My hen just laid an egg , can I hatch it without an incubator?
I have cockerel , so it's probably fertile. It is todays egg without a doubt as I cleaned them out yesterday. It was buried in hay so it was warm enough and I've just brought it in and put it in a tea towel. I have an incubator arriving in 4-5 days can I wait till it arrives ? Or should I incubate it with a desk lamp, with and thermometer under a tea towel turning three times a day and spritzing once?
But can I keep it for 4 days till the incubator arrives?
Find your warmest room in your house, grab a small cardboard box or a butter tub or some kind of container and pad it out with tissues/paper towels/ socks etc. Place the egg somewhere where there is no chance it would be disturbed or accidentally knocked and place a desk lamp over it. Always keep the desk lamp on and frequently turn the egg over with moist fingers, I wouldn't suggest spritzing, as if the egg gets too damp it could get slightly mouldy. This once happened with a gecko egg I was hatching, I know that chicken eggs are different but I still wouldn't risk it just in case. Good luck!
