Day 19, I need a miracle.

[CluckNDoodle]

I don't believe it. Catastrophe struck again! It's going to be years before I'm brave enough to allow a broody to sit on eggs again!
My broody abandoned her eggs entirely and it's day 19. I was just starting to feel hopeful after the first incident of them getting too cold on day 13. I don't have an incubator but I'm trying to give them every possible chance even if it's very low at this point. I was gone all day so I have no idea how long they were abandoned but I think it was most of the day because I noticed yesterday that her breaks we're MUCH longer than they had been in past days. I currently have the eggs in a plastic container with a lid, there is a seedling heating pad underneath (I think they run at about 70-75 degrees, a little cup of water inside, and a regular bulb over it to try to get it warmer and humid, I also have a towel wrapped around it now. With all of this said, I don't even know if they survived the first time, much less all day today. Am I crazy for trying all of this??? Am I just prolonging the inevitable?

 

[Studio Chick]

I don't believe it. Catastrophe struck again! It's going to be years before I'm brave enough to allow a broody to sit on eggs again!
My broody abandoned her eggs entirely and it's day 19. I was just starting to feel hopeful after the first incident of them getting too cold on day 13. I don't have an incubator but I'm trying to give them every possible chance even if it's very low at this point. I was gone all day so I have no idea how long they were abandoned but I think it was most of the day because I noticed yesterday that her breaks we're MUCH longer than they had been in past days. I currently have the eggs in a plastic container with a lid, there is a seedling heating pad underneath (I think they run at about 70-75 degrees, a little cup of water inside, and a regular bulb over it to try to get it warmer and humid, I also have a towel wrapped around it now. With all of this said, I don't even know if they survived the first time, much less all day today. Am I crazy for trying all of this??? Am I just prolonging the inevitable?

So sorry! I don't have much advise here as I have incubators. Do you have a small cooler that you could hang a light bulb in?

 

[Studio Chick]

I wouldn't suggest this at all if you hadn't researched it first, but if they are on day 19! Anything is worth a try

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So sorry! I don't have much advise here as I have incubators. Do you have a small cooler that you could hang a light bulb in?

I wish I did. I can get an actual incubator tomorrow morning as soon as the store opens but this is pretty much all I can do for tonight.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I wouldn't suggest this at all if you hadn't researched it first, but if they are on day 19! Anything is worth a try

I did research on some homemade incubators but I'm severely limited until tomorrow morning when I can go shopping.

 

[Studio Chick]

Sounds like you are doing everything you can, may be with the light over the seedling pad, it will be warmer.

 

[HuffleClaw]

Definitely following along. Good luck!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Definitely following along. Good luck!

Thank you! I'll update in a few days regardless of the outcome. Hoping for a miracle but I'm preparing myself...

 

[fire370]

Do you have a candy thermometer? You could put it in there to see what kind of temp at egg level and see if you can get it to 95 or above. I wouldn’t try to get it too hot. I think if you can find the happy medium in there around 95-98 or so.

Problem with buying an incubator this late in the game is that you will need to get it dialed in and that may take a hot minute. You may hit day 22 or 23 before you stabilize the Bator.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Do you have a candy thermometer? You could put it in there to see what kind of temp at egg level and see if you can get it to 95 or above. I wouldn’t try to get it too hot. I think if you can find the happy medium in there around 95-98 or so.

Problem with buying an incubator this late in the game is that you will need to get it dialed in and that may take a hot minute. You may hit day 22 or 23 before you stabilize the Bator.

I had a thermometer that I used when raising chicks that would have been perfect but it's no longer working. I'm going to buy something tomorrow, whether it's a thermometer, incubator, or both but I didn't realize it took quite that long for the incubators to stabilize. My friend always does the incubating for me. In that case I may bundle them up for a ride to her farm because I know her incubator is already on. At this point I don't expect a great outcome, I'm just trying to do everything I can. I'll certainly have a story for the books if a chick makes it now though! Lol