SOS Broody Quit - 10 min Incubator

[MEMama3]

Okay, so for whatever reason my broody just quit on me. She did this weird dance like a rooster mating dance and then started pecking at the eggs. I carefully (with only a little blood shed) removed her from the brooder to see if she'd cool off and go back. She promptly went back to the nest and started pecking at the eggs. I harvested up the eggs really quick, brought them inside and wrapped them in a towel.

Seeing as it's 9:00 at night, I looked around to see what I could come up with for an impromptu incubator. I set up an old 10 gallon aquarium with a bowl of water and a light I disassembled. I used old foam insulation for a lid. I laid newspaper down and put the eggs in a paper carton. My thermometer was stolen from the coop (not the best, but I figured better than nothing).

Is there anything I should do to make this better? I'm freaking because she's always been a good broody and I don't know what set her off. They are at 7 days if that helps at all.

 

[red horse ranch]

It actually looks like a good setup. You may need to rotate the egg carton several times a day so they are all close to heat. And that the ones closet to the light don't get too hot. My very first try at incubating was with a light bulb in a wooden box. Only one of the eggs hatched but 7 years later I still have the hen that was hatched by a light bulb..

 

[MEMama3]

I'm just worried. I upped it to a 75 watt bulb and placed some cardboard against the wall, but the thermometer is only reading at 90°. How long should it take to heat up? I'm tried and really want to get to bed soon.

 

[red horse ranch]

Several things have occurred to me since last night. You do know that the eggs need turned 3 to 4 times a day to prevent sticking to the shell? This can be accomplished by placing something 1"' to 2'' high under the egg carton farthest from the light and rotating the carton every few hours. This would also give the eggs farthest from the heat a better chance to stay warm. And that they need ventilation? I also think ideally, the thermometer should be near the top of the eggs closest to the light. This would give you a more accurate reading of what temperature the eggs are getting.
Is there any chance that you could borrow an incubator from someone? It's very possible that you can hatch some chicks this way but it isn't an ideal setup.

 

[MEMama3]

I made a bunch of changes now that I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off (pun intended). I set up an egg turner, readjusted the light and insulted the sides with cardboard. I redid the cover to allow ventilation and heat control.

I'll post pics soon.