This is going to sound a little irresponsible so pleas don't beat me up but it's so amazing I had to share this. I posted much earlier about eggs I was setting. pics of the 30 eggs I set and then fretted about temps in the incubator that eventually were as high as 108 and as low as 92. Believing they were ruined a week into it I gave up when a hen went broody and I put new eggs under her. 4 days later another went broody and I put more under that bird. I opened one of the original 30 eggs to see what was going on and found that at least it was fertile (partially answering the roo question). The incubator was in a cellar I rarely use but it keeps a steady temperature so that's where I put it. A week in I quit turning the eggs but I was so busy I forgot to unplug the incubator or remove the eggs. I thought about them a few days ago but was afraid I'd have exploders all over the place and couldn't deal with it at the time since I was throwing the LG away anyway. If the incy had held temperature and if I had continued to turn the eggs not to mention I had completely given up monitoring humidity, they would have hatched on the 8th. Yesterday I had to go into that cellar for some seed I had stored down there and I heard some rustling around. I thought - "Those mice are really bold making all that noise while I'm down here". I investigated and found 2 chicks running around in the incubator. I quickly made a brooder, gave them food and water, looked them over and can't find anything wrong with them. I have no idea how long they were in there but nature will find a way. When I finally build a bator later this month that works, I won't fret too much about temps and such. These guys will hatch no matter what. They were fried, chilled day after day, not turned, no attention to humidity. The adult Penedesencas (parents of these eggs) went through hell when they were babies. Shipped at 3 days old, Post Office lost them for an extra day, all arrived alive, took them home gave food and water while I set up brooder in brooder shed, 3 hours after arriving hungry and thirsty a thunderstorm brought 4" of rain in 20 minutes and flooded the garage where the chicks were chillin (literally) with ice cold water. I thought I killed them all, most were stiff. I ran them back to the brooder, put them under 2 lamps and ran a hair dryer over them, the ones that looked dead I put in the oven. An hour later they ALL were up running around. Bullet proof birds.
Sometimes it is amazing. No matter what we do wrong, we get good results. Then sometimes we do everything right and are greatly disappointed. I think your story is a great example of why I consider the recommendations guidelines, not absolute laws of nature. Following the guidelines does not guarantee success. Failing to follow the guidelines does not guarantee failure. All following the guidelines does is improve your odds of success and reduce your chances of failure. Great story.
Truer words were never spoken. The LG was 103 and humidity was about 50% when I found the chicks. Here's a pic of the 'never say die' chicks. I'll try to add more later. They should be joined by those under the broodies in the next week or so.
