That Quail Place Forum

Raising Gamebirds => Incubation => Topic started by: ChrisCarreiro on May 09, 2006, 08:44:58 AM

Title: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 09, 2006, 08:44:58 AM
What is the longest i should wait to toss the eggs? I am using a cheapy incubator (Chick-Bator/ MIni Dome Incubator)... I tried really hard to get these eggs to hatch, and i am very discouraged... i figured they would probly hatch on day 17 because that is when most people's hatch on this forum... Please give me some advice :( I only have 4 eggs  that i have taken VERY good care of.....
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: woodenegg on May 09, 2006, 11:38:09 AM
Hi Chris, don't get discouraged.  I have had them take 20 days once and I had 80% hatch.  That was 80 of them out of 100 eggs.  I set an incubator up in my grandson's class so I don't know exactly what happened with it by when I was about ready to pull the plug I saw the first pipping and then they came like gang busters.  My first try was with a still air hovabator and had 4 out of 36 hatch.  It is the old if at first you don't suceed, try, try again.  It has been an almost constant upgrade, adding a fan, then a second incubator... but I have learned and I have seen the hatches increase.  The second problem is shipped eggs.  It is very hard on them.  If those don't hatch, let me know and I'll stick a few more eggs in the mail for you.
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 09, 2006, 01:04:37 PM
Woodenegg (let me know what your name is  :laugh: ),
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 09, 2006, 01:06:24 PM
(Sorry screwed up my last post)


Woodenegg,
Thank you for your encouragement, i will let you know what happens. I will pay whatever the shipping costs etc. I just really apperciate your help. Thank you so much.

Chris
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: JohnInDixon on May 09, 2006, 02:01:53 PM
I think we all need to pitch in and get him an incubator ;) instead of a flying saucer...  We' all keeping our fingers crossed for you Chris!
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: MAX on May 09, 2006, 02:19:01 PM
hi chris
  dont give up just yet hatchings eggs is funny.... one time they will be right on time and the next 3 to 4 days late... i put 120 coturnix eggs in the incubator and 68 hatched right on time and 2 day later i was getting ready to clean my incubator  to set 120 bobwhites  that just came in the mail and found that my coturnix hatch wasnt over in fact in 24 hours i had 22 more of the little buggers...so relax and give them a few extra days and when its all done always check the eggs that didnt hatch and to see how many were fertile and not just yellow yokes
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: geeter on May 09, 2006, 04:43:39 PM
hang in there chris.  i hatched my first batch last summer largely in part to all the iformation i got from this forum.  the people on this forum are great.  i'm sure everyone is pulling for you.
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 09, 2006, 04:54:50 PM
Thanks for all your help! You guys are the best, i just took the 2 liter soda bottle cap filled with water out of my incubator, and put in a sponge, now the dome is fogging up, at least i know there is moisture in there. Is that ok? I put the Thermometer back on top of the eggs because i couldnt place it on the sponge, the Termometer's backing was made of cardboard and was absorbing the water from sponge, which gave me a bad reading on the temp. Thanks again for all your help, By the way...just to let everyone know a little about me, i am 17 yrs old, this is my second try with this incubator, my first try i was about 10 or 11 yrs old, and when i tried it the first time, the eggs were due to hatch when i  had to go on vacation so i gave the incubator to my friend to watch, and they told me one hatched but their dog got to it... this is my second attempt....my girlfriend thinks i am a werido...she says this whole bird hatching thing is random....but i have a very random strong fasination with it... So reguardless what she thinks or anyone else, i love it already and am building a  pen for my quail already...and i havent even got any to hatch yet :( but hopefully i will have some luck with the eggs that are surpose to hatch today.....Thanks again everyone especially Woodenegg, MAX & JohninDixon
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 09, 2006, 04:55:37 PM
Thank you very much Geeter!:)
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: aKirA on May 09, 2006, 05:36:39 PM
How soon and how late are dependent on how low or high your temps were from the ideal temp. As I assumed...in a Chickbator, the temps would more then likely fall below the desired temp during the evenings. So your chicks will probably hatch during the later days if they developed at all.

I had some coturnix that hatched on day 20-23 in my homemade incubator as i stated in one of my older threads. Good luck.
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: smilely on May 09, 2006, 05:39:34 PM
I think we all need to pitch in and get him an incubator ;) instead of a flying saucer...  We' all keeping our fingers crossed for you Chris!
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: woodenegg on May 09, 2006, 05:42:15 PM
Hi Chris, my name is Greg Christensen.  One of my other hobbies is turning wood and two seemed to go together to make woodenegg.  I live in Settler's Bay, Alaska and raise quail, pheasant, ducks, chukar and turkeys.  Everything goes out to a friend who owns a game farm except the quail, they live in my garage.  I have somewhere around 150 in an 8' x 4' corner in 'high rise condo's.'  I am starting to work on a Butler bob and XXL jumbo brown coturnix cross.  I've read some interesting things.  You will find a lot of folks just don't get the fascination with gamebirds, hatching, raising, breeding, but there are a lot that do.  Welcome to the club.
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: sp2207 on May 09, 2006, 06:12:31 PM
Chris   i was 10 years old when I got my first incubator   i am now 38 years old,  you can try this link  www.gqfmfg.com   you will have better luck with a newer incubator   Ill even send you some eggs   if interrested    plush Ive had 3 incubators  now i have 2 of them left and Ive hatched many eggs with them. keep us updated and let us know if they hatch  Scot
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: woodenegg on May 09, 2006, 06:39:36 PM
I think we all need to pitch in and get him an incubator ;) instead of a flying saucer...  We' all keeping our fingers crossed for you Chris!

