I'm worried about my incubator failing...anything I can do?

[Lochloosachicks]

I bought the cheap incubator just to try hatching for fun. My araucana never returned to the coop, but left an egg that I would really like to hatch. I'm in Day 3 with this cheap incubator and the reviews say it usually fails to hatch surviving chicks, but they are mostly developed some even hatch and quickly die. What are my options? I wondered if I put one of my hens in a small cozy area if I could get her to sit on them?

 

[mill-j]

Which model do you have?

 

[Percheron chick]

You can't make a hen go broody. Just monitor the temp and humidity a few times a day. Buy a 2nd thermometer just to assure accuracy of the built in one.
If by chance you do end up with a broody hen, you can slip the partially developed eggs under her and let her finish them.

 

[backinthecoop45]

I have a similar question.
I bought a second thermometer/hygrometer and the the readings on the incubator hygrometer are far different from the second (a 23 degree difference!) one I have in the incubator but the temperatures on both are pretty close. What can I do to control the humidity better?

 

[Altfrizzle]

Google salt hygrometer calibration.

 

[Lochloosachicks]

This is a pic of it. It's just a cheap one from amazon.

 

[Altfrizzle]

Oh, gee.

I used that for my first hatch attempt.

I left an amazon review.

It cooked my eggs in lockdown. They were literally too hot to handle. It had seemed fine up until then.

The size makes it difficult to manage temp and humidity. You can’t fit much in there.

 

[Lochloosachicks]

Yes, I was reading that the problem often occurs during lockdown. Do you think it would be too difficult to move them to an aquarium around that time and monitor it myself with a lamp? It's too small for them to be after hatching anyway. Now that this momma hen has died I really want her egg to hatch.
Were you watching the temp or just relying on the one on the unit? Is lockdown the last 3 days?

 

[Allba]

You can't make a hen go broody. Just monitor the temp and humidity a few times a day. Buy a 2nd thermometer just to assure accuracy of the built in one.
If by chance you do end up with a broody hen, you can slip the partially developed eggs under her and let her finish them.

That’s really great advice!

 

[Allba]

Yes, I was reading that the problem often occurs during lockdown. Do you think it would be too difficult to move them to an aquarium around that time and monitor it myself with a lamp? It's too small for them to be after hatching anyway. Now that this momma hen has died I really want her egg to hatch.
Were you watching the temp or just relying on the one on the unit? Is lockdown the last 3 days?

is it possible to purchase a new incubator and transfer the egg to that one?