Staggered hatches in one incubator

I put eggs in the bator 1 day apart. Not the brightest thing to do, I know. Will my 17day eggs be okay on lockdown with my 18day eggs? Not that I have a choice, but I just wanted to know. Thanks

micheleomal said:

I put eggs in the bator 1 day apart. Not the brightest thing to do, I know. Will my 17day eggs be okay on lockdown with my 18day eggs? Not that I have a choice, but I just wanted to know. Thanks

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Just one day isn't that big of an issue unless you have small air cells. They should be as fine as they would have been if they were all set together.

You should be okay.

I do staggered hatches all the time and never do a lock down and have had no issues with hatch rates...

If you are going to go into lock down, I would do it on day 18/19 not 17/18 just so that day behind eggs get that extra day of turning...

I stop turning at the end of day 13 for all of my eggs.

AmyLynn2374 said:

I stop turning at the end of day 13 for all of my eggs. 

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I generally remove them from the auto turner on bout day 18/19 but I continue to hand turn them until they externally pip, then I rotate the pip upwards and stop turning that egg...

A broody hen turns her eggs over 50 times a day every day all the way until the chickens hatch out....

They myth the chicken will get disorientated just doesn't fit natural incubation techniques, where the broody bird never stops turning and moving eggs, also the first chick to hatch normally bulldozes and rolls all the other eggs all over the place... In nature there is no 'lock down' or stopping of turning...

MeepBeep said:

I generally remove them from the auto turner on bout day 18/19 but I continue to hand turn them until they externally pip, then I rotate the pip upwards and stop turning that egg...

A broody hen turns her eggs over 50 times a day every day all the way until the chickens hatch out....

They myth the chicken will get disorientated just doesn't fit natural incubation techniques, where the broody bird never stops turning and moving eggs, also the first chick to hatch normally bulldozes and rolls all the other eggs all over the place... In nature there is no 'lock down' or stopping of turning...

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An egg under a broody doesn't generally get knocked around like one in an open bator either. Had my first 100% hatch hand turning the entire incubation, stopping at day 14 and no malepositioned. Our "turning" is more drastic than the movement of the eggs by the broody hens. Watched mine last year, hen is much more subtle.

AmyLynn2374 said:

A chick under a broody doesn't generally get knocked around like one in an open bator either.

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I guess we will have to beg to differ on that, as in my observations the chicks hatching result in the hen constantly have to adjust the eggs being kicked and bulldozed around by the new chicks or even recover eggs that have been completely pushed out from under her as the new chicks pop in and out...

Our "turning" is more drastic than the movement of the eggs by the broody hens. Watched mine last year, hen is much more subtle.

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My turning is quite gentile and hardly drastic by any means, my turner takes 2 hours to gently roll the eggs 180° IMO it could not be much less drastic or gentile, you hardly even notice them moving unless you start at them for extended periods of time... My turner is far less drastic then what I have observed broody hens doing with their feet and heads, when returning to the nest, repositioning themselves or adjusting eggs as the new chicks move them all over the place under her...

In the end there is no single right or wrong way...

MeepBeep said:

I guess we will have to beg to differ on that, as in my observations the chicks hatching result in the hen constantly have to adjust the eggs being kicked and bulldozed around by the new chicks or even recover eggs that have been completely pushed out from under her as the new chicks pop in and out...
My turning is quite gentile and hardly drastic by any means, my turner takes 2 hours to gently roll the eggs 180° IMO it could not be much less drastic or gentile, you hardly even notice them moving unless you start at them for extended periods of time... My turner is far less drastic then what I have observed broody hens doing with their feet and heads, when returning to the nest or repositioning themselves...

In the end there is no single right or wrong way...

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I totally agree. Never argued anybody was wrong, just stated I stopped turning at the end of day 13.

Thanks everyone. These are shipped eggs so they've been through a lot anyway. I set them and don't turn them for the first 4 days (I don't have a turner, all by hand). The second batch was not expected for several more days so I was quite surprised when they showed up the next day. I will take all the advice under advisement. Thanks again. I feel better.