Incubator failure - will this replacement work?

[Gorum]

BEWARE THIS POST IT MAY MAKE YOU ANGRY


So, my Incubator failed. I was using a hovabator that was a few years old, but this was only it's 2nd or third use. Not sure when it happened, more than 24 hrs ago. As a solution, i just set up a heat lamp over the now open incubator to try and save them. The temperature inside dropped to below 90 degrees. They are due today/yesterday/tomorrow, the incubator ran hot the whole time, we checked and narrowed down to 7 good eggs. This was before the failure, and then before I dropped a heat-lamp on about 1/2 of them. It cracked at least 3 eggs, PROBABLY killing 2. One showed blood, so I tried taking the egg apart. I maybe was ripping off it's skin. Oops. I have a picture.
This unfortunate chicken is dead, right?
These chicks are for a sience project I am doing for my Bio class. Inside are also 3 White Pekin eggs (2 damaged) and 3 other chicken eggs (1 damaged).



Where do I go from here, should I leave the chick above in the incubator, or throw it out? The white sheet below the eggshell is NOT skin, right?

As you can see, I am somewhat panicking. I do not want to lose these eggs, or fail this project. I appreciate your help!

 

[Shezadandy]

If there's anything left to salvage, there needs to be a humidity source. You MIGHT have better luck with a heating pad on top and do the normal sponge in a glass, paper towels moistened under the screen-- otherwise the membranes will dry up and the chick likely won't make it. That paper like substance is the membrane, not the skin. I wouldn't give up, especially at this late stage- if you have a candler or a bright enough flashlight in a dark room, you can search for movement inside the eggs to find your most likely survivors.

 

[Gorum]

Thank you so much for responding, do you mean take the eggs left and put them in a glass contaner with a wet sponge or rag with a heating pad on top? We can do that, if it would work. At this stage, we took them "out of lockdown" due to the incubator failing, so this surely can't do too much more harm, right? Again, thanks so much for responding!

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Yeah, you could do that. Just don't let the eggs get wet. Is there any noise from the eggs? Tapping, chirping, etc.?

 

[Gorum]

Some. My lovely mother is somewhat meddling and has been being counter productive. Here is a picture. It would be this with a heating pad on top. My mom would like to assisted hatch.
At the time of the original post, there was occasional tapping, but no chirping. Now, there has not been any noise, but I have not been here as I had to help my mom clean up a bit.

 

[Gorum]

Sounding like they just broke radio silence!

 

[Shezadandy]

Sounding like they just broke radio silence!

Yay! If you've got chirps that means someone at the very least has made an internal pip into the air sac. Air in lungs = chirps!

OK sorry, I should have been more specific.

If you leave the eggs in the incubator and at this point I'd have to suggest a heating pad on the bottom. I'm worried that if it goes on top, the vents will be blocked and there won't be any air exchange. Heating pad on bottom, the incubator top back on... so it can gather the humidity and keep the heat in. It's going to be a manual process so you don't overheat them - pay attention to your thermometer, aim for 99-99.5.

Before you close the lid over the eggs:
Use a heavy bottom glass to make it hard to knock over- tall enough that a chick can't flop in, low enough that you can close the lid all the way. Cut a strip of sponge. Fill that glass about 1/2 full with warm (100 degrees or so), and put the sponge strip (or you can do 2 of them) in it like it's a straw. That will help draw moisture out into the air. Put it on the screen inside the incubator. Close the lid.

That's the best I can come up with- maybe someone else will see a way to improve with what you've got to work with.

 

[Gorum]

Thanks!

 

[Shezadandy]

If that's the pan you're working with (missed it in your post, sorry!!) and you can put the incubator lid over it, I would do that and put the heat pad on the bottom. Again, very close attention to the temps- if it starts to go too high and you can't control it, maybe either an upsidedown cookie sheet or pot holder in between the pad and the pan.