Assisted hatch, incubator issues

[Joyfillednomads]

After losing 6 eggs and 1 chick, I wanted to give up on this incubator. Something isn't right with it. But sadly either I lose the eggs or try at least.
So in an effort to save 2 turkey eggs, I've been constantly checking this incubator. The heat and humidity were all wonky, and our turkey piped and we waited. My hubby wanted me to help 2 days ago. I resisted jumping in. But yesterday it was roughly 48 hours / 2 days since pip, so I pulled the egg and looked it over. The shell was incredibly thick & hard and the little feathers were stuck at the pip hole area. It was time to help. So with a bowl of warm water, Children's medicine dropper, tooth pick, wet paper towel, plastic Tupperware--> I carefully checked location of the baby's beak face and direction of "face up".
And very slowly and carefully worked drops of warm water around the membrane between the baby and the egg shell... slowly chipping away tiny bits of egg shell. Managed to save the baby turkey!!!
But with over 2 days of struggle to break out of the shell the middle toe on his left foot was dislocated. And the baby turkey had pooped inside the egg.
So a gentle rising didn't remove the grossness, so a bowl big & deep enough to get tall baby in holding head above water, no soap just a gentle rub and carefully holding him. Into old bed sheet. Sitting was the easiest way to gentle wrap and blow dry him. To ensure the blow dryer wasn't too hot I kept my hand in the way.
I tried to give generic electrolyte colorless clear drink with a little sugar.
I've tried to give water and last night tried to give food. Yesterday, the black tape foot splint didn't help, very much in the way, and it fell off.
This morning the foot had not improved on its own. The baby turkey had improved greatly so I cut a tooth pick with a knife and with some medical tape made a tiny splint. The tape is limiting movement between the foot and the leg, but baby turkey is standing much better.
Still holding out hope for the other turkey egg, but know the issues this baby turkey had can cause Shrink wrapping... tomorrow is day 30, so we will keep the incubator going till then.
So super Excited our first turkey.
Sorry we couldn't share yesterday, we were rather busy.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Are you using separate calibrated thermometers, & hygrometers to monitor conditions inside the incubator?

 

[-Flash-]

That's great! (Not about how many eggs you lost,) Good luck with the other eggs!

 

[Joyfillednomads]

Not sure why the other turkey egg had stopped developing, but it did...
And it never did pip.

 

[Joyfillednomads]

Are you using separate calibrated thermometers, & hygrometers to monitor conditions inside the incubator?

Just the sensors on the actual incubator. But we did have quite a bit of trouble with it, the humidity fluctuated too much and the temp fluctuated a bit. Super not happy with this incubator. We couldn't throw it out and didn't have time to mess with it or we would lose the two turkey eggs.
Trying to make it work was the best option, and it just kinda sucks.

 

[Finnie]

Just the sensors on the actual incubator. But we did have quite a bit of trouble with it, the humidity fluctuated too much and the temp fluctuated a bit. Super not happy with this incubator. We couldn't throw it out and didn't have time to mess with it or we would lose the two turkey eggs.
Trying to make it work was the best option, and it just kinda sucks.

What kind of incubator is it?

 

[-Flash-]

Not sure why the other turkey egg had stopped developing, but it did...
And it never did pip.

That's a shame...

 

[Joyfillednomads]

What kind of incubator i just a cheap Styrofoam incubator.

What kind of incubator is it?

Just a cheap Styrofoam generic incubator. It worked for many months as our lockdown brooder, but is crapping out.

 

[Joyfillednomads]

It's easier with a bunch of eggs. Just having a couple make each one so much more special. Got 10 turkey eggs in the next batch, the should hatch around November 6th or 7th. Will candle around November 4th before Lockdown. One of our hens is not fertile, so guessing only half these eggs are fertile. We Don't know whose eggs are whose. They just began laying in different areas. So we will have to wait and see. With as cold as it has been and as bad as these turkeys have been about laying eggs in the mud or just on the ground willy-nilly... hoping but know this is a low key thing.
We didn't plan on hatching out thru the fall/winter. We didn't expect eggs from turkey hens till spring. But we take what we Can get when we can.
Grateful.
I guess we could do a production pen and full scale professional incubators/brooders. But this is backyard chickens and our low key family thing. We aren't running a business. So we let nature do its thing and we do what we can as most people.
Wishing everyone much success on their hatches.

 

[Joyfillednomads]

That's a shame...

Yeah, we do everything we can. I even stayed up most of the nights during lockdown to monitor and try to keep Temps and humidity stable. they might just be turkey eggs, but they are precious to us. They are Our first turkey eggs.