Huge Egg Dilemma. An all or nothing sorta issue...

[Grillmaster33]

Hello everyone.

I recently ordered an incubator and a dozen eggs for my middle school classroom. A few of the original dozen began to develop. However, all but one is still going strong. It is now Day 17 for this egg.

On Day 14 I placed 15 new bantam eggs inside the incubator. We were rejoiced for a kind stranger sent those eggs to us and we were able to try again.

The dilemma: The humidity is hovering between 45-50%. We will no longer be able to turn the lone egg as of tomorrow (Sunday). However, we are manually operating this still-air incubator and will need to open and close the incubator atleast three times per day in order to turn the new eggs. Of course humidity will be lost!

I've also found that we need to jack the Humidity levels up the last few days. Will this have an extremely negative effect on the other eggs? We don't want to lose the lone little guy just as much as we don't want to harm the other eggs in the incubator.

If I could do it all over again I would have had the eggs delivered a few days later and would have had another incubator on hand.

What to DO?!?!?
Thanks.



By the way, The original eggs were half Dutch Mille Fleur and half Golden Campine Bantams. The new eggs will likely be Araucana, Japanese, Sebright, OEG, Sumatra, Polish, and Cochin (All but a two are bantam eggs) and most will likely be mixed breeds.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Do you have an electric skillet or toaster oven? Here is my thread on a batch I have in an electric skillet. There is a link with directions in it for a toaster oven too.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=47055&p=1

I have also heard of some that will dunk an egg for humidity. I'm not sure on how this will work for your situation. Hopefully, others will chime in with more suggestions.

Good luck!

 

[jimnjay]

An electric skillet has been used many times as an emergency hatcher. I first read about it in Backyard Poultry. It would probably work well for your final days on the lone egg. You can also use a clamp light and a damp cloth inside a small plastic box of some sort. I have used the plastic shoe boxes that are sold. All you need is a place to keep them warm and in an environment with enough humidity to keep them from being to dry to break out.

 

[Grillmaster33]

Thanks. I'm so worried.

I have just returned from the school. I upped the humidity a bit and turned all of the eggs. The lone egg's last day of turning will be tomorrow.

In the meantime, I will work on some sort of contraption that will stay warm and humid. Im not sure though...

And the humidity can't be higher than 50 for these next four days and then dropped back down? Would that kill my batch of 15? I've candled one and it seems to be developing quite nicely. I'd hate to ruin these bunch.

All ideas are welcomed!

 

[championny]

I had the same exact problem. I learned my lesson from mixing egg batches and its a risk we take. I am going to use the skillet for my eggs not yet readu as the LG incubator is easier to get the humidity adjusted.

Good luck

 

[Grillmaster33]

I had this idea, and it semi-worked!

I have an picture window LG and the windows are able to slide out. I slid one window, turned the eggs through the opening, closed it, and did the same on the other side. Humidity was loss indeed but not nearly as much as what is lost when I open the entire incubator.

Tell me what you think. Good or Bad?

That poor little Golden Campine bantam chick! I don't want to see him go!!!

 

[popsie]

Wish I had some great words of wisdom to offer but I don't - I'll leave that to the experts - but my fingers and toes are all crossed for you and your chicks - good luck - I hope it all works out.

 

[MissPrissy]

You can build an incubator if you can cobble together a few parts. You even have time to order a wafer thermostat if you can't find one locally. Look in my signature line at my homemade bator.

 

[silkiechicken]

Best of luck! I wouldn't worry too much about your other eggs, just after the lone one hatches, let the humidity run low for a few days and call it good! A few days of not turning won't hurt them, nor will opening a few times during hatch time of the lone chick. Just do everything fast.

 

[jimnjay]

I would not recommend leaving the lone egg in with the others with as many days as you have left for the bigger hatch. When a chick hatches it leaves a pretty big mess in the incubator. Even one chick will leave fuzz and the egg shell breaks apart and gets into the water. The chance of serious bacteria building up is pretty great even if it is only one egg hatching. I would err on the side of loosing the lone egg rather taking a chance with the larger hatch to come. JMHO While there is leeway in the humidity level during the last few days a 20 % which is recommended and that is a big difference.