The Saga Begins

[knowvagale]

Try to sit on your hands unless you need to adjust temperature and increase humidity.

But it's so hard not to look! I know I have to exercise my close to nonexistent self control, but! but! ya' know?!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My one lonely chicken egg is in lockdown, and I would like to try again if he doesn't make it to hatch, or get him some friends if he does. I want to actually be prepared next time, with an actual incubator instead of my current frankenstein monstrosity. I don't have a huge budget for this, probably looking for something less than 50 dollars. Are there any relatively reliable incubators around that price range? I don't need anything super fancy, I can turn the eggs manually, and I figure just about anything is better than an ice chest. I'd love to hear your thoughts/suggestions!

To be completely honest, I doubt you'll find a more reliable incubator than the one you have for under $50. In fact, you won't find an acceptably reliable one for much under $100.
If your budget is that tight, I recommend improving what you have or start a new DIY project.
The important elements are good insulation, reliable temperature control, ventilation and IMO, the most critical is a guaranteed accurate thermometer. The latter will take some of the guesswork out of any failures.

Another option is to get one or two Cochins, bantams if you choose. They are notorious for going broody and will take care of incubation for you.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

But it's so hard not to look! I know I have to exercise my close to nonexistent self control, but! but! ya' know?!

That's why my incubators are in a space I never go into so I can forget them. I keep a little incubation timer I got from incubator warehouse in front of my computer monitor so I can see when eggs are due.
I guess it is hard with a lone egg.

 

[knowvagale]

If your temps have been weird throughout and the embryo survived, it will likely be OK now. At the end, embryos can handle wide temperature swings more than through the rest of incubation.
https://www.brinsea.com/Articles/Advice/PowerOff.aspx

Just came back from reading this article--It was super helpful and put my mind at rest. Thanks so much @ChickenCanoe !!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Just came back from reading this article--It was super helpful and put my mind at rest. Thanks so much @ChickenCanoe !!

You are welcome. I added a note at the end of post 32 above. I don't know your housing situation or plans but a couple bantam cochins may preclude your need for an incubator.

 

[knowvagale]

To candle, or not to candle? That is the question. It's well into day 21, and there is no external pip that I can see. Will candling the egg reduce the chances of it hatching? Should I actually try to be patient for once?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Patience is a virtue, and I want it now.

That's up to you. With no external pip, you may easily be able to check quickly.

 

[knowvagale]

Dead? Alive? A Tyrannosaurus Rex that's just pretending to be a chicken? Who could say? One of y'all, hopefully, because I haven't been this nervous since the middle school orchestra concert. There's really not much to see--I have a little hope because the pointy end wasn't this full the last time I candled, but I see no movement, and nothing to suggest an internal pip except this almost non-existent shadow I tried to enhance in the photo. It doesn't look like a square in real life, my phone camera is just weird. I saw something that might have been a tiny vein, or maybe just my imagination. The line between the air cell and chick is pretty distinct--so that's good, right? What do you guys think??

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It looks like it is still growing. Perhaps the temperature was low throughout or it died at day 18/19. IMO, it should be all dark except the air cell by day 21.

 

[knowvagale]

Yeah, maybe. I am using a super overkill headlamp that is way brighter than normal egg candling devices, I can see the light even through the middle of my palm, so it might be that it's just shining right through the chick. With a phone light, I can't see anything but the air cell. But it's also possible it died early, or is still developing, because the temp. was kind of crazy for a while. I'll probably open it up on day 22 or 23 if it doesn't pip/show movement so I can see what went wrong.