Coturnix Eggs Day 18-19 Concern

[Quithers]

I recently bought a dozen of Cotunix quail eggs and put them in the incubator. I waited 24 hours and went from there. Half of them ended up being fertile.

It's now day 18, almost day 19, and I haven't seen or heard anything.
I'm slightly concerned as to why they aren't internally pipping yet.
I'm guilty of candling them today. I did make sure the room was hot and I even went as far as to put a humidifier in the room a few hours before hand so the eggs would have a chance at being safer.
I saw the little ones moving 'round in the eggs and that was a relief, but since it's almost day 19, why aren't they internally pipping?
Maybe it has something to due with where I live. Since it gets cold at night still, the incubator temp might have gone down during the nights and the chicks are just a bit delayed?

Any input would be helpful.
I'm really praying that these little guys are gonna be fine in the end.

I attached a picture from day 11 when I checked for fertility.

 

[JaeG]

As long as no one has externally pipped it's fine to candle them.

Have you got an independent thermometer as the ones on incubators are notorious for being wrong? What is the incubator set at?

What were the air cells looking like? We're they slanted? That's a sign they are getting ready to pip internally.

 

[Quithers]

As long as no one has externally pipped it's fine to candle them.

Have you got an independent thermometer as the ones on incubators are notorious for being wrong? What is the incubator set at?

What were the air cells looking like? We're they slanted? That's a sign they are getting ready to pip internally.

I have a simple thermometer that lays on top of the eggs. It's been pretty trusty with my chicken hatches.
I've been keeping the temperature at 100 degrees F. Though I've seen it go down a bit later in the day, so I bump it up a bit to help it stay steady during the nights

The air cells aren't slanted, but two of them have (Not sure how to word it) two little "bumps" on opposite sides. I was thinking maybe that they were pipped at first, but I didn't see any beak shadow so I'm not sure, especially since I don't hear any peeping or tapping. However, this is my first quail hatch, so I may not be seeing certain things since I'm use to chicken eggs.

 

[JaeG]

If the temperature is dipping during the night it's probably just slowed them down a bit. I've even had naturally incubated Button eggs take quite a bit longer to hatch due to cool weather so it happens naturally as well. My Coturnix and Button quail eggs put up with terrible temperature swings in my cheap incubator and I still have fabulous hatch rates (being that they are my own fresh eggs helps a lot with that I think) but I figure quail eggs must be pretty tough.

You can sometimes see them pushing at the membrane under the air cell if you candle at just the right time, but they aren't the easiest eggs to see what's going on, depending on where their splotches are. I'd give them until the end of day 21 before worrying too much and then you could float test to see if any wobble for you.

 

[danielb1990]

sounds abit like what happened to mine the first one hatched 3am into day 19 then some more few hours later

 

[Quithers]

Some good news.

Middle of day 19 and I'm hearing some tapping from one of the eggs! The egg has a nice big dark spot right around the air cell so I can't see anything except the edge of the cell, but I'm definitely hearing some faint tapping going on. No chirps yet, I'm keeping my ears open though.
The cell is also a bit slanted as mentioned.

 

[jan61]

I recently bought a dozen of Cotunix quail eggs and put them in the incubator. I waited 24 hours and went from there. Half of them ended up being fertile.

It's now day 18, almost day 19, and I haven't seen or heard anything.
I'm slightly concerned as to why they aren't internally pipping yet.
I'm guilty of candling them today. I did make sure the room was hot and I even went as far as to put a humidifier in the room a few hours before hand so the eggs would have a chance at being safer.
I saw the little ones moving 'round in the eggs and that was a relief, but since it's almost day 19, why aren't they internally pipping?
Maybe it has something to due with where I live. Since it gets cold at night still, the incubator temp might have gone down during the nights and the chicks are just a bit delayed?

Any input would be helpful.
I'm really praying that these little guys are gonna be fine in the end.

I attached a picture from day 11 when I checked for fertility.

I got quail on day 20 Was ready to clear incubator took 2 to brooder and when I returned there was a quail Called himLUCKY!!!

 

[Quithers]

Update.

The egg was tapping and wriggling around last night, but since then, I still haven’t heard a peep and I don’t see ‘em wriggling anymore. I don’t I see any external pips either, course it could just be hidden where I cant see it without taking it out of the bator, which I don’t want to do.
Still hearing the tapping, but not near as much as I was.

 

[JaeG]

External pips can be really difficult to see on Coturnix eggs and they may be where you can't see them as they pip at the lowest point of the air cell. Shine a torch in at different angles to see if you can see any raised bumps on the shells - often you only notice it because at one angle it will make a tiny bit of a shadow. Once they have externally pipped they will pause and go quiet while they absorb the remaining yolk and blood that's been running through the membrane, so there won't be any tapping at that stage. They can sit for around 24 hours (I've had some go as long as 36) before they proceed to the unzipping stage.

 

[Quithers]

Sadly nope, nothing that I can see. The tapping lessened more too.

I’m really confused...It’s now morning of day 21 and the other chicks still haven’t internally pipped, and these are eggs that I can fully see the air cell. They’re still alive, but man, they’re taking their sweet time.

Maybe they’re not Coturnix...I mean, when I got them, I just assumed they were coturnix since the eggs look like them, but the carton didn’t say...
Usually people say the latest coturnix hatch is day 21, but if I’m not seeing any internal pipping in some, then either my chicks are lazy little guys, or they’re not even coturnix.
All this waiting is killing me haha.