yea, i read about that also. at first i put them on a tshirt,should have had plenty of traction. espically since tey were hatched later. the first birds are fine. now i have them on a out door rug, seems to be better, not sure why thoes 2! i am sure the hawk wont mind, just wish i knew y it happened.
  I don't think I've ever read, heard, seen, or done it any other way than to leave them in the incubator until their down has dried out.   How many eggs do ya got?
  I don't think I've ever read, heard, seen, or done it any other way than to leave them in the incubator until their down has dried out.   How many eggs do ya got?
a crap load.
this is my first experience in to this type of thing, so it is a learning exp.
i have had a couple of intresting things happen.
i had 2 birds, at different times, start to hatch. after 8+ hours they werent past the initial break in the egg still, so i helped them out. in both instances, as soon as they hit the ground, the other birds started beating to death. i was able to save them, but the first one it happend to just up and died. we were leaving and i looked in the brooder, all were alive, we get back and he was dead.
the current one, not sure, he was alive when i left this morning. but when i put other birds in there that hatch normally, the others accept them fine, its weird.
Post by borderhawk on May 18, 2009 12:53:58 GMT -5
Have you been checking all the sources available on the net? I've read to leave them in the incubator anywhere from until they completely dry out to up to 24 hours.... I've been leaving them in the incubator until they can at least walk around and hold their own so the other chicks in the brooder won't overwhelm them.
I've been having a very poor hatch rate, but I think I've figured it out. I've been using a homemade incubator with a hot water heater thermostat which has been allowing alot of fluctuation in temperature....it lets it get down to 95 before turning on, and heats it up to 102 before turning off! So I found a better old style house thermostat and a bigger cooler and made a new one. The house thermostat is holding it at a much more precise temp. I've turned the old one into a hatcher, and now I'm waiting to see how this works out.
The only post hatching deaths I've had have been at about 2 days old and I'm seeing a strange trend...they've all been the light colored ones. One right after the other all the mainly yellow chicks are crashing, but all the darker ones are healthy and strong. Another stange thing is the one chick that hatched first and was alone for awhile seems to be waiting for the others to catch up before developing. He's over two weeks older than some of them and you can't tell the difference!
i had 2 birds, at different times, start to hatch. after 8+ hours they werent past the initial break in the egg still, so i helped them out. in both instances, as soon as they hit the ground, the other birds started beating to death. i was able to save them, but the first one it happend to just up and died. we were leaving and i looked in the brooder, all were alive, we get back and he was dead.
  Do you have any numbers? A hatch rate?
  Let me correct myself: I have pulled them early, once before they had hatched (those keets FRIED). Idk it seems like they're better when you let them be from the time they start hatching 'til they're dry. The ones too weak to hatch will probably die later on anyways, at least, that's what I've seen. I've never messed with quail, but I think this would apply.
I BOUGHT THE FIRST 18 EGGS AND 6 MADE IT. I OPENED THE OTHERS AFTER TIME AND I WAS SUPRISED THAT ONLY 2 EGGS DIDNT DEVELOP, ALL THE OTHERS DID BUT DIDNT LIVE.
NOW I AM ON THE EGGS THE ADULTS LAYED, SO FAR ALL THAT HAVE BEEN LAYED HAVE HATCHED. I PROBABLY HAVE 20 EGGS IN THE BATOR RIGHT NOW. I HAD READ WHERE THESE BIRDS NEED WATER, AND LOTS OF IT AFTER THEY HATCH. SO I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WORRIED ABOUT DEHYDRATION, BUT I WILL LEAVE THEM IN THE BATOR LONGER.
BORDER, ALL MINE VARY IN COLOR, SO I COULDNT SAY ONE WAS BETTER THAN THE OTHER.
no, just humidity. i tried it, and then some of the eggs hatching had problems, they were getting stuck to the membrane and not able to rotate. so i stopped.
no, just humidity. i tried it, and then some of the eggs hatching had problems, they were getting stuck to the membrane and not able to rotate. so i stopped.
wow.... I would've expected completely the opposite...since it's drying out that causes them to stick. There's just so many variables it's unreal....
Killjoy, Dont worry about hydration, baby chicks can live up to 48 hours or more after hatching. The yolk sack gets pulled up into their abdomen right at hatch. THey can live off of that for the 48 hours no problem, just leave them alone in the bator till running around and dry.
i have 2 more hatching as of 4am. actually they were out and wet, i left a note to leave them alone cause the family will relocate them. so i will see how it goes.
it seem the ones that do wind up walking in the bator always seem to be stronger.
And another thing i have noticed is that when they start running around in there they bump the other eggs which actuallt stimulates the other hatchers to get moving.
i took the oldest ones, that had feathers and put them in a quail house i made. it actually was cool this week, got down into the 60's at night......oooops. i saw them huddling up for warmth just like the big ones. i leave to work at 4:30 am, i went out there to make sure that nothing tried to get at them, but it was to black. my dad calls me and said all 5 died last night. crap!!!
so i need to add a light for warmth out there also, just till they get used to the out side temp.
they went into the freezer with the sparrows. the next bird i get will be fed well, thats for damn sure!!!!
I am not familiar with button quail, but my jumbo brown coturnix stay inside for 4 weeks. They hatch, stay in the cooker until dry! First week in the brooder 98-100F one 100 watt bulb with covers over the brooder and always given warm water. Cold water in there watering bowl can chill the quail and kill them. 2nd week 90F in the brooder with one 60 watt bulb warm water. 3rd week 80F with one 40 watt bulb luke warm water. Week 4 no bulb and tap water. Once they are fine with room temp, outside they go. Week 7 or 8 dinner. Very simple and straight forward. Every one of the quail but 1 that has made it out of the cooker has lived.