Count me in John.  I suspect we can find enough to make it happen.
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 09, 2006, 10:50:54 PM
Thank you for all your support everyone :)

Greg, First off thanks for your support! So you make eggs out of wood? Do you have any pictures? Alaska is beautiful, i have been there once and stayed about a month, i seriously would love to go again, i wouldnt even mind moving there! I have a very natural facination with hatching eggs into birds, it really just amazes me how the whole proccess works :). Thanks Greg and i will be talking to you soon! I will let you know what happens with this chickbator

Scot,
I ordered my chickbator from www.gqfmfg.com the prices are really good on there compared to everyone else.  I am looking for a used incubator, i dont really want to spend alot on something new, I dont want to hatch in real quantity. I looked on ebay nothing is really on there cheap, just people selling their used stuff for the same prices as the new stuff after shipping. If you have an incubator that you have got your monies worth out of, and looking to get rid of it, i would be more than happy to buy it from you. :)  They have not hatched yet.... still waiting Thanks alot Scot for your help and advice.

Chris
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: sp2207 on May 09, 2006, 11:03:06 PM
Chris   sorry I don't have an extra incubator  tomorrow i will set about 150 eggs and that will fill both I have.I plan on buying a new one soon. and bring it back up to 3.   well let us know when you do find one  and ill send you some eggs for free   just let me know when 
Scot
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 09, 2006, 11:10:42 PM
Thanks alot Scot, I appercaite that offer, and will take you up on it as soon as i get an incubator!
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: topshot on May 10, 2006, 04:06:43 AM
Hey woodenegg, just sent ya an email that might get your woodworking interest fired up.  Let me know...
Chris, good luck with those eggs.  Like the rest of the guys are tellin' ya, don't get discouraged.  When those little guys finally start poppin' out it'll be worth it.  Sure makes for an awfully long 17-20 days tho' don't it!? 
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 10, 2006, 07:49:19 AM
Thanks i am waiting... If the eggs were not fertile, would they be rotting by now, today is day 18 1/2 or 19... the reason i say 18 1/2 is because the day i set the eggs it was around 3:00 - 3:30 in the afternoon...
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: topshot on May 10, 2006, 11:18:21 AM
Like the others said, day 19 is  still not bad.  If they weren't fertile, they may be rotting, but ya probably wouldn't be able to tell 'til ya busted one open (when that time comes, do it outside.  Better yet, have someone else do it for ya).  If ya had more eggs going I would suggest breaking one to see if there was still hope.  Were ya able to candle the eggs at all during incubation to check for growth?   
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 10, 2006, 12:10:58 PM
I tried candling the eggs halfway thru the incubation, but i couldnt see anything the coturnix quail eggs have blotches and it makes it very difficult to penitrate through to see anything. I made a better candler last night (the day they were surpose to hatch) and checked one or two eggs out, but i couldnt see anything but the light did not penitrate at all.... i thought maybe that was a good sign.... well i am still waiting... :(
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 10, 2006, 02:35:44 PM
BAD NEWS!!! :( I had a bad feeling about my eggs, so opened them up...and there was nothing butting rotting yolk.... :( GRRRR I decided to buy a new incubator instead of this chickbator what should i buy that is a resonable price.
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: aKirA on May 10, 2006, 06:46:36 PM
sorry to hear Chris. I wish I could help you with eggs but i just butchered my bobwhites because they were eating their own eggs. lol I never seen an egg from them. All i have left is 2 valley quail hens that were laying. One of them looks worn out and sick now.

for lower end incubators, there is the Hova-bator or Little Giant still air incubators.
up a notch, there are the Electric thermostat models.
Im only familiar with the GQF models.
They are selling a kit I just bought that works great. Force air, Electric thermostat incubator. It auto adjust temp. Comes with egg turner, free 30 bobwhite eggs, and free ship.

good luck.
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: woodenegg on May 10, 2006, 08:09:40 PM
I've got both and they each have advantages and disadvantages.  You learn to work with each and either will hatch eggs.  I've used them to hatch quail, pheasant, duck, chukar and turkey.  Not into chickens and its too cold here for peafowl.  Still have to try geese.  Maybe in the future.
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: geeter on May 10, 2006, 08:56:31 PM
chris, last summer i bought a "turbofan" incubator and auto egg turner from GQF.  Seems like the grand total was around $120.  Got about a 70% hatch from eggs i ordered from someone on this forum.I know $120 sounds steep, it was to me when i was 17.  If you can somehow swing a better incubator than the chickbator, I think your chances of success will increase dramatically.  I'll be glad to send you some eggs if you need them.  Don't get discouraged.  You'll be amazed the first time you see one of those little ones hatch. 
Thanks
Geeter
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: Attila on May 13, 2006, 01:39:36 AM
Hey Chris,
I, too, am 17 and I know how sometimes people can think you're a little strange for being interested in hatching birds, but oh well; I'm not really into some of the stuff that they do.
You should keep trying, it will eventually happen.  I have a Hovabator Turbofan w/ a turner that seems to do fairly well.  I think the lower hatch rates that I sometimes get are due to the eggs being shipped, not to the incubator.
A couple years ago I only got 2 Coturnix out of 16 eggs, the next year I got about 20 pheasants from 50 eggs, and in 2 days my 49 Button Quail eggs are due to hatch.  Hopefully the trend keeps going and I'll get at least 20-25.
Good luck in the future!
Attila
Title: Re: OK DAY 18 at 8:45 AM and no SIGN OF MY COTURNIX QUAIL HATCHING
Post by: ChrisCarreiro on May 13, 2006, 09:37:42 AM
Altia,

Thanks for the encouragment, So you have an AOL instant messenger screen name?

Chris