How do I incubate eggs without a commercial incubator?

Janb · **Posted:** Mon Nov 19, 2007 6:26 pm

Hi Jeff,
I will ask them about cost to hire when I take Prue's eggs to them. I will also advise them of the web forum. I have told them of PA's suggestion to get in touch and the link so kindly added by PA which enable me to find them.
Will let you all know the outcome.
cheers
Janb

Jeff Trescott · **Posted:** Wed Nov 21, 2007 6:04 pm

That will be great, thanks

Jeff

Janb · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 4:49 pm

Hello everyone,
Well, I packed Prue's 2 eggs in bubble wrap for the reasonably short car trip to Teesdale, guess what? One broke in transit!!! So there is just one under a silky hen. Should get an email to let me know if it is fertile sometime next week.
Prue is back to her old self. But, due to the false start by Piper and Miss Pied, I now have 2 eggs from each of them that need to be incubated. Good grief!! I have put a bid on ebay for an incubator and in the meantime I am going to try the frypan thing and hope for the best. Not very confident though. I have had no luck finding a clucky hen and don't want to bother the chap in Teesdale again.
cheers
Janb

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

Hi janb, always the way, when you have eggs, no broody hen! Good luck with the eggs, hope you get a few chicks this season.

Thanks
P.A :lol:

Janb · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:07 pm

Thanks for the good luck wishes PA. I have started testing the temp, on a very low setting, in my frypan tonight. I have put a cake rack wrapped in a teatowel, and a saucer of water inside it, tilted the lid slightly open and at last check the temp was 36c. I will check again in the morning and if the temp remains at 35 to 36c I think I can put in the 4 eggs. Very anxious about this, I have successfully raised 1 day old domestic chicks in a box with a light globe, but they were already hatched. This is a whole new ball game!
cheers
Janb

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

Hi Janb, we commend you on your commitment, this method has worked for a very long time and for a lot of people, we hope it works for you.

Good Luck

Thanks
P.A :lol:

bunyanuternie · **Joined:** Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:31 pm **Posts:** 2903

Hi Jan , Good on you for having a go , you must be very determined , I will be watching this post very carefully , I hope it works for you Ian .

Janb · **Posted:** Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:52 am

Hello all,
I could not get a consistent temperature with my frypan so gave up on that idea and have tested my cat's heatpad (she doesn't need it in the summer, a very spoilt cat this!!) with the cake rack and small container of water in a cardboard box and checked the temp every few hours and overnight, it remained static at 96F. My temps are in Farenheit because I only have a human type thermometer to use until I can get to town to buy the proper sort. As I was running out of days for the eggs to be ok I really had no choice but to put them in the box yesterday morning. I am turning them twice a day and my fingers, toes, etc., are crossed. Only time will tell.
cheers
Janb

Peter16 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 02, 2007 12:08 pm

Very Inventive idea Janb
hope it all goes well for ya!! :-D

Peter

Janb · **Posted:** Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:57 am

Hello everyone,
The surviving egg from Pru and Snow that I took to Teesdale for incubation under a silky is fertile and should hatch by the end of this week. Will keep you posted on that one. Since recoving from her ordeal Pru has laid a further 7 eggs, maybe one of which could be fertile. Time will tell.
I now have a small incubator into which I moved 4 eggs out of the box heated by my cat's heater pad and they should hatch, all being well, on or about 28th December. I have 4 others in the same box that I will also move into the incubator following the earlier hatchings (or not) being moved into a brooder of some sort. I am thinking a heat lamp and a box. I have the crumbles at the ready just in case of success. A very steep learning curve this!!
Merry Christmas and all that jazz, stay safe on the roads.
Janb

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