Hi there! I live in Maryland in the United States. I noticed about a month or so ago two (sparrows??) hanging around the hanging potted plants and two fake wreaths we have hanging from the glass door.
I just thought they were playing around until I actually sat down on the couch one day (I work from home 18 hour days, 7 days a week) and saw the nest. My heart absolutely melted. Mama had laid an egg a couple days after that and I was in tears. The move from my house was sudden and traumatizing after losing the house to flooding. Wildlife was everywhere there and it was something I hadn't experienced in over 3 years, so this nest with the parents and babies was the main joy of my day the last few weeks.
Anyway, you're not here for my sob story! Sunday around 11pm was the last time I saw mom. She was huddled over her babies, bundled up into a little ball sleeping and protecting them. The next morning she was killed along with 4 of 5 eggs. I was devastated to say the least. After 12 hours of mama not coming back, I brought the remaining egg in. It's been cold here so I didn't know of what else to so. Our local wildlife center won't take the egg. So I bought an incubator that arrived today and three days later the little guy is somehow still alive (active heartbeat, movement, and veins through candling) and is sat in the incubator. It's so large for such a tiny little egg but I beat the odds by only having it in front of a space heater at a steady 99 degrees for the last 48+ hours.
So now is where the real issues come in.. humidity is perfect, incubator temperature seems quite reliable for now, as I have three different thermometers set up. BUT, I don't have a single idea on when mama laid the egg. I read sparrow incubation period is only 10-14 days but other things I've seen show nearly 28 days?? I have absolutely no idea what I am doing and I just want to give this poor little thing a chance.
I know you are supposed to increase humidity a few days before hatching but I haven't a clue when that is supposed to be. The instructions also talk about final lock down, removing and replacing certain trays, this and that, but I don't understand any of it. I know this is so irresponsible but I couldn't just let this poor thing die by freezing to death. It is still alive and that's more than I can say for if i had just left it in the nest...
Can anyone give me a comprehensive explanation as if I'm 10 years old? I've never done this before and don't know what to look out for or how to encourage it hatching, not to mention what happens after.. does it stay in the incubator?? How often am I allowed to open the incubator to candle the egg? I know there is .0000000000001% this egg will hatch and grow into a bird, but we did raise a grackle about 15 or so years ago. We didn't think he would make it through the night and he did. So I want to do everything I can for this egg.
Edit: what is pipping? What do I do if the egg somehow does hatch? What and when is lockdown? I'm assuming that means do not open under any circumstance. I have read other posts about hatchers not having enough oxygen and dying. I don't know what any of this means and I can't seem to find an answer. It seems so scientific when mama just sits on the nest. It's so bizarre how intricate it is. What is an air cell and safety hole? My plastic incubator has a hole at the top to add water or use additional thermometers.
I just thought they were playing around until I actually sat down on the couch one day (I work from home 18 hour days, 7 days a week) and saw the nest. My heart absolutely melted. Mama had laid an egg a couple days after that and I was in tears. The move from my house was sudden and traumatizing after losing the house to flooding. Wildlife was everywhere there and it was something I hadn't experienced in over 3 years, so this nest with the parents and babies was the main joy of my day the last few weeks.
Anyway, you're not here for my sob story! Sunday around 11pm was the last time I saw mom. She was huddled over her babies, bundled up into a little ball sleeping and protecting them. The next morning she was killed along with 4 of 5 eggs. I was devastated to say the least. After 12 hours of mama not coming back, I brought the remaining egg in. It's been cold here so I didn't know of what else to so. Our local wildlife center won't take the egg. So I bought an incubator that arrived today and three days later the little guy is somehow still alive (active heartbeat, movement, and veins through candling) and is sat in the incubator. It's so large for such a tiny little egg but I beat the odds by only having it in front of a space heater at a steady 99 degrees for the last 48+ hours.
So now is where the real issues come in.. humidity is perfect, incubator temperature seems quite reliable for now, as I have three different thermometers set up. BUT, I don't have a single idea on when mama laid the egg. I read sparrow incubation period is only 10-14 days but other things I've seen show nearly 28 days?? I have absolutely no idea what I am doing and I just want to give this poor little thing a chance.
I know you are supposed to increase humidity a few days before hatching but I haven't a clue when that is supposed to be. The instructions also talk about final lock down, removing and replacing certain trays, this and that, but I don't understand any of it. I know this is so irresponsible but I couldn't just let this poor thing die by freezing to death. It is still alive and that's more than I can say for if i had just left it in the nest...
Can anyone give me a comprehensive explanation as if I'm 10 years old? I've never done this before and don't know what to look out for or how to encourage it hatching, not to mention what happens after.. does it stay in the incubator?? How often am I allowed to open the incubator to candle the egg? I know there is .0000000000001% this egg will hatch and grow into a bird, but we did raise a grackle about 15 or so years ago. We didn't think he would make it through the night and he did. So I want to do everything I can for this egg.
Edit: what is pipping? What do I do if the egg somehow does hatch? What and when is lockdown? I'm assuming that means do not open under any circumstance. I have read other posts about hatchers not having enough oxygen and dying. I don't know what any of this means and I can't seem to find an answer. It seems so scientific when mama just sits on the nest. It's so bizarre how intricate it is. What is an air cell and safety hole? My plastic incubator has a hole at the top to add water or use additional thermometers.
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