My daughter is studying the life cycle of the chicken for the science fair. We ruined our first batch of eggs and ran and got another clutch. This set is due to hatch on Thursday -- the same day as the science fair. The science fair is Thursday night. We had hoped to either have the incubator or the chicks in a box to show off at the fair. My very real concern is, all information says DO NOT OPEN THE INCUBATOR AND DO NOT MOVE THE EGGS during the last 3 days. Up the humidity, leave it closed, don't interfere. So, we wouldn't be able to safely move the eggs on Thursday. Can anyone give me any advice on how to approach the situation? My husband suggested setting up a remote camera. thoughts?
I love the remote camera idea. How far is the school? I would be very concerned about the jostling and humidity loss during transit. Tough call.. let us know how your hatch goes. I have a broody setting. The hatch day is this wed.
school is 5 minutes away. so we could bundle up the incubator to prevent heat loss and get it right onto an outlet at the school; the problem is keeping them from rolling around. the only thing I can think of is the day we STOP rotating the eggs, we somehow pin them in place so they don't move too much on the day we transport them. ??? terrible idea?
can you put them in an egg carton when you stop turning them? and then stick the whole thing back in the incubator?
I'd be more concerned about humidity loss than heat loss. But plenty of people hatch in cartons, so I'd put them all in cartons and leave them to hatch there so they don't roll around. You don't want to put them in and take them out of the cartons on day 21 so just leave them there. I know this is a bad idea but i'd do it...i'd up the heat just a smidge..realllllly small to see if they come out a tiny bit faster. But thats a really bad idea.
I'm sure that you can get them to the school OK. I wonder if you have a plan in place to safeguard them after they are there. I'm not sure what age group will be at the science fair but it would seem to me that the incubator might have to be under constant guard to prevent opening, fiddling with the thermostat, jostling, or whatever. Just something to think about and prepare for.
we will have an adult stationed at the incubator at all times (and we'll put a barricade around it, anyway. perhaps a remote camera is a better idea!! Daddy will not be at the science fair and he's the technology guy so I don't know if I"ll be competent to do it... i don't think extra heat will hurry up the hatching process. and finally I've never heard of hatching in a carton, I'll need to hear and learn more about that. thanks for all feedback!
