2 1/2 weeks old!

 The babies are getting older. I didn't take pictures of their ugly phase. But here they are!

Better pictures today. They are soooooo cute!

ALL 7 HATCHED!!! And they all look very healthy. Here is the video of one coming out of the shell. We got to watch 4 hatch kind of all at the same time. We got home from church and the first was out. The egg was stuck on its head. I had to help it get it off. It had dried onto the head. It did not hurt it in any was. I think it was relieved to have it off. Right after we got home and very quickly changed 4 more hatched basically at the same time. They zip those shells open pretty fast. They would get a small line going before we realized that's what they were doing. It was really fun to watch. The boys lost interest quickly. Katie had her eyes glued to them. We had friends stop by after church as well so they could watch too. I am glad they came straight over or they would have missed it. The 6th one took its pretty little time hatching out. It was a couple hours later that it came out and it took it like 30-40 minutes to zip. The last on hatched early this morning. I even checked on it sometime during the night when I woke up and it wasn't hatched then. But when we got up this morning it was out. It was still pretty wet. They are all now in the brooder. I still don't have good pictures of them. They are really fast and I cant hold the camera and them at the same time. I will post those later today. But here are some pictures I took of the hatching.

If you look at the top left of the x there is a big crack.

Not the best of pictures. but here are some that had hatched out.

I found the video I was able to do of the 6th one hatching.

They hatched!!!!

The pictures are red because I took them in the brooder where we have a red light keeping them warm. So far 6 out of 7 have hatched. I am not sure if the 7th one will make it out. I'm hoping it will sometime tonight. But it is taking a long time. I did take videos but those are in my computer and it was running really slow tonight. So I will get that up tomorrow.

It was so cute! The one iffto the side ran to my hand when I put my hand in. They are so small and cute. Better pictures to come tomorrow when they are all dried out.

No babies yet...

Its a boring video, but a video nonetheless. Still waiting for the eggs to hatch. So, here are the eggs on day 18 of incubating. I did the video last night and there are still no eggs this morning. I am hoping by this afternoon, like after church even, to see some babies.

Tick tock

The quail are due to hatch anytime now. I have a camera set up to record if I ever catch any hatching. Then I can just turn on the camera and hit record. Or at least do pictures. I know there are at least a couple that are still alive because I have seen the eggs wiggling from time to time. I wish it would just happen already!! I'm getting ready to turn in for the night but at the same time, I don't want to miss anything!! I would post the video of the egg shaking but my camera is preoccupied staring at eggs. I will post that video tomorrow. And hopefully along with hatched out quail chicks. Oh, I was asked what a baby quail is called and ironically enough earlier that same day I was curious to. Turns out they are called chicks too.

Now last time when we hatched chicken eggs there was one egg that poked a hole in its shell and then took like another day and half or two days (I can't remember) to fully hatch out. Sadly, after all that work getting out it was the one that died a few hours later. But the other 2 came out in like 30-45 minutes. Guess that's why I am so afraid to go to bed. You know, its one of those things that the minute you turn your back the thing you have been waiting for finally happens. I think I am so paranoid about it is because the last batch we set (started in the incubator) it was like 8:30pm and then 2 of them hatched at like 3am-5am. The third one did hatch during the day but I was gone. So this batch we set at like 6pm so I think it will be the middle of the night again. Most places I read do say quail hatch around day 16. That's today. But it could be around day 18. The lady I got them from said hers always hatch on day 16. So, here I sit. my apologies I have no pictures to post with this.

One of the things I am looking forward to is trying to figure out what the chicks will look like as adults based on what they look like as babies.

Here's to the waiting game...

Sad man

One minute he's like this...

And the next he's like this...

I can't remember why he was sad. But he sure was cute.