Need emergency DIY incubator - help please?

[themenagerie]

My broody hen hatched out 8 of her 10 eggs on days 19 and 20. Today is 21 and sometime between 10am and 4 pm she left her last two eggs. Is it possible to try to hatch them? My thought is if they're viable, they'll hatch in the next 24 hours and I can slip them under her. My emergency incubator consists of a heating pad (folder over itself), damp wash cloth with eggs on top and periodic thermometer checks. In the last hour I've been regulating the temp, it has gone from 104 down to 100. If the eggs are still viable after being left for 6 hours....is this a fools errand or a possibility?

Thanks for any and all advice you can give.

 

[bobbi-j]

All you can do is try... sounds like you're doing the best you can with what you've got. Are there any signs of life?

 

[themenagerie]

Thanks Bobbi-j.
I put them back under the hen last night, she was off them again this am. I'm going to try again today with the heating pad & if they don't hatch by tonight., i'm going to give up on them.

 

[daytonfarm]

You can check to see if they are still alive by putting them 1 at a time in a glass of very warm water. 100 degrees. Place carefully and the egg will float and if there is a heart beat there will be movement with the heartbeat. If so take out right away and dry off and put back under heat. If it drops to bottom, it either never developed or quit. If there is no movement but it floats it has died.

 

[themenagerie]

Ok..tried that, they both float. But,as far as movement..I couldn't tell. Am I looking for minute movements, or very obvious movement. Thanks for your help.

 

[daytonfarm]

It's pretty obvious, it moves like a heart beat. very short quick movements. I did have one once really move a lot like it kicked or something. If it is still there is no heartbeat.

 

[themenagerie]

Thank you Dayton farm.
They didn't appear alive, so I gave up on them. I opened them up and both were completely undeveloped. This was my first hatch ever, so now I know...mama knows best.