[~*MissouriSweetpea*~]

New question - Do the eggs require a cooling period starting at Day 7? I read something about that but I wasn't sure if Quail need it or for how long it would be each day...

 

[TwoCrows]

You may have gotten confused with letting the eggs rest before setting. Once the incubation starts, it continues with a constant temp all thru out the incubation process.

Eggs should rest before setting if they have been shipped or recently collected. They need to sit large end up for at least 24 hours at room temp to allow all the air bubbles to disperse, allow the air cell to return to the top of the egg and let the egg internal temp to stabilize.

 

[~*MissouriSweetpea*~]

Oh drat! I didn't do that. Have I completely killed any potential for hatching?

 

[James the Bald]

Have I completely killed any potential for hatching?

In my opinion, no, you will have a hatch. I would carry out your incubation just like "normal". When you get ready for "lockdown", candle all of your eggs. The ones that you can see light through will be duds, so you can toss those. The rest of the eggs that light doesn't shine through are "potential" chicks. You didn't mention how many eggs you had or what type they were, but on hatch day you will know. I had a similar experience (thanks to the mailman), and of 18 eggs, only 2 hatched, 3 1/2 days after "hatch day".

Stay the course, stay positive and good luck.

 

[~*MissouriSweetpea*~]

Thank you! I haven't candled yet but today is lockdown day. I have 5 eggs wiggling, so I'm hopeful.

 

[SavageChick]

I hope you will keep us posted on your incubation/hatching with the Brinsea Mini Advance. I just recently used the same model. As far as filling the water pots, you fill only one side (refilling it every 2-3 days). Then, on lock-down day, you fill both sides of the pot all the way up to the top.

 

[~*MissouriSweetpea*~]

4 have made it out! We are officially on Day 17. I'm not sure that anymore will hatch - they aren't wiggly beans like these were. How long can I leave the little ones in there before I give in and pull them out to be fed/watered?