How do I turn other eggs during lockdown?

[yborchickproject]

Hello all! This is my first time trying to hatch a clutch of chicken eggs. I believe they are bantam-mix.

The first two eggs the hen laid were on the same day, and are set to go into lockdown on August 2nd. My question was, how do I keep turning the other eggs that aren't ready for lockdown yet? Do I just leave it be until the The hatched chick is ready to be moved into the brooder? Is 65% humidity good for lockdown?

To clarify, I am self-turning the eggs, and the incubator I have is very basic. I have the eggs in a glass aquarium with an incubator lid on it. All of my eggs are alive and have growing air cells - so far so good!

I'm excited and nervous!!! Thank you!

 

[Pyxis]

Well, the best solution would be two incubators. This is why it's not a good idea to set staggered hatches. Eggs keep for ten days after being laid, so it's best to save up ten day's worth and set them all at once if you only have one incubator.

How far along are the other eggs? If they are close in age to these, the best solution may be to just stop turning them all.

 

[yborchickproject]

I have ten eggs, the most recent was laid this past Friday. All of the eggs are about 1-2 days apart.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Oh boy, you set a very staggered hatch.

 

[Pyxis]

Yeah, that's gonna be really hard. For the future, save for ten days and then set. I have a friend who says that you can stop turning eggs after day 14 and it doesn't hurt anything, so there's that, but your high humidity for the lockdown eggs is going to affect the other eggs and make it so they don't lose enough moisture, possibly leading to the embryos drowning. With a hatch that staggered, once you go into lockdown for the first batch, you won't really ever be able to lower the humidity again because the eggs right behind it will need it higher.

Honestly the best thing to do here is buy another incubator that you can put the ones that are locking down into. Even a cheap LG from TSC will work as a decent hatcher. Maybe pick up one of those.

 

[AlleysChicks]

I agree with Pyxis. When you incubate again put all eggs in at once. And get another incubator for lockdown.

I had a staggered hatch awhile ago. There was a week difference between the 2 batches. I bought a Incubator just to separate the ones going into lockdown.

 

[yborchickproject]

Will it be okay if I don't have a separate incubator?

 

[Pyxis]

Will it be okay if I don't have a separate incubator?

As I noted, the humidity issues can cause real problems if you don't pick up another incubator. You may end up drowning the chicks in their shells. The ones due soonest would probably be fine, but the later ones could die.

As staggered as you have it, you set eggs this Friday. Those eggs would always be at 65% humidity their whole incubation. That's way too high, and they will drown, as will all the others set with two weeks of them, most likely. You need another incubator with eggs three weeks apart like this.

 

[Croft mouse]

Hi , can anyone tell me how I can check a call duck egg in lockdown , three went in on day 23, two hatched day on day 27 after being pipped 37 hours I assisted big ducklings for eggs , but my third nothing at all , is there a way I can check , other than give it more time thanks in advance

 

[Fairview01]

Will it be okay if I don't have a separate incubator?

This may solve your challenge. When you go into lockdown set those eggs that are ready to hatch in the bottom half of an egg carton with the air cell up of course. Raise your humidity. Immediately after they hatch remove the chicks to the brooder and remove all sources of moisture. Continue and repeat for the rest of the eggs.

A chick will reorient in the egg to pip on the topside of the egg into the aircell. If they did it on the bottom side any remaining liquid may drown them when they internally pip the aircell. Hatching vertically puts the odds a bit more in their favor.