The electric blanket nest

[YangGuangLei]

This is not something I have found a tread on yet. My whole flock of four was taken out, suspected by a fox
All that remained were three blue eggs (Arucana they will be mixed, rooster was mixed).

In a crazy attempt to carry the lineage of my oldest birds, still young, first eggs. I carried the eggs home in a fleece jumper and sat them on my electric blanket where they have been for 13 days so far. The blanket is set to high, I've tried on the middle setting but the eggs cooled right off so it's back on high. We have had one 20 min power cut but all seems good. My plush Tigger teddy is sitting on the eggs.

I have tried to source an incubator and don't have the money or the intention to invest in purchasing one so I wait.

Today I candled and got a clear look into one of the eggs and was able to see the chick moving inside

Who knows how this will end but for today there is hope.

 

[YangGuangLei]

Check out New Members post: Rescue Mission for more history to this thread.

 

[YangGuangLei]

Experiences or advice welcome...

 

[sumi]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss! And for that I really hope this hatch goes well for you. Have you measured the temperature and humidity around the eggs? It sounds like it's going well so far, but the final days and hatching may get interesting. The chicks will need a fairly humid environment to hatch in, so stop them drying out and getting stuck in the eggs. Also during the incubation correct temp and humidity is crucial, to ensure they develop at the rate they should and that the air cells develop at the rate they should.

Can you tell us what the temperature and humidity is and how the air cells are doing? Pics would be great, if possible.

 

[YangGuangLei]

Re: temp and humidity I wouldn't know. The electric blanket is on high and with one layer of the fleece between them and the sheet (electric blanket underneath) they always seem to be a constant temperature. Tried to vary it a bit early on but they would cool off. Haven't interfered with them much apart from turning until yesterday. Where I live the humidity is pretty stable. I figure chickens do just fine in this weather, I'll just give them the best I've got.

Air cells seem to be doing well, even the smallest of the eggs has a good air cell. Was checking out some info yesterday and found some pictures of the change in air cell size as they grow, my guess from that is that we are at the two week mark so could be hatch day from Sunday - Wednesday.

Candled again last night and can confirm movement in two of the three

Will try and get some pics, won't be easy it's hard enough seeing through the blue eggs with the naked eye.

 

[christine9]

I love it! I'm really interested in how this turns out. Good luck!

 

[YangGuangLei]

Not the greatest candling photos, but as you can see they all have an air cell and I can see veins and shape in the later two. The first is a smaller slightly narrower egg (this may have been her first lay), the shell is pretty dark. As you will see in the first two pictures there is a fair bit of poo staining on the eggs (we didn't know they were there) the mother an father always preferred to sleep in the nesting box, even with a roosting bar available.

It's all a bit daunting. I'll keep posting as days progress and if I find a better torch or a better camera will try and get some better photos.

Does it matter at which end the air cell is?

 

[jaxchic]

I wish u luck with ur hatch...
I just wanted to mention, for people reading this that may want to try this electric blanket method..that my parents had a terrible house fire because of an electric blanket that was bundled up at the end of the bed. It was tragic and killed all of their pets. So please be careful with these things!

 

[YangGuangLei]

Thanks jaxchic.

Please do not try to replicate using an electric blanket unless like myself you find no alternative.
This is not an experiment, it's a search for survival.

 

[sumi]

Does it matter at which end the air cell is?

The air cells look good. They should always be at the fat end of the egg. When the chick gets into position for hatch, it will position itself so it can pip through the inner membrane into the air cell, where it will start breathing. It will position itself to pip into the fat end of the egg, where it is expecting the air cell to be. There are exceptions to this, but those are mainly caused by eggs placed incorrectly and other factors. But don't worry about that. There are ways to work around some of these problems if they pop up.