Incubator advice. I think my "method" is faulty

greenaus · **Posted:** Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:41 pm

Deans' Poultry wrote:

You were blaming the kids for dropping them a couple of weeks ago :-?

The truth ALWAYS comes out in the hatching! :lol:

They were taking them out of the nesting box and breaking them. They didn't even make it to the house, let alone the incubator.

Deans' Poultry wrote:

Nah well done mate. I wouldn't have the confidence or knowhow for that matter to build my own incubator. Although with step by step guidence whilst holding my hand the whole time, i might just give it a go one day :-D

If I can do it, I reckon you can. But, you will need both hands.

Egglive · **Joined:** Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:58 am **Posts:** 267

Yep - pretty good for a first try. I wonder if you could put a small wire or plastic basket in to put the hatching eggs in, so that the others aren't too disturbed. Mind you, a bit of movement wouldn't have hurt them, any problems would probably be caused by bacteria in the incubator.

I know people that separate the eggs with pieces of cardboard, which are cheap and they just throw the dividers away and replace them. Only problem with cardboard is that it might disrupt the air flow. Maybe get some mesh and make something.

greenaus · **Posted:** Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:29 am

I put some aviary mesh in half-way through hatching when I realised how mobile they are. This was to stop them from jumping overboard entirely.

I never thought to use any to stop them visiting another part of the "ship".

greenaus · **Posted:** Sun Mar 09, 2008 12:31 am

Eggsalive wrote:

There's no harm in trying, but I wouldn't get your hopes up too high on those remaining eggs. If they haven't pipped, they're not about to hatch. Many things can cause 'dead in shell' chicks.

I should have waited!!!

I just had quite a surprise.

It was day 7 Saturday for the 8 newer eggs, so I candled them and the four remaining due-to-hatch eggs.

I put all four of the due-to-hatch eggs aside as there was no movement.

I put two of the day 7 ones aside as they had no embryos, but each had what appeared to be a bacterial ring. They'll be going out without further exploration.

Anyway, I then took out the sponges and stuff to lower the humidity, reset the eggs, finished my dessert and finally took the eggs out to the kitchen.

I used a knife to break the air sac end of the egg to reveal the membrane and begin a post mortem of the unhatched egg.

The chicken moved. :shock:

Darn. Bugger. Oops. Oh. What the...???

It was fine after all.

Well, to cut a long story short...I've returned all four unhatched eggs to the incubator and set about boosting the humidity again.

I have no idea if the chicken with the broken egg has a chance. The hole is about 1.5cm across, maybe 2cm and provides quite a view. It doesn't have to pip and it may not know what to do about the "rotate and break" thing they do.

And, since its beak isn't even in the air sac yet, I wonder when it had been planning that.

If it hatches, it will be a miracle. Quite appropriate for the Sabbath, hey?

And, I can only hope one or two of the others are alive still, too. Three of the four are large.

Peter16 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:30 am

Chances of the broken shelled egg hatching are slim if not impossible, but like you said, its the sabbath day and you might get ya Miracle

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Greenaus, Leave them longer, if one is alive then it's possible they all could be.

Thanks
P.A :lol:

greenaus · **Posted:** Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:14 pm

PEACOCKSAUSTRALIA wrote:

Hi Greenaus, Leave them longer, if one is alive then it's possible they all could be.

Thanks
P.A :lol:

Day 25 and for the most part, I'm still waiting.

The chick with the shell missing at the air sac end was still alive last night. However, I made a fatal mistake and chick paid for it with its life, dying overnight. :cry:

Yet another lesson learned: Do NOT try to "help" them by peeling away some shell. You might hit a blood vessel. An,d when that happens... :shock:

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