Most amazing thing...

[Nugget]

I posted before that rather than put 1 egg in the fridge, I made an incubator from a cooler and a lightbulb with a thermometer and a dish of water. That was 21 days ago, and they were an amazing 21 days watching the embryo grow. I thought I'd messed up many times along the way with the temperature peaking over 40 celcius more than once... but it's a trooper and has survived the three weeks. It's now pipped into the air cell in the egg. This has been an experience far more interesting than I'd ever expected.

My one egg in this foolish set up should hatch soon I imagine... I wanted to ask if pipping the air cell means anything with WHEN it should hatch? Should it be today, or could it be another 4 days from now? Just curious as to when I should call in sick to stare at the egg for hours

 

[Must Be Losing It]

Not that I'm loaded with experience but I'm venturing tomorrow or Sunday.

Isn't this fun?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Yup, going to see a chickie soon!... After they pip it can be up to 24 hours til they can zip out...sometimes lots sooner...

Congrats!!... a neat experiment for you....

 

[Nugget]

It's too fun! The egg is rolling around and I heard its first peeps! Just amazing

 

[Guitartists]

That's really neat..... do you have pics? What kind of egg is it? Do you know??

 

[Guitartists]

Read your other post... still new to the shortened names... what is GLW? Gold Lace wing??????

 

[Nugget]

I've got my camera handy. I've taken some pictures of the cooler set up too. I can post them when the hatching finishes

The chick is a gold laced wyandotte. My profile icon to the left is the mom when she was a chick. It was a spur of the moment thing when I came in from the coop with an egg from the australorp and one from the GLW to keep one. Now i just hope it's a girl so I can keep her

The faint, muffled cheeps kill me!

 

[Nugget]

well I am afraid we might not have made it. The temperature has been pretty stable until now. It was over 40 (104-105F) early this morning when I checked on the egg and there is no movement or sounds from it. There really is no way to know if it's dead aside from waiting I suppose, but how long would you give before accepting it? I candled it again and saw nothing. It was so active last night.

this is so disappointing... I hope I'm wrong

 

[d.k]

* I hope 'she's' just resting, Nugget, and that she makes it for you-- It IS a really great idea. What size cooler are you using??

 

[Nugget]

I'm getting less optimistic. It was really active yesterday and there hasn't been any sound or movement today. The cooler is about 2 feet wide. I guess I wouldn't recommend this... i couldn't control the temperature reliably enough.