Incubating Eggs With a Heating Plate

[emmsx3]

There are many ways to control humidity but, I use a controller and a USB donut humidifier. Just put it in a Rubbermaid bowl and the controller takes care of it.

Donut humidifier
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H5NLBXB/?tag=backy-20

Temp/Humidity Controller
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HB1F7N6/?tag=backy-20

You can run your heat through the controller and it'll maintain a temperature and humidity. With these, you can build a decent incubator for less than $50.

A humidifier sounds like a good idea. I would order it but they are 12 days in already and I don't think the items would reach here on time. But in the future I think this would be a good alternative if I can't get an incubator.

 

[emmsx3]

When I didn't know what i was doing i successfully hatched eggs in a cardboard box setting on top of our old school gas stove that had pilot lights. I didn't even have a thermometer to check temps. Knew nothing about humidity helping on hatch days. I just set the box on the stove with a towel on the bottom, felt around till I thought the temp was about right and set the eggs there. I didn't even turn them i was so ignorant.

The 3 eggs hatched i put a mayo jar lid filled with water for them and all three of them promptly committed suicide in the lid.

Used the same stove and a cardboard box as a brooder for some chicks i bought at the feed store. When they started roosting on the edge of the box my wife gave them an eviction notice.

It can be as primitive or technical as you want to make it. Now i use a Leahy incubator and hatch several hundred eggs a year. If bacterial infiltration was major concern i dont think many broody chickens would successfully hatch eggs. I knock off any dry poo or myf and set my eggs and they hatch just as well as the clean ones. The underside of chickens tend to be very dirty along with poo on the eggs and in the nest.

If you're worried about humidity compare to these pics and try to adjust for a faster growing aircell than what it should be.

Wow that is impressive. I’m sorry that they didn’t survive but the fact that you incubated them in a cardboard box, etc makes me hopefully that what I’m doing with my heating plate will hopefully work.

So far the eggs are developing nicely. It’s currently day 12 and I’ve already marked the air cells which have grown quite a lot. Only 9 more days left til hatch day.

 

[CindyinSD]

Emmsx3, You’ve mentioned a few times that items you might otherwise have bought wouldn’t arrive in time because of where you are. Now you’ve got me wondering... Where (approximately) it is that you live—if you don’t mind sharing, of course.

 

[Phunktacular]

A humidifier sounds like a good idea. I would order it but they are 12 days in already and I don't think the items would reach here on time. But in the future I think this would be a good alternative if I can't get an incubator.

Amazon Prime would have it at your house in 2 days. That's day 14. Enough time to get it hooked up and regulated, long before lockdown. Also, instead of the heat plate, these little heaters are awesome. I've got one very similar to them that I use in my cabinet incubator.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Soleil-Ceramic-Heater-MH-04W-White/685542801

This is the very heater inside of my incubator, except mine's blue. Got it in the clearance aisle for $2.50.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Mini-Ceramic-Heater-DQ1723-BLK-Black/205984526

I believe the one like mine is being replaced with this one. They have them in my WM.

 

[emmsx3]

Emmsx3, You’ve mentioned a few times that items you might otherwise have bought wouldn’t arrive in time because of where you are. Now you’ve got me wondering... Where (approximately) it is that you live—if you don’t mind sharing, of course.

I live in Hawaii. I live on one of the smaller islands (more country side). The other islands like Oahu is more of the city. But anyway, shipping here depending on certain sites tend to take longer than usual than how it is on the mainland. I even have Amazon Prime and it always takes more than a week for things to get to me.

 

[emmsx3]

Update on the eggs.

Its currently day 12 and I've marked the air cells which have grown quite a bit. The embryos are getting darker inside so they have grown quite a bit! No liquid oozing out and no unusual rotten smells which is a good sign. I've candled them and so far theres been a lot of movement as usual. They seem to move around a lot when I candle them so I'm guessing they don't like to be woken up by a bright light lol. Been on the look out for blood rings, cracks, etc but none so far (thank goodness) I've inserted the pictures of each egg with the markings of the air cell size for day 12.

Egg #1

Egg#2

Egg #3

 

[emmsx3]

Amazon Prime would have it at your house in 2 days. That's day 14. Enough time to get it hooked up and regulated, long before lockdown. Also, instead of the heat plate, these little heaters are awesome. I've got one very similar to them that I use in my cabinet incubator.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Soleil-Ceramic-Heater-MH-04W-White/685542801

This is the very heater inside of my incubator, except mine's blue. Got it in the clearance aisle for $2.50.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Mini-Ceramic-Heater-DQ1723-BLK-Black/205984526

I believe the one like mine is being replaced with this one. They have them in my WM.

I do have Amazon Prime and I've ordered many different items there and I still never get them in 2 days. I live in Hawaii so shipping takes a lot longer here than usual especially on certain sites like Amazon. It takes about a week or two to get here to where I live. I had already placed an order on December 12th for chick starter, electrolytes & vitamins, etc for the baby chicks when they arrive. And they haven't even shipped them yet. I'm expected to receive them by December 26 as their estimated delivery. So thats about 2 weeks with my Amazon Prime

I appreciate also the items you have listed here They are a great help and something I'll keep listed if this happens again with future baby chicks.

 

[emmsx3]

Update

Hello everyone,

It's now day 20 and tomorrow will be the estimated time of the hatch. On the 18th day was the last day I candled the eggs and all seemed well. There was still movement and air cells looked good.

I know that 21 days seems to be the estimated time of hatching for baby chicks but I know it could take longer (up to 24 at times or more or whenever the baby chick is ready) but I'm crossing fingers that it will be a successful hatch. I put a warm wet towel over the eggs to increase the humidity and I'm hoping that helps more and I still have a bowl of water inside too. I'm not sure if I should leave a little crack open with the lid to keep ventilation in there or keep it closed? Will the wet towel help with the humidity or should I just keep the dry cloth over it that I used this entire incubation?

 

[emmsx3]

Update

Today is the 21 and I have pipping! So far out of the three eggs, only one is a late pipper but the other 2 eggs have already cracked through their shell

 

[emmsx3]

Here is the first one that hatched aka Oreo
I'm in disbelief that the heating plate worked to incubate these babies!
Thanks to everyone who replied to this threat prior to their hatching