Hey!
I am new to this forum and was just looking for some advice. I have a home made incubator which is somewhat crude, but all I can manage at the moment. It is a styrofoam cool box with a bunch of holes punched in which I put a computer fan into and a 14 watt light bulb. I manage the temperature by covering and uncovering the holes as needed, I have a single thermometer in there which I got from the local Chinese/dollar/bits and bobs shop, I'm sure its not the best quality or the most accurate, no hydrometer at all and I originally set 8 eggs which I asked a farmer for while passing a random farm on a walk. The farmer did not speak English so I had to converse with a series of interesting gestures and some help from google translate in order to acquire fertile eggs. I therefor have no idea how old the eggs were, nor do I know the breed of the chickens. I just want a few for the small back garden I have in the hopes I can eventually have a few of my own fresh eggs.
I have had two successful hatches in the past in another incubator I made (school project), though that one was more sophisticated with the hydrometer, digital thermometer and thermostat. So I know roughly what all the rules are for hatching and how long it should take etc. I am now down to 4 eggs, three stopped developing at about day 7, and I lost one at day 18. We are now day 23, and about 8 hours from the beginning of day 24. No peeping from inside the egg, no external pips. I have candled the eggs, this morning and done the float test and there is significant movement on all four. The incubator I have run around 37 - 37.5 degrees C, with it dipping a fair amount and have had temps hit 41 once or twice though only for short times and the chicks seem ok still. I tried to keep the temps on the lower side as I was fearful of making it too hot and also because I have to keep checking and maintaining the temperatures manually. Right now I am keeping the humidity up with wet paper towels and can only guess that it is adequate. I know I am poorly equipped but I am doing the best that I can - please don't tell me off for the lack of equipment.
So I am now getting fretful because even the internal pip is what I would consider delayed. There is no sign of any chicks even pipping into the air cell, though they are all moving well in there. The chicks are undoubtedly alive, and I don't want them to die. Do I risk killing one of the eggs, break open the air cell side and see whats going on? Or leave them longer? How much longer before I intervene? If there is a chance I can save them by helping then I want to take it. Any advice?
I am new to this forum and was just looking for some advice. I have a home made incubator which is somewhat crude, but all I can manage at the moment. It is a styrofoam cool box with a bunch of holes punched in which I put a computer fan into and a 14 watt light bulb. I manage the temperature by covering and uncovering the holes as needed, I have a single thermometer in there which I got from the local Chinese/dollar/bits and bobs shop, I'm sure its not the best quality or the most accurate, no hydrometer at all and I originally set 8 eggs which I asked a farmer for while passing a random farm on a walk. The farmer did not speak English so I had to converse with a series of interesting gestures and some help from google translate in order to acquire fertile eggs. I therefor have no idea how old the eggs were, nor do I know the breed of the chickens. I just want a few for the small back garden I have in the hopes I can eventually have a few of my own fresh eggs.
I have had two successful hatches in the past in another incubator I made (school project), though that one was more sophisticated with the hydrometer, digital thermometer and thermostat. So I know roughly what all the rules are for hatching and how long it should take etc. I am now down to 4 eggs, three stopped developing at about day 7, and I lost one at day 18. We are now day 23, and about 8 hours from the beginning of day 24. No peeping from inside the egg, no external pips. I have candled the eggs, this morning and done the float test and there is significant movement on all four. The incubator I have run around 37 - 37.5 degrees C, with it dipping a fair amount and have had temps hit 41 once or twice though only for short times and the chicks seem ok still. I tried to keep the temps on the lower side as I was fearful of making it too hot and also because I have to keep checking and maintaining the temperatures manually. Right now I am keeping the humidity up with wet paper towels and can only guess that it is adequate. I know I am poorly equipped but I am doing the best that I can - please don't tell me off for the lack of equipment.
So I am now getting fretful because even the internal pip is what I would consider delayed. There is no sign of any chicks even pipping into the air cell, though they are all moving well in there. The chicks are undoubtedly alive, and I don't want them to die. Do I risk killing one of the eggs, break open the air cell side and see whats going on? Or leave them longer? How much longer before I intervene? If there is a chance I can save them by helping then I want to take it. Any advice?