how long do you wait

[cowboy joe]

The first chick from the latest incubation hatched this morning.  The total count is 9 chicks out of 53 eggs so far (12 hours later).  I typically go 24-36 hours after the first egg hatches before I call the game.  I've raised chickens and some quail but I'm still a rookie by all counts.  Should I wait longer?  Thanks in advance.

[faro]

Hi CJ,
   I just had my Gambel quail hatch go 3 days. I would wait  to be sure. It all depends on the eggs, if you have pipped eggs, wait a little longer for them.

 I raise chickens also, and the hatches do not usually go over 2 days.
 
Quail do take their sweet time!  

[cowboy joe]

Faro,

Thanks for the advice.  If it wasn't for your comment, I would have shut the incubator down after 2-2 1/2 days and had a crummy hatch.  Fortunately I took your advice and left the incubator on...WOW, the number hatched doubled toward the end of day three.  There were one or two more trying to pip this morning so I left the incubator on.  Guess I'll need to be a bit more patient in the future.  Thanks again.

CJ

[albartsch]

I'm incubating chicken eggs at my daughter's preschool. For various reasons, there was a problem, and the incubator spent 24 hours at 112 degrees.  I've got it back to 100, but would any of you like to speculate as to whether I have soft boiled eggs?  Should I candle them? (I don't have equipment for this).  Thanks.

[albartsch]

By the way, I don't know if it matters, but they were 7 days old when this happened.

[Don McGowan]

You have a small mag-lite flashlight? put the eggs in a dark room and try it.
I would bet some of the eggs would hatch If I were a betting man those little guys are tuff

[faro]

Hey, that's great CJ. Glad your hatch turned out better!  

[cowboy joe]

The incubator is still running...4 1/2 days since the first chick hatched (23 days total incubation time...these are jumbo brown coturnix).  Woke up to 2 new chicks in the incubator this morning.  This is been one of the best hatches yet with 80% of the eggs hatching.  My normal hatch rate is around 50-60% for the styrofoam unit I am using...guess I'll have to build another brooder!