Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Roger J. Lederer, PhD. Dr. Roger Lederer is an Ornithologist and the founder of Ornithology.com, an informative website about wild birds. Dr. Lederer has spent over 40 years teaching, studying, and writing about birds. He has traveled to over 100 countries to study birds. Dr. Lederer is an Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at California State University, Chico, and has been a Department Chair of Biological Sciences and Dean of the College of Natural Sciences. He has written more than 30 research papers and 10 books on birds and a textbook entitled “Ecology and Field Biology.” Dr. Lederer has consulted the BBC, National Geographic, National Public Radio, ABC News, the Guinness Book of World Records, and numerous other organizations and publications.
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If you want to hatch some wild bird eggs that you've found but don't have the money for a professional incubator, you can easily create one from household items. Once you've assembled the incubator, you'll be ready to prep the eggs for hatching. Be careful, though! Technically it is against the law in many places to touch wild birds and nests (research your local and federal laws before moving forward).
Steps
Line a medium sized shoebox with cloths. Lay a small, soft cloth on the bottom of the box. Roll up two rags like a burrito and lay them together in the box to form a circle or a ring in the middle. The width of the ring will depend on how many eggs you have and how large they are.[1]
Insulate the nest with feathers. Buy a bag of feathers from your local craft store. Use the feathers to line the cloth ring in the middle of the box. Feathers store heat well, and will help the eggs stay warm.Advertisement
Add two to four small stuffed animals. The number depends on how large the stuffed animals are and how much room you have in the box. Arrange them around the circumference of the circle to enclose the egg more for warmth. Make sure the stuffed animals are big enough to press against the sides of the shoebox and push the rags and feathers closer to the eggs.
Fill a small cup of water for humidity. Place it in the corner of the box to prevent spills. Refill the water daily or as the water level goes down with evaporation. Check the water at least twice a day.[2]
Find a small heat lamp. Look for an inexpensive one at charity shops or garage sales. For a high-quality lamp, shop at your local pet supply store. Buy a lamp with an adjustable neck that you can reposition to achieve the ideal temperature.[3]- Make sure the heat lamp does not touch any of the flammable materials in the nest box, as this could cause a fire.
Buy a digital thermometer and a humidity gauge. Digital readouts make it easier to track temperatures to the tenth of a degree. You'll need this kind of precision when incubating eggs. Look for these instruments in any big box store. Many locations sell single devices that measure both temperature and humidity.[4]
Heat the box. Position the lamp so that the light is shining into the box. Place the thermometer and humidity gauge in the location you'll place the eggs. Aim for a temperature of about 98.6 °F (37.0 °C) and a humidity level between 55 and 70 percent.[5]
Determine the species of your eggs. This will help you to recreate the ideal temperature and humidity level. Take the eggs to your local extension office for identification. You can also visit several online resources, such as:
Place the eggs in the incubator. Lay them in the washcloth ring you set up. Place them side by side. Don't lay them on top of each other. Otherwise, you could break them during rotation.
Put the box in indirect sunlight. Sunlight provides more warmth without lowering the humidity. Keep the box out of direct sunlight, which could raise the temperature to dangerous levels. You could put the box in a west-facing window in the morning or an east-facing window in the afternoon. If the weather is warm enough, put the box outside in a semi-shaded spot out of the reach of predators during the day.- Depending on the species of the bird, longer periods of daylight might make your eggs hatch a bit sooner.[8]
Monitor the temperature. Turn off the heat lamp if the temperature goes above 101 °F (38 °C). Keep it off until the temperature drops to the ideal level. If you notice the heat getting too high on a regular basis, try repositioning the lamp.[9]
Watch the humidity level. The exact level depends on the species you're incubating.[10] Add more water to raise the humidity. If you keep getting readings above 70 percent, reduce the amount of water you have in the incubator.
Rotate the eggs a several times a day. Don't spin them, just turn them. You could buy a mechanical egg rotator at your local farm supply store. However, if you're around the incubator regularly, you can rotate the eggs by hand. How often you need to rotate them depends on the species, but the average rate is about two rotations per hour.[11]
Replace the box lid when you switch off the lamp. Most species can handle cool temperatures as low as 61 °F (16 °C), so it shouldn't hurt the eggs if you switch off the lamp when you go to sleep. Replacing the lid will help to lock in some heat overnight. Just remember to remove the lid and turn the heat lamp back on in the morning. Set a reminder for yourself to be on the safe side.
Be prepared for the possibility that the eggs will not hatch. Unfortunately, the chances of successfully hatching wild bird eggs an incubator are low. Natural incubation by the parent birds is a complex process that is very difficult to recreate.[12] Eggs that are cracked or that have been outside the nest for any length of time are unlikely to be viable.
Video
Community Q&A
- QuestionHow can I know if there is anything in the egg?
Community AnswerIf you candle it -- put a flashlight up to the egg in a dark room to see what is happening inside it -- you should be able to see something in it. It is easier to tell if the egg is older because you can tell if the baby inside is moving or not. - QuestionIf the wild egg is cold, will it still have a chance to survive?
Community AnswerIt depends on how long the egg has been cold for. The longer it has been cold for, the less likely it will be to survive. If it has been cold for only a very short period of time, however, it may survive. - QuestionIs there anything I can substitute for a heating lamp?Community AnswerA heating lamp is ideal, as nothing else can replicate the temperature it provides. If you don't have one, you could try a regular lamp, or a heated blanket to keep it warm.
Reader Videos
Tips
- Before you put the feathers in, put dried out moss and THEN the feathers for trapped heat.Thanks
- This article is about incubating wild bird eggs. If you want to incubate chicken eggs, check out Make a Simple Homemade Incubator for Chicks on How.com.vn.Thanks
- If you want, you can buy a temperature controller for the incubator at your local farm supply store or online at auction sites like eBay. Set the temperature. The controller turns the lamp on or off to keep the incubator within the ideal range.Thanks
Warnings
- Remember that the birds' lives are on the line. Don't just throw an incubator together. Make it efficient.Thanks
- Always wash your hands after handling the eggs.Thanks
- If you live in a country that was part of the Soviet Union between 1917 and 1991, you might still be subject to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Check your national statues for clarification.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- Shoebox
- Washcloths
- A small, soft cloth
- Heat lamp
- Digital thermometer
- Digital humidity gauge
- Small cup or dish with water
- Small stuffed animals
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about birds, check out our in-depth interview with Roger J. Lederer, PhD.
References
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fryW9V-5IPI
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ1tyfvenqQ
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ1tyfvenqQ
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ1tyfvenqQ
- ↑ https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/behaviour/incubation
- ↑ http://www.audubon.org/bird-guide
- ↑ http://www.sialis.org/nests.htm
- ↑ https://www.allaboutbirds.org/study-how-the-amount-of-daylight-affects-incubation-length/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ1tyfvenqQ
About This Article
To create an egg incubator for wild bird eggs, line the bottom of a shoe box with a soft cloth and roll up 2 other cloths to form a circle in the middle. Next, add real bird feathers around the circle, which you can buy from any craft store, and 2-4 stuffed animals for additional warmth. Then, place a small cup of water in the corner of the box to create humidity. Finally, buy a small heat lamp, a digital thermometer, and a humidity gauge to help you regulate the environment. For tips on monitoring the eggs in your incubator, read on!
Reader Success Stories
"I was looking up how to incubate robin eggs. Too bad I did not come across this sooner. By following a bad YouTube video, I harmed my eggs. However, this How.com.vn was amazingly simple! I am trying this, if God might let my baby robins grow. I liked the warm idea of the shoe box. Thank you, How.com.vn!"..." more
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