Haha, you so funny! I have a desklamp with an old-style non-environmentally-friendly 60w bulb. Can´t get infrared here, so that lamp has to do. And an icecream pot sat on newspapers to keep the heat in below, and clingfilm covering most of the top so as not to lose so much humidity, and a thermometer to check temperature. And it does fine, but I have to get up during the night to check it all. Last night I got up at 12.30, 2.30, and 4.30 to dampen the membrane and check the temperature.You guys are amazing. I would have seen that egg and thought "oh well, so much for that" but you ... no, you think lets see if we can save the little one. And you probably will and will end up with an amazing little baby bird. Mine are just starting to mate in that pre-season sort of way. I am hoping that someone will nest and hatch next year but at only a year old they may not. However, if they do, and if there are any problems, I get some peace of mind knowing that the BYC community will be there to walk me through what I need to do to be a good grandparent to whatever hatches. One thing I need to do is get one of those miracle lamps you have just in case ...
I´ve seen some threads where someone´s stayed up until really late trying to help another through a problem hatch.
The year-olds will most certainly try to nest, but some eggs will be infertile, some smallish, but you never know..... Two of my year-olds that I left to get on with being broody on few eggs are doing a good job, even though the one gosling that has hatched so far is a little small, but it´s still going...dear little thing. Mum´s doing great, and has adopted 4 others, as I already said on a different post. I´m impressed with her. She´s a Pilgrim.
The slightly unreliable ones are imprinted cross-breds, I have no idea of what. The hatching bit is touch-and-go with them, but they´re good mums once the babies are on their feet.