Eggsperiment - Heating Pad Incubator

[NNYchick]

I am also interested in follow up or has anyone else experimented with chicken eggs? I have been reading up on Blooie's MHP and thought if you can raise chicks under a heating pad is there a way to incubate. Hmm

 

[AwesomesMommy]

I’m a newbie here. I started with 4 button quail and have 2 left. 1 died and the other got eaten by my dog.
I purchased 6 coturnix but gave 1 away cause it was pecking the eyes of the others. I have 1 make and 4 female now.
I keep 2 pairs, one of buttons and one Coturnix.
The other females are not with males.
I’ve been wanting to incubate and hatch the fertile eggs but I can’t seem to purchase an incubator online cause they either won’t ship to Hawaii or it cost too much. The farm supply store here is really expensive, too.
I finally got so frustrated that I got a styrofoam container, a heating pad and some eggs. I have 4 button eggs and 5 coturnix eggs.
I’ve been checking temp and humidity and it’s been kind of crazy. I didn’t cover the container but I turned the eggs faithfully. Today the first egg hatched. It is a button. I think 2 of the eggs have died. The coturnix eggs are still laying there. I’m hoping at least one hatches.

 

[julierenee]

I know it’s an old thread, but I thought you had to put the heating pad down, then a dish towel, then a tray/ cookie sheet of sand (to even out temps), then eggs or chicks...? No?

No one else uses a tray of sand to even out temps & store heat?

 

[AwesomesMommy]

Update:
Lost several batches cause lights went out.
Finally got a coturnix to hatch!
I set a heating pad in a styrofoam box and lined with foil. Then I spread pine shavings over it. I placed eggs in shavings and mixed them around several times daily for 14 days, then I just left them to hatch. Most of the eggs weren’t fertile. I need another male.
I also need another male button.
I put my baby coturnix with my female button and she is so protective of it. It’s so fun to watch them. He keeps trying to sit under her and he is huge. She puffs up and covers him with her wing.