Expert: Bluebird Bob Walshaw - 5/4/2008

Question
QUESTION: I recently found a robin egg near my house.  It was in no sight of any nest or other Robin.  The egg is in excellent condition, but there is a very tiny small dent in the side.  I currently have it under makeshift incubation.  I have a fish tank with towels and tissues, under a reptile heating lamp.  How long should I keep the light on?  Is their any way to know if the chick is dead or not growing?  Is the device I have rigged good enough for the chick to grow?

Thanks,
Ken

ANSWER: That is probably an egg that the birds have rejected. You are taking on an impossible task, and even if you were able to be successful you would doom the bird to be an outcast as it could never return to or survive in the wild. Destroy the egg.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: It would not exactly doom the bird to become a pet.  I should be able to provide the bird with whatever it needs to be able to survive.  All I need is information on how to provide for the egg at this moment.

Answer
The egg needs to be turned every few hours and I can't even begin to tell you how and what to feed a naked newborn. The female will replace the egg so it will not be a loss. And what you are doing may be illegal. Contact the Audubon Society or the Wildlife Department in your area to see if there ids a bird rehabilitator in your area.