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11:00 pm
May 15, 2011
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Today I found the most beautiful blue robin's egg in the yard near my neighbor's fence. It is perfect without any cracks. I have no way of knowing how long it's been on the ground but I did bring it in the house and I currently have it in a container with a lightbulb over it to keep it warm. Is there any possibility it will hatch? Has anyone ever attempted this before?
11:06 pm
December 14, 2010
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Incubation is a delicate balance of warmth, moisture, frequent turning of the egg and about three weeks of waiting, then comes about three weeks of constant feeding.
7:13 am
March 15, 2012
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Oh, I hope you are successful, VictorianGirl … also, do you have a local wildlife rehab to contact?
10:41 pm
May 15, 2011
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Ross, thank you for your input. I do have heat from the lightbulb and I have been turning the egg frequently but what do I do about the moisture? Marybeth I'm not sure about a local wildlife rehab but I will look into it. I certainly hope this will be successful, how exciting and amazing if it is. Will keep you posted. Thanks again for your information and encouragement.
11:52 pm
December 14, 2010
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Robins will fly to our bird baths and then return to their nests. Perhaps a thin cotton flannel patch moistened gently and placed on the egg would be enough. If you have ever reached beneath a hen for an egg you will know it is startling how pleasantly warm and humid it feels.
5:34 am
March 15, 2012
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Yes, VictorianGirl, this is very exciting … please keep us posted!
11:01 pm
May 15, 2011
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I still have the robin's egg under a lightbulb with a moist cloth on top of it (thank you Ross) and I turn the egg quite a few times during the day. I've read that it can take anywhere from 14 to 16 days for the egg to hatch and this Thursday will be the 14th day. I might add that the egg is in my bedroom so needless to say I've been sleeping with the light on all night which I've gotten used to after a couple of days. Still hoping it will hatch but if it doesn't at least I've tried and it has been a learning experience and exciting. Will keep you posted.
8:06 am
December 14, 2010
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You may start hearing little peeps soon. You could also shine a flash light through it to check for developement. Dark room and small light.
8:07 pm
May 15, 2011
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Ross if I begin to hear little peeps you'll probably hear me screech with joy all the way to your house! I'll try the flashlight to see if I can see anything. Will let you know and thank you for all your words of wisdom.
7:01 pm
March 15, 2012
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Waiting for the little peeps, VictorianGirl ….. 
12:55 am
May 15, 2011
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I got out my little LED flashlight, turned off the light and put the egg up to the flashlight but I think this is probably disappointing news. I can see a shadow of sorts inside the egg that moves as I turn it but the shadow appears in only a very small portion of the egg and the rest looks hollow. I would think by this time if there was a baby in there it would fill a greater portion of the egg. However, I'll continue to keep the light on for several more days and turn the egg periodically. Just have to wait to see what happens.
2:15 pm
March 15, 2012
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Awwwww ….. :( Can we still hope???
10:58 pm
May 15, 2011
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Maybeth, I'm still hoping I'll hear some little peeps soon but tomorrow will be the 21st day since I found the egg and I've read it can take between 14 and 16 days to hatch. Hanging in there a while longer to see what happens. Don't want to give up just yet after all this time. Will keep you informed.
6:07 pm
March 15, 2012
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Oh, today is the 21st day, VictorianGirl ….. what has it brought us? Little peeps?
9:31 pm
May 15, 2011
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Maybeth, so far there's no change, no peeps. Will give it a few more days to see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed please, you never know!
12:02 am
May 15, 2011
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After 23 days of frequently turning the egg and continuously having the light on I have disappointing news, there is no baby robin. I noticed a small crack in the shell late last night and this morning I could see where some of the yolk had oozed out and then hardened. The crack possibly could have been from handling it so much? Anyway, I took a deep breath and with shaky hands gently cracked the shell open and the only thing that dropped out was a bright golden yolk and some of the eggwhite. It was a bit disappointing but I know I tried my best in case there was the possibility it would hatch and it was very interesting and exciting. Now I can go back to sleeping in the dark!
8:48 am
December 14, 2010
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Was there a blood spot on the yolk? if not then it wasn't fertile.
7:06 pm
February 10, 2009
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Sorry to contradict about the blood spot but that is a very common misconception. Eggs often have a red spot but that is only a bit of the hen's repro tract that sheds during the process of making the egg. Some people get all "ick" about it but it is just as 'clean' as the rest of an egg.
You CAN tell if an egg is fertile LONG before you can see any true development because it will have a very small white spot with a sort of ring around it so it looks like a donut or a bulls-eye. What you can actually see is NOT the zygote, but a result of a chemical reaction to the zygote. The two cells are much too small to see with the naked eye so don't get all creeped out by it. If it's just a tiny white spot without a yellow center, the egg is not fertilized and you can see that the day it the day the hen lays it! A blastodisk (solid looking disk) is NON fertile, a blastoderm (more of a donut shape) IS fertile.
Here is a link to a couple good pics at backyardchickens.com which is a good site, but has gotten so huge and so 'social' that it's hard to find things on, in my opinion anyway. This is a direct link though so if you dig more don't get lost!!!
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures
If it was fertile though and the embryo started to develop for several days, you may see a larger red area that you can see veins and some actual tissue sort of on the outer area of the yolk. Hens lay eggs but the actual start of development isn't until she starts to set on them consistently so the temp stays at a steady 99 – 102 deg f for 12 to 16 hours, until that happens, they're sort of in stasis.
I know this is more than anyone was bargaining on, but that 'bloodspot' thing is a misconception that is a bit of a sore spot for anyone who sells eggs. Hehe, you'll get those even if there isn't a rooster within 100 miles of your farm so it gets a bit frustrating. 
9:15 pm
December 14, 2010
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BEG, Thank you. I have lived with that misconception for as long as I can remember.
11:30 pm
May 15, 2011
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BuckeyeGirl, I will check out the link you provided and I'm sure it will prove to be very interesting. Occasionally I have found a blood spot in an egg from the grocery store and threw it away since I thought it would not be healthy to eat. A couple of times I've even had double yolks. Sadly our city is not zoned to allow for backyard chickens so I need to purchase eggs, occasionally my cousin will bring me a dozen farm fresh eggs from an Amish family near her so I now know what a "fresh" egg tastes like. Ross, to answer your question, no there was not a blood spot on the yolk. Could the mother robin sense the egg was not fertile and push it out of the nest for that reason? I find this all very interesting and really wish I could have a small coop with a few laying hens but unfortunately that is not to be.
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