When to remove hatchlings from the incubator?

[mummyof4]

How long do you leave your quail hatchlings before removing from the incubator?

We have 48 eggs in the incubator, we are on day 18 and we had 4 hatch late last night and another 4 this morning.

Now I know your not meant to open the incubator until they are all finished hatching but I’m worried the 6 in there need to eat/drink, I can’t see if any of the others have pipped or anything but after the 1st hatched I had a good look through the incubator and couldn’t see a pip on any.

Do I just risk it and quickly grab them all out? Then leave the other eggs til day 20 and then chuck them out?

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Alright, everyone does it differently, but I tend to get them out and somewhere warm with food and water to dry the rest of the way off as long as they are 3+ hrs old, halfway dry, and have a sibling to come out with.

I would not leave them all until they finish hatching, just minimize the time the incubator is open. I often run an extra humidifier in the room the incubator is in so it doesn't dip too much when I crack it.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

You can always pop open the incubator to nab chicks as they hatch as long as you keep the humidity up and do it quickly. If you have a few hatched and dry pull them out. If you need the humidity back up throw in a warm, damp paper towel or spray with a mist bottle.
They can easily go 12-24 hours without food or water though.

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

for quail i get them out as soon as they are dry, as long as you add a hot wet sponge when you do it the humidity is fine. Besides, they make their own humidity too when the eggs they hatched from are exposed to the air.
Congrats on your hatch!

 

[mummyof4]

We have 7 now, considering we lost power on day 4 & 8 for at least a couple hours at a time I think we are doing quite well. I didn’t expect any to hatch as so much went wrong along the way

 

[Fishkeeper]

Nice! Pics?

 

[Alaskan]

I give them food and water as soon as they are dry.

They can not go without feed and water for as long as chicks can.

 

[007Sean]

I move mine to the brooder when they have dried...I never leave them in the bator longer than 18 hours.