When to candle/float test quail eggs? Also when is lockdown for coturnix eggs?

[SeptemberQuail]

That's great! Maybe if they do change their mind, you can hatch a new generation! Haha.
Congrats to Tia for laying her first egg!

Sadly my little Snow passed away on Thursday (her leg problem worsened) and my original adult quail Pepper passed away earlier on Monday (during my awards ceremony; worst timing ever). I'm still sad that I lost two precious quail on the same week (and a week before christmas), but at least my other quail are healthy.

We divided the adults cage in half for the chicks, also, the adults need less space since there are only two of them now...
One of my chicks (named him Bumble because as a day old chick, he was more orange than the rest like a bee) got his leg caught in something, now it's bruised. We put him in the brooder with his sister (for company) so he has time to heal up and won't be lonely. He's learnt to hop around without falling. It's cute but sad also.

I have 5 females and 4 males, there is this other chick which I am unsure of but I'm believing he is a male. So just enough quail to have 5 pairs.

These are just some pics, I was just taking them to show the variety of colours I got.

They're a little old, taken when the chicks were around 3 weeks, now they're 5 weeks old.

Heh, I got pharoah, white (not sure if a & m or english), roux dilute, and silver pied (probably). Yay for diversity!

Pharoah


White


Roux Dilute




Silver Pied




But here's Bumble:




He has to raise one leg up because it's bruised. I'm looking for an old thread on here to see if anyone else has had a problem like this. Poor guy.

 

[nicschicks2]

I was given some button quail eggs, their mother quail had been sitting on the eggs.
My problem is that I don't know if they are fertile or not it has been 8 days now how can you tell
I have tried the float test but could not see them moving, I tried candling but with all the spot I could not see a thing
can anyone help me.

 

[MKirst]

So exciting !! My first time hatching too !!! Day 8

 

[Agathas]

I'm on day four of incubating my quail eggs. It's my first time EVERRRRR!
They're in a styrofoam incubator, forced air, temp ranges from 36 - 38 degrees (sometimes goes all the way down to 34 - 35 when I open the lid to turn the eggs). Humidity normally ranges from 40% to 45%.
I hand turn them three times a day, by just flipping them, because there's an X and I on each side.

Temperature and all that is steady, but I'm just wondering when should I candle or do the float test on them?
And if candling, any tips on how to do so? I know quail eggs are hard to candle because of the brown blobs.
But I'm more likely to do the float test though.

Another thing, I've marked on my little diary that day 14 is lockdown day, but according to some other person on the internet from a previous asked question by another person, lockdown is day 15. I'm really confused, and really don't want to screw this up.

The breeder I go through said he locks his down on day 14 but he keeps his humidity at 50 till lock down I kinda think that's high but I've also known some to leave them in the rockers to hatch.. but I'm doing mine on the 14 day but at night so it's almost the 15 day. I believe either or you would be ok.

 

[Lisa jadede]

Oh, great idea!
I'll try that next time I incubate eggs - thanks!

Haha, the eggs were tasty when I ate them (they were un-incubated, but fertilized.), though I was saddened to find that I lost 4 potential chicks.

Leg problems is what I'm worried about -
When we start to build the brooder, we're probably going to put that non-slip mat on for the first few days (according to various websites, it's good for them to learn to walk), then move onto wood shavings. Apparently chicks will believe the wood shavings are food, and I really wouldn't want them to digest such things.

Also, I float tested the eggs today, 25 out of 34 are developing!

73% made it!
I believe the other 9 are probably either slow at developing, infertile or just not going to make it. Mainly I think that they're the infertile ones.
Even better is that the eggs that are laid from one hen are developing, and so are the ones laid by the other, which means better bloodlines! Though the father would be the same.
I'm so excited! To think in at least one week I'll hear the pitter patter of small tiny feet...

But the smell of poop will begin... (My breeder + egg supplier coturnix are kept outdoors, yet still smell) So we're still yet to decide where to put the brooder where it won't smell or be dangerous to the chicks. Pooey, most of my house is carpet.

I'm a little confused though, my older eggs (like my second egg I had received from my hen) is developing, yet my newer and fresher ones seem to have no signs of any chick. Weird.

Also, I heard about the quail that had a delayed hatch - I'm so sorry.

Hi guys, I'm in Darwin Australia, my Quail don't smell at all. Maybe you need to get a bottomless cage so it can be moved? I am in a hotter climate, so mu chicks should smell I think lol. I have 25 in the incubator, it's day 10, and I can't seem to candle for the life of me. I do sense some of the eggs feel heavier, the ones along the outside of the incubator however all feel empty to me...... Does anyone know if I should leave them in a certain position for lockdown? Say big end bottom small end facing up? It's my first time too so I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks

 

[007Sean]

Hi guys, I'm in Darwin Australia, my Quail don't smell at all. Maybe you need to get a bottomless cage so it can be moved? I am in a hotter climate, so mu chicks should smell I think lol. I have 25 in the incubator, it's day 10, and I can't seem to candle for the life of me. I do sense some of the eggs feel heavier, the ones along the outside of the incubator however all feel empty to me...... Does anyone know if I should leave them in a certain position for lockdown? Say big end bottom small end facing up? It's my first time too so I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks

Fat end up, pointy end down, while incubating or hatching...unless your hand turning then they would be in a horizontal position for both incubating and hatching.