Quail hatched early

[Aqwifey]

Hello I had 22 eggs I placed in my incubator on 4/6 and added 4 more eggs on 4/7. I collect the eggs every day and leave them pointed side down on my counter. In 4/6 I wasn’t going to add more and put all them in that night but added 4 more that was laid on 4/7.

From my calculations Monday 4/21 was lock down and was expecting them to hatch Thursday/friday 4/24-4/25. They started to hatch yesterday 4/22 I had 23 hatch and the last 3 did this morning. All eggs hatched but I lost one. All chicks seem to be active and fine.

Does early hatching with this many happen often or did I get times off?

 

[catesquire]

I think early hatching is usually caused by high heat in the incubator, but if all the surviving chicks grow up healthy, I doubt it was a huge issue--that's an incredible hatch rate!

Edit: Just actually looked at a calendar, days 17-18 are very normal hatching days. How long did you expect them to take? (Note: I'm still confused myself on whether you count the first day as day 1 or day 0. )

AKA: Sounds like you did AMAZING with the hatch, just had the wrong expected hatch date.

 

[Aqwifey]

I think early hatching is usually caused by high heat in the incubator, but if all the surviving chicks grow up healthy, I doubt it was a huge issue--that's an incredible hatch rate!

Just actually looked at a calendar, days 17-18 are very normal hatching days. How long did you expect them to take?

18 days maybe I miss counted it has been busy last few months so maybe I should have waited when I’m not as run down. These eggs are from my own quail so idk if that makes a difference on the hatch rate. I did it cause I need to add more females as one male is getting picked on. I have 12 adults and 3 are confirmed males.

 

[Nabiki]

Coturnix quail normally hatch on day 17, so it sounds like yours weren't early. If they are early, it usually means that the temp in the incubator was a bit high.

 

[Aqwifey]

Coturnix quail normally hatch on day 17, so it sounds like yours weren't early. If they are early, it usually means that the temp in the incubator was a bit high.

Oh ok I read day 18. My temp was 99-100.5 thank you

 

[Susan Skylark]

My coturnix routinely hatch day 16, with some day 17 stragglers and have an occasional day 15 as well. Always forget to write down day put in incubator and set up brooder last minute! Day 1 starts 24 hours after you put them in the incubator, maybe think at that moment they have been in the incubator 1 day to help remember.