MISSPRISSY HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!

[lightbread48]

The people in the chat said i should ask you this:

I put 6 eggs in my incubator 6 days ago. without thinking, i put 6 more in 2 days ago. Now the hatch times will be different. How will i keep from cooking and drowning the ones i put in last when the first ones begin to hatch? Keeping in mind i only have one incubator.

 

[Katy]

Well, I'm not MissPrissy, but I've been incubating for quite a few years. There's really no good way to do it with only one incubator. Since they're only 4 days apart, you might be able to get by with it this time. If incubating eggs is something you want to continue, I'd encourage you to either not do staggered hatches.....or get a second incubator to use as a hatcher.

 

[MissPrissy]

Well it is not an ideal situation but let's think a minute -

There are 4 days difference in their ages.

For the first group day 18 is day 14 for the second group.

I am not an expert so let's get some other advise in here on this one.

The moderate humidity is 30 - 50% from day 1 - 18. After day 18 we boost it to 70%.

On day 18 you could try raising the humidity to 60%.

On day 21 you could then boost it to 70% because your other eggs will be coming up to day 18.

Then maintain it at 70% through the hatch.

Remember when you start moving out hatched chicks to do it quick. Once they hatch they can stay in there 24 hours to get dry and warm and gain their strength. So try not to open it if you can help it.

What do you other hatching ppl think?

Would her 2nd set of eggs suffer with the humidity boost? Would she have a problem with mushy chick syndrome?

 

[speckledhen]

I think that may be her only solution. It will be unlikely to really jeopardize the second hatch to raise up the humidity a hair a bit early.

 

[MissPrissy]

I was hoping you would see this, Cyn! Thank you!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I never had a staggered hatch but I know that her eggs may be fine. I think the biggest worry is when the new chicks hatch the bacteria may go into the unhatched. but I think the unhatched should be fine when they hit day 18 right? Also dont forget which ones are hatching and which ones arnt. maybe divide them on each side or if your maually turning to use a colored pencil for one and regular pencil for the other

missprissy think she could build a hatcher in time?

 

[MissPrissy]

She does have time to get a hatcher together.

Fastest way would be a lamp kit and a dimmer switch with an old cooler.

 

[horsejody]

I'd get get or make another incubator to use as a hatcher. It seems like one could be made economically from a cooler. Besides, you can never have too many incubators!

 

[jkcove08]

There should not be much trouble with a 4 day stagered hatch. It is mostly important to turn eggs the frist 14 days, after that it is more to just exercise the chicks not so much about them sticking. The humidity is good at 60 to 70 percent. Just try not to open the bator if you have eggs that are pipped! That is where you might have eggs that get sticky. The second set of eggs might hatch a day or 2 early since they will hear all the activity from the others hatching. I would also try to find a way, zip ties forming a circle, or something similar to help keep the eggs from being rolled around. The main problem will be the newly hatched chicks rolling the eggs of the others that are 4 days behind. That will confuse them and they might get turned around. Candle everyone on day 18 for the first batch and try to make sure that the largest part of the airsac is on top. Last you might want to have a spray bottle handy so if you have to move a bunch of chicks and there are pips you can spritz once or twice to keep the humidity up. It is doable, just try not to panick. Jenn