Urgent help what do you think!?

PouleChick

Crowing
7 Years
Apr 6, 2016
2,159
6,290
447
SW France
I had a nightmare a few weeks ago with my only blue egg layer and one of my silkie mums getting murdered. I gathered thier eggs I could find and found a neighbour that had an incubator already running so he said bring them over and I did. My other not dead silkie went broody so I went to get my eggs. 3 days ago I spotted a chick, very early (like day 16) was a bit concerned but didn't stress too much as she was still covering the others. Went and checked again last night before night and she was on them. Busy day today with work so didn't get down until afternoon expecting to see some overnight chicks (day 19 but araucanas and silkies which always seem to hatch for me on day 19) but Doris was off them and they were cold. I gathered them up anyway and popped them in the oven - we have a small microwave / oven combo - it is Neff and very good and goes down to 35c with each degree being able to be set. We have inserted an external thermometer and put a glass of water in (our hydrometer cable is too thick and won't let us shut the door). Sat on a steady 39c. When we checked them after an hour or so we thought we saw movement but werent sure at all as it seemed not too much of a chance. Anyway now heading to bed and rechecked and saw definite movement :ya:ya:ya. I have no idea what to do - they are in an oven in a ceramic dish with a tea town on top of the dish and the eggs on top. Do I just leave them be now? Is the tea towel going to take all the humidity? What are my chances of finding chicks in the morning? Seriously I've NEVER (after years on here!) read of anyone saving chicks in an oven.

Ideas / thoughts ???
 
Last edited:
I remember once tward the end of one of my hatches years ago, the power went out. I was frantic to know what to do to keep my eggs warm. It was winter. At the time i had a water bed that stayed warm for a day if the power went out. So i put the eggs in a loose knit stocking cap i had and put them in bed with me. I remember hardly sleeping at all for fear of rolling on them. The next morning the power came back on, so i put them back in the incubator.
Day 19 they started hatching. They all hatched!
 
Good luck Poulechick!! Do you have any kind of container that you could put the eggs in so that if they hatched overnight they wouldn't be able to wander around the oven? That would be my only concern. Wouldn't want any to hatch and then get hurt by getting near the heat coil or something. I don't know how your ovens compare to ours in the states.
Good luck!
 
I remember once tward the end of one of my hatches years ago, the power went out. I was frantic to know what to do to keep my eggs warm. It was winter. At the time i had a water bed that stayed warm for a day if the power went out. So i put the eggs in a loose knit stocking cap i had and put them in bed with me. I remember hardly sleeping at all for fear of rolling on them. The next morning the power came back on, so i put them back in the incubator.
Day 19 they started hatching. They all hatched!
Yeah, years and years and years ago I would think. I had chickens back in the late 1970's and also used a water bed to hatch the last few eggs that the broody hen left behind! Great minds think alike! :hugs
 
I had a nightmare a few weeks ago with my only blue egg layer and one of my silkie mums getting murdered. I gathered thier eggs I could find and found a neighbour that had an incubator already running so he said bring them over and I did. My other not dead silkie went broody so I went to get my eggs. 3 days ago I spotted a chick, very early (like day 16) was a bit concerned but didn't stress too much as she was still covering the others. Went and checked again last night before night and she was on them. Busy day today with work so didn't get down until afternoon expecting to see some overnight chicks (day 19 but araucanas and silkies which always seem to hatch for me on day 19) but Doris was off them and they were cold. I gathered them up anyway and popped them in the oven - we have a small microwave / oven combo - it is Neff and very good and goes down to 35c with each degree being able to be set. We have inserted an external thermometer and put a glass of water in (our hydrometer cable is too thick and won't let us shut the door). Sat on a steady 39c. When we checked them after an hour or so we thought we saw movement but werent sure at all as it seemed not too much of a chance. Anyway now heading to bed and rechecked and saw definite movement :ya:ya:ya. I have no idea what to do - they are in an oven in a ceramic dish with a tea town on top of the dish and the eggs on top. Do I just leave them be now? Is the tea towel going to take all the humidity? What are my chances of finding chicks in the morning? Seriously I've NEVER (after years on here!) read of anyone saving chicks in an oven.

Ideas / thoughts ???
Wow. I'm no help but super impressed with your good old Aussie know how! :) :caf
 
The way you started your post "I had a nightmare" made me think you were gathering eggs and wanting to replace the birds before their demise. It wasn't until you said "my other not dead silkie" did I realize that your nightmare was a real situation. I am so sorry for your loss. Loosing friends is very hard. I'm hoping your eggs will all hatch for you!
:hugs
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom