Incubating just laid eggs. Yes or no?

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Yorkshire Coop

Yorkshire Coop

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Aug 16, 2014
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My Coop
My Coop
Hi all,
Hoping for some information please on incubating just laid eggs in an incubator. As incubation is meant to replicate a mother hen incubating the eggs her self and the fact that she would build up a clutch of eggs before she begins the incubation process. Should eggs be left to rest after being laid as the hen would do?
Would incubating them straight away cause any problems with the embryo development? Such as deformities and or malpositioned chicks?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts and information on this topic :frow
 
I put mine in straight away with no problems. How many do you plan to incubate? How many hens are you pulling eggs from to put into the incubator?

Good luck! I'll keep an eye out here in case there are recommendations against my current practice.

Jay
 
@granny hatchet has been having trouble with malpositioned chicks. The eggs have been going in the incubator as a staggered hatch as soon as they have been laid. We are going through all the issues that can cause malpositioned chicks.

Trying to rule things in or out and I had this thought about broodies making a clutch of eggs. I don't have the answer for her so am hoping for one on this thread to be better able to point her in the right direction.
 
I have heard there is some experimental evidence that when a hen fist starts laying (pullet or finished molting) that her eggs benefit from a resting period before incubation, but that later eggs hatch best if set immediately. I don't think you will find any problems, just a slightly lower hatchability. Most people set groups of eggs weekly (or some interval) and a still warm egg will get included if laid at the last minute, so this is a pretty common situation.

Do not set eggs each day, you need several to hatch at once for them to socialize best. Weekly really is better.
 
Thank you Yorkshire coop. I started with 9 shipped eggs that went in within a few hrs. 3 that came to full term were in the wrong position and lost them all. in the mean time my pr. started laying every other day and they would go straight to the bator from the butt. all of these has also been in the wrong position. this last one , since I knew what was going on, I hatched myself. it took 17 hrs. but was a success the feet are in the air cell and beak on the side. I have added 3 eggs yesterday that have been stored for 2-4-6 days. a dozen babies so far lost. the 2 eggs i have in there now look like they may have died but i will give it a couple days to make sure. they were on day 9 and 11 and were alive 2 days ago for sure. my one success,
next to a 2 week old silkie. the silkie is squatting . LOL
 
my one success was a fail. lasted 7 days. passed this morning. the 2 eggs i was worried about , glad i waited. will candle again tonight but one was living . this will be the last of the eggs not being stored. I also have the 4 in there that was stored. it is day 5 on them so i will take a quick look at them as well.
 
candled last night, all 4 eggs with spidering on day6 one egg not stored on day 15. lost power this morning for an hr. fifteen. dropped to 78 humidity shot to 65. does this interfere with final results ?
 
granny hatchet said:
candled last night, all 4 eggs with spidering on day6 one egg not stored on day 15. lost power this morning for an hr. fifteen. dropped to 78 humidity shot to 65. does this interfere with final results ?
Click to expand...
Such a short time shouldn't affect the final hatch rate. Many people shut their bator off for a set time each day to simulate the hen leaving the nest each day. Even up to 2 hours I think.
 
ep.gif
wow ! I have never heard that before. good little piece of info to know there. thank you. I did know that some lose power and it may delay hatch but to do it on purpose , that i never heard. makes sense though.
 

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