Can you hatch eggs this way?

[Kittygirl991]

Our bantam chickens we keep at our friends house for our garden is too small, there is a cock and hen there, and 2 days ago we went there to see how they were doing, and they had 6 eggs, we know there fertile because our friend saw them breeding a few times, so anyway, the hen wasnt sitting on the eggs yet, and my mum wanted to leave the eggs with her until she lays more to see if she sits on them then, ( she read that hens only sit on eggs if they have 10 eggs? ) but i took one home with me too try and hatch it myself, incase the hen doesnt sit on the eggs, we cant afford and incubator and we have no styrafoam box's and lamps to use, so for the last 2 days the egg has been in our cat basket, you see, our cat basket has a heat mat in it, which is originally meant for reptiles... The cats also sit on the egg, the egg has been quite warm, and for humidity i spray some water on the blanket the egg is on... Yestorday, ( I know it was early for i had only been incubating it for 1 day ) i candled the egg, and saw nothing inside... But anyway, what should i do? Should i leave it on the heat mat until a few days before hatching? Or move it now? Because im not allowed to move the heat mat as the cats will fight over the other bed what also has a heat mat... The cat basket with heat mat is the only place right now... What should i do? Do you think the egg will hatch?

 

[Kittygirl991]

??

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Eggs need to be kept around 99.5 °F to hatch. I don't know if the heat mat would keep it warm enough. If it does keep it that warm and if the cat doesn't eat the egg (mine loves eggs) it might work, I suppose. You would still need to turn the egg at lest 3 times a day.

 

[Kittygirl991]

I dont know, it seems pretty warm, no the cats dont eat it, sometimes they sit on it keeping it warm xD but i do turn it quite a few times a day, in a few days i will candle the egg, and if after a week i see nothing inside should i stop attempting to hatch it?

 

[GlacierHen]

If you candle it and don't see anything at one week then it probably won't hatch. The worst that could happen is that the cats may get exploded rotten egg on them and will need a bath.

 

[Kittygirl991]

Oh? It would explode o.o im not sure you can bath the cats we have, we have devon rex's (very little fur) and its winter, we bath them and they freeze anyway, i hope it does hatch <3 i have always wanted to hatch and take care of a chick, and have one think im its mother xD that way when its grown up it will be very tame right?

 

[Kittygirl991]

Bump

 

[Kittygirl991]

?

 

[Kittygirl991]

I candled the egg today... It was blochy but seemed to have a air/water sack? I read that a blochy egg is sign of bactiria... But were gonna leave it a bit longer just incase, seeing as ive only had the egg for a few days

 

[IsbelAcresTN]

Yes bad eggs can weep and explode and they do stink! My kids call them stinkers