Need help immediately for orphaned (maybe eastern sparrow) egg

[annem376]

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.

 

[MGG]

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.

Aw! If the baby hatches, you'll have a really tough time feeding it. They're so tiny those first few days and extremely fragile.
Did you calibrate those thermometers you have in there?
Do you have a pic of the mom or can you find one online? What did the nest look like, and what color is the egg? I'd assume it's a house sparrow. If it is, that would be best because it's illegal to be in possession of feathers, eggs, or birds of most species. House sparrows are invasive though so they're legal to have.
I would buy some Kaytee Exact hand feeding formula. You can raise most baby birds on that. You'll need tiny syringes too.

Pipping is when they start to hatch and crack the egg. When you can visibly see a dent in the egg, it's called an external pip
Example

If it hatches, I'd turn the incubator temp down to 95 ish. You'll have to feed this baby every 45 minutes. It's going to be like a full time job. Feed him the Kaytee formula. I'd keep him in a small bowl with some balled up toilet paper in it. Start with that, haha.
Lockdown is the term that people use when you stop turning eggs three days before hatching, up the humidity, and not open the incubator anymore. Though I don't worry about opening the incubator. I'm a very hands on hatcher, and have better hatch rates because of it. Though it comes down to personal preference. Most people like to just let nature take it's course, but in my opinion, any eggs incubated artificially in an incubator is not "natural".
If your incubator has a vent oxygen during hatch is not an issue.
The air cell is the pocket of air on the fat end of the egg. That baby pips into the air (called internally pipping) prior to externally pipping. They learn how to breathe air by breathing in that air over a day or so, and then externally pip.
You shouldn't have to worry about safety holes. I honestly would never recommend doing one unless you're hatching a specific species of duck.

Also, are you turning the egg?

 

[BelovedBirds]

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.

Did the wildlife centre say anything about you keeping hold of the egg? Different areas may have different laws on these things- If it hatches and you are able to raise it, it will likely imprint on you and might not cope well in the wild.
The best thing to do, if it hatches, is contact around other wildlife centres, and see if anyone can take it on. If not, thorough research will be critical to ensure you know how to feed, what to feed and how often to feed.

Im not sure of the incubation period-but I'll answer some basic things!

During incubation, the three important points are 1. Temperature, keep it as consistent as you can, you should probably get a calibrated thermometer to make sure the temperature is accurate, as incubators built in thermometers are usually a bit off.
Humidity is important to ensure the egg retains enough moisture during incubation, but also ensures it loses enough before lockdown. and
3. Turning the egg a few times a day, gently, side to side, this prevents the embryo getting stuck to the shell.

In the three days before hatch date, the egg changes, the baby is getting ready to hatch. The egg must go into lockdown. Bump the humidity up and stop turning the egg-this will allow the chick to get into position to hatch. The chick will go through these stages:

Internal pip: There is a pocket of air in the round end of the egg which will grow throughout incubation, there is a membrane separating this air from the liquid inside. When the chick is ready, it will break this membrane and begin to breathe. If they don't externally pip by about 18-24 hours, they can run out of air. But usually before this happens they are able to break the shell-- This is an external pip. After this, they may rest for a while, before the next step--- Zipping. This is where the chick slowly turns in the egg and continues to "pip" the shell all the way around. Then it will pop out!
Depending on species, this can be a slow, or fast process.

It sounds like you have a very kind heart! And I really hope this works out

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Please return the egg to the nest and leave it alone. Many birds in the US are protected under the Migratory bird act, which prohibits the taking and keeping of eggs, chicks and adults. While sparrows are not protected, you mentioned you are not sure what kind of bird it was.

At the risk of it being a protected species, I would return it.