Totally defeated

[Deleted]

ON day 14 I took my eggs out of the turner, within 24 hrs, my first quail had hatched, today is the actual hatch day. The first bird hatched 72 hrs before they were supposed too, checked this morning on the little bird and it had passed away during the night. Now I'm freaking out wondering what I did wrong, I kept my at temp 100 degree's an 50 percent humidity, an on day 14, I increased the humidity to 70%. I thought I was doing it right, but now that the bird has died, I'm lost......I don't know what to do......

[buffbarker60]

Sorry to hear that buddy I've never delt with quails. But sometimes you just get eggs from bad stock with chickens that never hatch or hatch and are sickly.

[nytrapper23]

Sog , it's unfortunate but it happens , maybe nothing you did at all . Just remember how fragile a state these little buggers are in when they first hatch . I have hatched bobwhites for some time and it amazes me how they ever make it in the wild . Sounds like you did everything right just keep doing your thing.

[nytrapper23]

Sog , my first batch of pheasants didn't do so hot , looks like I'm only going to end up with 4 out of 20 eggs!

[Deleted]

Ok, been doing some research, an I'm finding things I did wrong, actually three things are where I dropped the ball temp an humidity all were good for the process, but I failed at a few other things. First off, I put my eggs in right after I received them, that's mistake number one and it could be the reason for my poor hatch results. Also at day 15 your not supposed to open the incubator at all till the hatch, once again a failure on my part. An lastly, I think I should lower my temps to keep the incubator at 99 degree's.

I've been researching this for 2 days and here are what I see as my failures. I'm giving these eggs till Friday, an then there out of here. The home made incubator we'll get some modifications, one I need to be able to adjust the temps without opening the incubator, they should be set, but I need to lower them, I didn't take into account the heat from the motor for the turner. Making it adjustable from the out side would be way better than how I do it now. Two humidity, once again I got to be able to do this without opening the incubator up, I thinking of drilling a hole through the wall and run a section of garden hose through it, so that I can add water to the incubator with opening it up. I'd just use a cork to plug off my hose on the out side of my incubator.

I got to get pics of my rig posted up, so you guys can see what I got, and maybe throw out some suggestions on how to make it better. I'll try to get them up this weekend. But all I figure I can do is, regroup, do some more research, and be better prepared. Never done this before, but next time will be better.

[rendezvous]

I didn't think you were totally defeated... good luck!

[nytrapper23]

Sog , not sure about not opening the incubator at all being a problem . In the real world any hen setting on eggs gets off them at least twice a day , they will also wet their breasts to add humidity to the eggs . I do leave the incubator closed for the final three days , but I turn mine by hand so it's opened up twice a day , and other than this batch have pretty good results. One thing people do miss that I think makes a difference is when collecting the eggs keep the ones you have waiting cool and also turn them twice a day . I have two hen pheasants so it may take me 21/2 weeks to collect 20-25 eggs . The breeder I get my eggs from for other breeds still turns his eggs by hand but he has an elaborate set up in his basement with automatic turners set up just to turn his eggs waiting to go in the incubator.

[SkFarm25]

Ive been there my friend, it's an aweful feeling. Ive never tried quail but Ive tried ducks chickens and geese. I have a brinsea incubator with and auto turner so when I collect my eggs I put them in the incubator with just the turner on and no heat this dramatically increased my hatch rate.

Don't beat yourself up too much, I failed my first batches but that's how you learn. My instruction book warns about opening the incubator during the last stages too as well as having a perfectly sanitary incubator to start with and clean water in the tray for humidity, yet when one of my Roen ducks nests she picks the dirtiest corner of the barn and has 100% hatch rate every single time. Makes you appreciate mother nature that's for sure.

[Deleted]

I'm with ya, Wade, but not having a mentor, all I have is the dang computer to get info off of. An of course just like with trapping I got to find what works. Trying to buy eggs or chicks for that matter is a bust in my area. No one deals in quail, well, just not the quail I'm looking for. So I kinda see a market door, if I can get hatching under my belt.

Hopefully I'll get to my improvements this weekend and get a chance to post up my rig. Like I stated in my above post, ll I can do is try again after I'm done reviewing more info, I don't take failure well, an I never give up, in another week or two there will be more eggs delivered to my door an we'll try again. Momma has me signed up for a current project that's getting my attention now. Plus I want to mode my incubator before we get any new eggs.

[nytrapper23]

Good luck sog , you will be fine.