Quail and other birds

Incubation of Button Quail Eggs
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Incubation of Button Quail Eggs
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I keep my incubator (still air) at 102 degrees (forced air incubator should be kept at 99-100 degrees), and the humidity at 65%, I increase humidity to 70-80% after last turn.  You can buy a hydrometer at any pet store in the reptile section.  I recommend you get one, they even sell sets that include a thermometer.  Never trust the thermometer that comes with the incubator, always check it.  The thermometer that came with my incubator was off by 5 degrees.  That could mean life or death for your babies.
 I turn my eggs for 14 days(putting an X on one side and an O on the other-makes turning much easier) after 14 days I only open the incubator to mist eggs to keep humidity up.
As eggs start to hatch I mist them every 2-3 hours, being careful not to spray directly into pipped holes.

 
 
Here are some button quail eggs with some normal sized coins, this will give you a good idea about how small the eggs are.

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Right before I turn my eggs for the last time I line my incubator with non-slip brooder liner, hardware cloth can be dangerous and hard on  tiny babies.  The rocks in the incubator are to help keep hardware cloth level.

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After the non-slip brooder liner is in place you may have to mist eggs to keep humidity up, this will also help baby chicks hatch.  It keeps the egg membrane from drying out and getting tough.

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Beagle very excited about new arrivals.

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My eggs are hatching, first one hatched some where between 12p-12:40p on March 28/04.  I set the eggs in the incubator on 3/11/04 in the evening. Number 2 hatched around 4-4:30p.  I can see 3 other eggs pipped.
I started with 51 eggs, 26 from King Tut and his 2 wives and 25 that I bought from ebay.  So far I only see mine with pipps and the 2 that hatched are mine.

First chick hatched 3/28/04 12p--from my birds
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Chick #2 3/28/04 4:15p (Still wet)
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And here are the proud parents.

King Tut and wives
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Number 3 hatched 5:30p 3/28/04 Tiny Teenie
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#4 on its way out, working hard
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Almost there
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And #4 is hatched 6:39p 3/28/04
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#5 hatched 9:45p 3/28/04
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5 more babies hatched throughout the night, but I was too tired to take pictures, so I took a group photo this afternoon.
Also sad news, 2 died before getting all the way out of the shell last night.

all 10 babies hatched so far
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2 more babies 3/29/04
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Lucky #13 has hatched 10p 3/29/04
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Update 4/1/04: All total 18 chicks are here, 3 are in my ICU unit with some problems.
 
I tried to help 5 chicks hatch, only 2 made it.  But I figure that is pretty good, because if I wouldn't of helped none would of made it.  Following are pictures of all the chicks.
6 chicks that came from ebay eggs
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2 that were helped out of shell
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both are doing well and are with the others
These are all the babies from my eggs
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Babies at 1 week of age
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Feathers coming out every where

a picture without a flash
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Picture with a flash
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Babies are 2 weeks old now
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