Need hatching advice please!

[Buggirl]

I am quite a novice at hatching eggs. A friend gave me two fertile bantam silkie eggs that I have kept sitting in an open top Tupperware container with a heat lamp on them. As I am not using an incubator, there is nothing regulating temp or humidity, but being in TX it is very humid both outside and in. My house windows have condensation on the inside at night! I've been hand turning the eggs three or four times a day and they both look good when candled.

My question is, I am now hearing tapping inside one of the eggs. Should I attempt to increase humidity further by putting the plastic lid on the container the eggs are in? I am concerned about the "shrink wrapping" people talk about when chicks attempt to hatch when humidity is not high enough.

Thank you!

 

[TomGallopavo]

I lived on Foch St. In Bryan a long time ago...Gig 'em! It is very humid there and I let my Broodies do this kind of work for me now in Missouri but if you hear noise you have done well so far. You might try a lid with an inch or so of space..if they have not pipped already...good luck!

 

[Buggirl]

I checked very early this morning and no movement in either egg. I made tiny holes and found both chicks fully formed but already dead. They looked fine peeking in, nobody was shrink wrapped or anything obvious. I took the chicks out and one had a deformed foot and the other had an unusual bulge on its head. I assume they had some illness or genetic problem. So sad.