If we are going to be damned, let us be damned for what we really are.
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard

My first batch of quail eggs was contaminated by a bad egg that leaked into the incubator's water reservoir, forcing me to compost all the eggs and sterilize the incubator. In trying to make sure I had the incubator fully cleaned, I ended up having to save up about three week's worth of eggs (viability goes down after the first week). The second batch finally hatched on day 18 of a 16 day incubation period. If they hadn't pipped last night I would have had to compost this batch as well.

I tell you all of this so you can understand exactly how thrilled I am that they hatched.

I ended up with five babies hatching, one of which looks like it may be too weak to make it. By decree of ~EvilAuthor they shall all be named Stan. I put a bobwhite babysitter in with them for now to show them how to eat and drink.