Delayed Coturnix hatching?

[Chaniphillips]

Hello! First time hatching Coturnix quail here, and it’s been odd. Set a bunch of eggs (about 35) on 7/9. Over 25 made it to lockdown on day 15 (I candled and whatever didn’t have development I removed). Lowered my temp to 100, and raised humidity. On 7/26, 9 hatched all within hours of each other. #10 hatched the following day, and then nothing. I put the incubator in a steamy bathroom, removed all the hatchlings and candled a few of the remaining eggs on 7/28. There was still movement in half that I candled, so I waited until the evening of 7/29 with no progress.

Went to break down the incubator and there was a chick furiously unzipping. Literally went from barely zippering to hatched in 12 minutes. Now, another has hatched overnight, two more are zippering, and 2 more are pipped with movement.

Is this from a cold spot in the incubator? They were in a tray with the rack that rolls them back and forth.

Also, the first batch has grown so much, will the newest babies be okay in the brooder with them? I can already here my husband’s enthusiasm if I have to set up a second brooder .

 

[Nabiki]

Late hatches are usually due to low temperature. It's not uncommon for incubators to have warm and cool spots.

The late hatchers will be fine with the rest of the chicks. If the chicks are within 3 days of each other, there are rarely problems.

 

[Chaniphillips]

Late hatches are usually due to low temperature. It's not uncommon for incubators to have warm and cool spots.

The late hatchers will be fine with the rest of the chicks. If the chicks are within 3 days of each other, there are rarely problems.

They were all in the same incubator, that’s why I’m so puzzled. The oldest and youngest are now solidly four days apart, with more still hatching.

 

[Charlie Wooster]

You say you lowered the temp to 100 at lockdown?.. what was the temp pre lockdown?

 

[Charlie Wooster]

I always run a hatch 3-4 days extra.. and 8/10 times a few will hatch 3 days later than expected.. it’s just the way it is..

 

[Nabiki]

They were all in the same incubator, that’s why I’m so puzzled. The oldest and youngest are now solidly four days apart, with more still hatching.

Yes, there can be warm and cool spots within a single incubator. That's why I usually recommend at least two calibrated thermometers if not three inside there to see what the actual temperatures are.

 

[Chaniphillips]

You say you lowered the temp to 100 at lockdown?.. what was the temp pre lockdown?

101.

 

[Nabiki]

101.

Is that what your incubator said or what the calibrated thermometer(s) inside said? Incubators lie.

 

[Chaniphillips]

My thermo

Is that what your incubator said or what the calibrated thermometer(s) inside said? Incubators lie.

I only had one thermometer inside and it said 101 plus or minus a few tenths, and same down to 100. Same as the incubator, but I had the thermometer in the middle and these eggs, if I’m guessing correctly, were all to the right side. So guessing cold spot, but it couldn’t have been that different because it’s a pretty small incubator (13 chicken eggs).

 

[Soulsinabottle]

I incubate my quail at 95.5 and raise it to 100 and 65-70% humidity on day 15. Usually have most if not all hatched by day 17.