Simultaneous hatch PLAN- please comment

[littlelemon]

I have 7 eggs set to hatch this coming week.
I also have 14 more eggs set to hatch 2 weeks after that.
They are in the same incubator, a Genesis Hovabator which I have had excellent results with in the past.

This is a first for me, and I am trying to plan it out so that I can avoid losing some of the second batch of eggs. I am concerned that not turning the second batch of eggs while the first batch is hatching may be a problem, also loss of humidity and cooling while I am cleaning up from the first hatch.

So..

I am thinking about leaving the turner in the incubator and just removing the slats that are not in use. That would leave the frame of the turner, and of course the slats that have the second batch of eggs in them. The second batch of eggs could still turn while the first batch is hatching. I could put a divider in the incubator so that the hatched chicks could not come into contact with the second batch of eggs, and foam over the exposed frame. My worry though is one of the new chicks getting stuck over part of the frame and ending up with a splayed leg or something.

Another option is taking the turner out and then just kind of shaking the incubator around a bit to try and turn the eggs without opening it. I would have to do that for 3-5 days though, and I am not feeling very confident getting a good hatch that way.

Any suggestions?

 

[morelcabin]

Okay, first, you don't want to shake the incubator around while the chicks are about to hatch, those aren't supposed to be turned. But it won't hurt your other eggs not to be turned for three or four days either...so I would just leave the bator alone for the three or four days, remove the hatched chicks after dry and start turning the other eggs again
Oh and you REALLY don't want chicks running around a bator with a turner running, so ditch that idea

 

[needtohatch]

My question would be will the higher humidity needed during the first hatch be an issue for the second set?

I have only done one hatch, but I thought that was a big reason not to do stagered hatches unless you have a seperate hatcher.

I would think the second ones would be fine missing the turning for a few days, just not sure about humidity.

 

[littlelemon]

Quote:
The chicks won't come into contact with the turner, I am putting in a low cardboard partition to block them from it. There will be little planks from the frame running along the bottom of the screen of the bator, but I think it will be ok as long as I have a paper towel over them.

 

[littlelemon]

Quote:
I am worried about that too. I have the hova bator which has the water trough in the bottom of the bator. I have always just added a little water every few days so that the trough had some water in it-I have never bothered to measure humidity. On day 18 I just made sure that the trough was full so there would be enough during the hatch. It has always been full (per the instructions), so it's not like I am adding any EXTRA during the hatch, just making sure it doesn't dry up in 3 days. If anything, there is already too much humidity in there, but I have had 2 really great hatches doing that so I am reluctant to do anything differently this time.
My first hatch I made the mistake of opening the bator during the hatch and 2 chicks got stuck in their shells and died. But only 1 egg from both of my past hatches did not pip, so I think the humidity issue has been kind of a moot point.

I guess what I am saying is that I don't think I am increasing humidity very much during the hatch, so hopefully it won't be too much for the second set of eggs. I guess we will see.