How to Keep Turtle Dove Eggs Warm

Turtle dove eggs, like most poultry eggs, need a constant temperature between 98 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or cooler temperatures will keep the eggs from hatching. Safely keeping turtle dove eggs warm is easy when a person makes a simple homemade incubator. The incubator costs about $10 or less depending on the materials available at home. Once the turtle dove eggs hatch, the baby birds need warmth until their feathers develop. Remove the water container that supplies humidity from the incubator. Put in a chick feeder and water container, and the incubator becomes a brooder for the chicks.

Things You'll Need

  • 24-by-24-by-24-inch wood or cardboard box
  • Clip-on light
  • 100-watt bulb
  • Hay
  • 1-quart ceramic bowl
  • 28-by-28-inch piece of wire hardware cloth
  • Thermometer
  • Permanent marker
  • Paper egg carton
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put a 100-watt light bulb into the clip on light, and attach the plug into a socket. Sit it aside. The 100-watt bulb provides the heat source for the handmade incubator.

    • 2

      Cut the flaps off of the open end of the cardboard box. Place the box on a flat surface in a draft free area.

    • 3

      Put a thin layer of hay in the box all the way across the bottom of the box, so it makes a rough surface. Cardboard is slick, and baby birds need a firm surface. When the chicks hatch, the slick surface causes problems with their feet.

    • 4

      Fill the 1-quart ceramic bowl three-fourths full of water. Place the bowl into the box on the hay directly under the light. The light heats the water and provides a humid environment for the eggs. Lay the thermometer next to the water container.

    • 5

      Sit the piece of wire hardware cloth over the top of the box with one side far enough away from the edge for attaching the clip-on light. Fold the edges down towards the box on three sides, so it forms a lid.

    • 6

      Attach the clip-on light on the side of the box with the light shining into the box. Let it sit there for 10 minutes. Check the temperature. You want the temperature between 98 to 100 degrees. If it is too cool, move the light closer to the thermometer. If it is too hot, change to a 75-watt bulb, or pull the light further away from the thermometer.

    • 7

      Draw a dot on one side of each egg with the permanent marker. Put the eggs into the paper egg carton with the egg leaning against one side of the carton, and the dot showing. Sit the carton next to the water container inside the incubator once you get the temperature regulated. Roll the egg, so it leans on a different side of the egg carton two or three times a day alternating the dot showing and the dot not showing. This makes the chick develop better, and keeps them from sticking to the membrane in the eggs. The eggs incubate about 14 days before hatching.