Chicks on different stages

[ILikeChickenNuggets]

Hello !
Im currently incubating chickens, in a 4 egg incubator. I bought 4 eggs online but recieved 5, so i decided to put 4 in the incubator and save the last one just in case. After some days pass i candle the eggs and see development in every egg. A few days later though 2 eggs have got the “death ring” and have died. I then put in the last egg and now see development after a few days. Heres the problem though. The two other eggs are going into lockdown, since theyre getting into day 18. But the new egg still has to be turned. So what do i do? I obviouslt dont want to ruin the last days for the chicks but dont want to “kill” the other embryo as well.

 

[NatJ]

Hello !
Im currently incubating chickens, in a 4 egg incubator. I bought 4 eggs online but recieved 5, so i decided to put 4 in the incubator and save the last one just in case. After some days pass i candle the eggs and see development in every egg. A few days later though 2 eggs have got the “death ring” and have died. I then put in the last egg and now see development after a few days. Heres the problem though. The two other eggs are going into lockdown, since theyre getting into day 18. But the new egg still has to be turned. So what do i do? I obviouslt dont want to ruin the last days for the chicks but dont want to “kill” the other embryo as well.

For this batch: lockdown all the eggs. It will not hurt the last egg if you stop turning it a few days early.

For future batches: as you have probably already realized, it is more convenient if you can manage to have all the eggs hatch at the same time. So you might not want to add eggs later, if you hatch again.

 

[ILikeChickenNuggets]

For this batch: lockdown all the eggs. It will not hurt the last egg if you stop turning it a few days early.

For future batches: as you have probably already realized, it is more convenient if you can manage to have all the eggs hatch at the same time. So you might not want to add eggs later, if you hatch again.

Thank you, I wont repeat this mistake again. Is it not very early to stop turning the egg though? Its only on day 5

 

[NatJ]

Thank you, I wont repeat this mistake again. Is it not very early to stop turning the egg though? Its only on day 5

Oh, I assumed it was only about a week behind the others. (Oops, should not assume!)

In that case, maybe open the incubator once a day and turn that egg, until you see actual pipping or hatching. At that point, leave the incubator entirely closed until you need to remove chicks. Any time you open the incubator to remove chicks, turn that egg at the same time. (Or if you need to open the incubator for any other reason, like adding water, you might as well turn the egg then too.)

Once the first chick hatches, it will probably kick the other eggs around, which will sort-of count as turning. Once both of the older eggs have hatched, you can go back to regular turning for the younger one.

 

[ILikeChickenNuggets]

Alright, thanks alot for the advice! That is what I will do.
Lets hope it all goes as planned!