Adding eggs to incubator?

[Chicky-bock-bock-mamma]

Good morning my fellow "peeps"!!
I am going to be setting a few eggs that I was lucky enough to be given, but I also have some eggs coming about a week and a half later that I ordered. My question is;
Can I place eggs into the incubator if I already started a batch?

 

[Acre4Me]

probably not

 

[quackingdom]

I don't think it would be successful. Eggs at different stages have different humidity requirements, at least.

 

[sylviethecochin]

You can. It's called a staggered hatch. According to Pyxis, you should put the second batch in as late as you possibly can so that the increased humidity during lockdown doesn't affect the second batch.

And then just make sure your air cells are on track, lowering or increasing their humidity as needed.

EDT: You'd have to be careful about turning your second batch during lockdown, too.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

You can if you have another incubator that you can move the first batch to when they are ready to go into lock down.

Otherwise, I highly recommend only setting on the same day.

Maybe they can give you some new eggs to set when your ordered ones come in instead of setting them now.

If your ordered eggs are being shipped I also suggest reading up on setting shipped eggs since the technique is slightly different. The hatching 101 article is a favorite resource of mine... It has a ton of info including shipped eggs...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hatching-eggs-101.64195/

I wish to note that IF they happen to be bantam eggs, mine all hatch on day 21 regardless of how many times I see people post day 19. My guess is their bator temp might be a little high. Of course early or late pips are always a possibility even if everything is done exactly correct since sometimes nature doesn't get the rule book. But I'm gonna say that my norm is pip on day 20 and hatch by the end of day 21.

Good luck and happy hatching!

It a wonderful adventure as long as you are ready to deal with cockerels.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

EDT: You'd have to be careful about turning your second batch during lockdown, too.

How would you do that?

I'm guessing you would need a divider to stop the hatching chicks from rolling the other eggs. Or maybe you can put the second batch into cut down carton so they stay stable and are faster to tilt the carton verses hand turning each egg.

I would not do it if a turner was still in place for the later hatch.

Do you happen to have a link I might review her information or the discussion... you mean I could hatch EVEN more?!!!

 

[sylviethecochin]

How would you do that?

I'm guessing you would need a divider to stop the hatching chicks from rolling the other eggs. Or maybe you can put the second batch into cut down carton so they stay stable and are faster to tilt the carton verses hand turning each egg.

I would not do it if a turner was still in place for the later hatch.

Do you happen to have a link I might review her information or the discussion... you mean I could hatch EVEN more?!!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...12-can-i-add-more-eggs.1215534/#post-19396588

And by "be careful about turning," I meant "Whatever works for you" I used an incubator for about three years when I was a kid, and it was a homemade, styrofoam affair that was a nightmare to keep temp steady. Once, I got some bantam eggs from a hen that abandoned her nest ten days in and I already had a dozen eggs in for day sixteen. So I got one of those little air fans for cars (for forced air) and stuck a dowel rod through the side of the incubator with an egg box duct-taped to the bottom of it--the egg box was about four inches up and off to the side so that it was as far from the bulb as my other eggs on the incubator floor. To turn the eggs, I just turned the dowel rod. All but two of the eight bantam eggs hatched. The mechanism was really simple--no chick could have gotten stuck in it.

Obviously, though that wouldn't work for every set-up, so you might need to get creative.

 

[lazy gardener]

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. What I mean is this: Yes, you can get away with it, and many folks do so successfully. But it comes with risks. Are you new to incubation? If so, the risks are even greater.

If you do so, your first group will go into lock down while your second group still needs daily turning. With your second group, the need for turning lessens after day 14.

Your lock down group needs humidity to be around 65% for the hatch. Your younger group can get by with the humidity that high for the few necessary days ONLY IF their air cell size is big enough that the extra days of humidity won't put them at risk of drowning when their lock down days come.

Hatching is a messy affair. Your hatching chicks will be dragging their hatching goo and meconium all over the younger eggs. That sets the younger eggs up for bacterial infection, including omphalitis which can kill them even after a successful hatch. Hatching also infuses the bator with bacteria laden air, which coats all surfaces, and grows in the moist environment. The fan and other hard to clean areas get covered with down from the first hatch. Perfect set up for bacterial contamination of second group. Risk will be decreased somewhat if you can separate the two groups of eggs.

I would not risk it. If faced with 2 groups of eggs that I NEEDED to hatch, I would start them both, and beg/borrow an incubator to have available before lock down so the groups could be separated. OR, I'd order a new thermostat (thankfully, I have one in storage for just such an emergency!) and make a new bator.

 

[MilleFleurs]

I've got a question, if the eggs were just a few days apart, say three or four, from the time they're put in the incubator, would that be alright?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I've got a question, if the eggs were just a few days apart, say three or four, from the time they're put in the incubator, would that be alright?

Not really in my opinion... unless you have an extreme amount of experience... and then I would just get another incubator or wait until the end of the current hatch. But like lazy gardener said... it's a personal choice with a HUGE amount of risk. Even though I have multiple incubators, I don't set that close together. but I like to get my hatches as good as possible and don't really take risks. controlled climate start to finish is the easiest way to achieve good hatches.