HELP NEEDED, incubation of abandoned eggs!

[Sjazzmean]

It's small lovebird eggs, between 15-21 days into incubation..
I have a pair who left their almost hatch-ready eggs (after a severe thunderstorm), found them ice cold but alive, so they are in my "Brinsea Octagon 40 Digital" incubator now. I also have a "TLC 4" brooder, but I figured the incubator is more fit for eggs? Only used for chickens, quails and peasants with great results.
What is the best humidity % to set in the last week up to hatching in incubator? And humidity level WHEN hatching? I can't seem to get the humidity level under 60% and it looks like their air cell is a little too small, which makes me worry the humidity % is too high. I've tried everything in my mind to lower it. Including removing pretty much all water.
How many times do you turn the eggs in the last week?
Also one of the eggs have a broken air cell (bubbles) and another a displaced one. It haven't prevented them from developing though. I've placed them upside down with the wide end up. Good or bad idea?

ANY incubation+hatching help appreciated.

 

[Sjazzmean]

Air sack on the most active of the eggs...

 

[Birdbabe]

Bump!

 

[SandraK]

Don't have any experience with lovies @Crazy4parrots - can you give any advice/help? I'm trying desperately to remember whom else has lovies that have bred.

 

[melissasparrots]

I just looked it up in Howard Voren and Rick Jordan's Parrot Incubation Procedures. They suggest a wet bulb temperature of about 82 degrees Fahrenheit if you are at sea level. They don't list an actual percentage humidity as wet bulbs are considered a better humidity indicator anyway. I believe when I used to do it, I'd shoot for about 40-50% humidity. The book suggests running a dehumidifier in the room if needed. A little higher wet bulb temp if you are above sea level. Position for incubation is on its side as they would sit in the nest box. You may want to very slightly elevate the large end of the egg with a gauze pad but it shouldn't be vertical like a chicken egg would be incubated. They suggest that if you don't have an automatic turner, then hand turn them 1/8th to 1/4 turn every two hours during the day and turn them an odd number of times so the egg doesn't have the same side up for a long period at night. Stop turning at internal pip.

 

[karen256]

Do you by any chance have or know of another pair on eggs that might be able to foster the babies? The reason is that even if they do hatch successfully, handfeeding lovebirds from day 1 is a huge time commitment, you'll be feeding them every 2 hrs or more except at night and even then, it's really hard to replicate the parents' care for the first week or two.
There's also a small chance that their parents may respond to them once they hear them crying; if you have fake eggs, it might be worth putting them in the nestbox on the off chance they do return to the box; then hopefully you can try placing the chicks back in the nest once they hatch. But you also need to be prepared to handfeed if needed if they hatch.

 

[Sjazzmean]

Thank you all!
I talked to an expert the other day, she said humidity should be 55-60% last week and 70-75% when pip shows. So that's what I go with for now, but if anyone have other experience, feel more than free to share!

As for if they hatch. I know....
I did consider culling the eggs, but as the babies were so far I couldn't get myself to do that.
I tried putting infertile eggs out under the parents, but they threw them out of the nest. They still have their nest, as I wanted to see if they would accept the eggs back - they are nesting again, without eggs, but I haven't had the guts to place the fertile eggs back under them as they just threw the 3 first eggs I placed under them out the nest, broke one in the nest.

I'm willing to give them a chance if they hatch though. I have study break for 6 months, so full time job feeding I wouldn't mind.

 

[Sjazzmean]

If they hatch, I have this formula. Will that do?
Or will I still have to add papaya, lactobacillus (I see that's already in the formula) and ebfalyte/pedialyte the first days? As this site suggest: All About LoveBirds

 

[Crazy4parrots]

Do you by any chance have or know of another pair on eggs that might be able to foster the babies? The reason is that even if they do hatch successfully, handfeeding lovebirds from day 1 is a huge time commitment, you'll be feeding them every 2 hrs or more except at night and even then, it's really hard to replicate the parents' care for the first week or two.
There's also a small chance that their parents may respond to them once they hear them crying; if you have fake eggs, it might be worth putting them in the nestbox on the off chance they do return to the box; then hopefully you can try placing the chicks back in the nest once they hatch. But you also need to be prepared to handfeed if needed if they hatch.

I have hand fed lovies chicks from week 1.

 

[Crazy4parrots]

If they hatch, I have this formula. Will that do?
Or will I still have to add papaya, lactobacillus (I see that's already in the formula) and ebfalyte/pedialyte the first days? As this site suggest: All About LoveBirds

The formula have everything they will need...i have raised lovies i would try to place them with a lovie pair to hatch the eggs.

 

[melissasparrots]

You shouldn't need to worry about papaya unless they are having slow crop problems. I usually do a first feeding of 50:50 water and Pedialyte and continue using a little bit of pedialyte in the water to mix the formula for the first week.
You may want to consider getting a calorie supplement. I'm not sure if there are any available in Europe for birds. Small species are difficult to get going from day one because they are more prone to dehydrating and needing more energy than their larger counterparts. I've had good luck adding about 10% Gerber Rice formula to the dry component of the formula when mixed. It helps hold the water in the formula, keep the babies hydrated and allows you to feed formula just a little bit thicker which increases the calories going in. Just don't use it beyond the first 3-5 days as its a human product. Keep the humidity in the brooder high for the first week or so to keep them hydrated.

 

[Sjazzmean]

Thank again!!

What should the humidity be in the brooder at the different stages?
Does this chart look good for lovebird brooder temps?

 

[melissasparrots]

When I used to do quakers, I kept them at over 60% humidity and nearly at the same temperature as hatching for the first several days. Small species tend to be more sensitive to dropping temp too soon and I think a lot of the guidelines are based on larger species. Small species really are harder to do from day one and do well.

 

[Sjazzmean]

Went out shopping a bit, so I'm ready in case they hatch..

 

[Sjazzmean]

The eldest chick did internal pip earlier today, looks like it never completed it though - I candled it tonight and it looks dead No movement, brownish and veins gone.... That was the chick with ruptured aircell. The second one have aircell issues too..
The rest of the eggs are still alive, but for how long only fate can tell,...

 

[SandraK]

I'll be thinking of you and the eggs & hoping that everything will go well for all of you.

 

[Sjazzmean]

Thank you <3
Right now I feel pretty sad, I had hoped it would make it - but there is still hope for the 3 other eggs.
Now I think I will try and get some sleep (2am) and see how things look in the morning.

 

[Crazy4parrots]

How old áre The eggs?. Brown doesnt mean chick is dead It Just mean the skin already formed hence Why You cant see veins...IF it Was dead he would turn Blue From lack of oxigen and If he peeped then it means it Will hatch in the next 24 hours hopefully.

 

[Sjazzmean]

I think I've drowned them by too high humidity
When I brought them in after the parents left them, I thought they were about to hatch, so I put the humidity on 70%, but after some days I realised they were not to hatch yet.
I took the humidity down to 60% as I was told some forums would be fine, but the aircell never got as big as I would like it to. I couldn't get humidity lower.
Now first egg is dead and the two next ones have pipped outside their aircell. Too low. One looks dead.
No sound.
I'm lost On the web it says humidity should be 45% or even lower, while on forums I was told to incubate on 55-65% as it was last week. I bet I have drowned them Should probably just have let them die when I found the parents had left them in the nest. I feel like a fail.

 

[Sjazzmean]

I cracked the dead egg from yesterday this morning....
Burried it in my garden..