Any issues w/using paper towels after lockdown?

[Birdadvocate]

I want to post a question...

I'm trying to find out if anyone has had an issue with using paper towel in encubator at lock down.

I've hatched quail eggs off & on for years. Lock down on day 18. It's now day 23 and was concerned chick hadn't started its pip yet.

When tried to pick up egg it was partially stuck to the paper towel.

Concerned that the paper towel might have has chemicals that the egg absorbed or that the absorbency of the paper towel might have affected the egg.

At day 11 last day of candling chick was moving in egg. At dat 18 of lock down egg was moving on rollers.

On day 18 we've always removed rollers and put down paper towel for a rough surface for chicks when they hatch.

100% success in past.

Except this time it seemed as if egg had slightly adhered to paper towel.

Has anyone else had this as an issue and if so did your chick hatch ok?

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Paper towel will absorb some of the water vapor in the incubator, so I would not recommend using it. Humidity temperatures could drop down to lower than they are supposed to be.

 

[Kiki]

I use paper towels and never had an issue.

I think your temps and humidity are off and not what you think they were if your eggs haven't hatched by day 23.

 

[Birdadvocate]

That's what we used in the past as well except this time they stuck to the eggs.

I checked and humidity 70% and temperature 100 degrees F. I have an independent calibrated thermometer & humidity gauge that verifies incubater readings.

Gambels supposed to be kept at 65% to 75% on lock down to hatching. If they don't make it it will be first ones we've lost.

They looked so healthy on candling on day 11 and were really moving around on day 18 lockdown.

For Gambles day 25 is the late date. We'll keep them until day 28 and carefully (just in case) do an autopsy.

We've actually been successful so far in saving chicks that gave out pipping after

Paper towel will absorb some of the water vapor in the incubator, so I would not recommend using it. Humidity temperatures could drop down to lower than they are supposed to be.

Paper towel will absorb some of the water vapor in the incubator, so I would not recommend using it. Humidity temperatures could drop down to lower than they are supposed to be.

Paper towel will absorb some of the water vapor in the incubator, so I would not recommend using it. Humidity temperatures could drop down to lower than they are supposed to be.

Next batch we rescue we are going hold off on paper towels just in case. Something strange happened.

Once we hatched couple of abandoned dove eggs. The one that hatched first turned over the water in the incubator and saturated cloth we had. Turns out the cloth wasn't die fast and second egg absorbed the die. Hatched. Chick was color of cloth and died in 24 hours.

Agree the paper towels might have created an uneven humidity.

Thanks

 

[Eggs_Over_EZ]

I have used shop towels before without issues. Now use non-slip (no stick) draw liner. It helps with slipping in incubator and makes cleanup easier.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Turns out the cloth wasn't die fast and second egg absorbed the die. Hatched.

Sorry but I am not understanding this, can you explain?

 

[Debbie292d]

I had a roll of rubbery shelf lining. I cut it in two pieces to fit the Brinsea and to go up the sides a little bit so the chicks/eggs don't go into the indents of the incubator.

When done, I shake them out and toss them in the washer, air dry. They keep the chicks from slipping which can cause splayed legs, plus, makes cleanup afterward a breeze.

 

[Birdadvocate]

Sorry but I am not understanding this, can you explain?

Many years ago we had an owl killed the mom dove & the male abandoned the nest. We picked up the encubation to carry the eggs thru hatching.

The first chick to hatch somehow managed to turn over the water source for the humidity in the incubator wetting the cloth material that the unmatched chick was on.

Turns out the cloth wasn't dye fast and the dye and the dye was absorbed by the egg.

When the chick hatched a day later the chick was color of the cloth and unfortunately died 24 hours later from the dye.

Didn't realize that the eggs absorb moisture. That's when we started using paper towels but now concerned they may also be a source of toxicity,i.e., are there chemicals in the paper towels from the manufacturers?

 

[Birdadvocate]

I had a roll of rubbery shelf lining. I cut it in two pieces to fit the Brinsea and to go up the sides a little bit so the chicks/eggs don't go into the indents of the incubator.

When done, I shake them out and toss them in the washer, air dry. They keep the chicks from slipping which can cause splayed legs, plus, makes cleanup afterward a breeze.

I like this idea. Concerned with quail that their feet might go through the grating on bottom of the incubator and break their legs.

If they hatch at night it might be hours before we are aware, however we do have a baby monitor on the incubator so we can hear if they cheep after hatching.

 

[Birdadvocate]

Many years ago we had an owl killed the mom dove & the male abandoned the nest. We picked up the encubation to carry the eggs thru hatching.

The first chick to hatch somehow managed to turn over the water source for the humidity in the incubator wetting the cloth material that the unmatched chick was on.

Turns out the cloth wasn't dye fast and the dye and the dye was absorbed by the egg.

When the chick hatched a day later the chick was color of the cloth and unfortunately died 24 hours later from the dye.

Didn't realize that the eggs absorb moisture. That's when we started using paper towels but now concerned they may also be a source of toxicity,i.e., are there chemicals in the paper towels from the manufacturers?

Just Googled my question "Most paper towels are made with two harsh chemicals: chlorine and formaldehyde. The chlorine is commonly used to to make the paper towel white in color. The by-products of using Chlorine for bleaching are toxins such as dioxin and furans, which are known to be dangerous to the human body."

So per SwampPrincessChick we probably affected the humidity and poisoned the chick as the egg most likely absorbed the chlorine & formaldehyde.

This has been some self discovery. Won't use paper towels anymore and will now remove from wife's birds feeder trays.