I have about 15 eggs in my incubator that have been in there for about 8 days. Can I add more at this point that would hatch out later? Or should I wait until these hatch? I'm new to the incubator thing. Thanks
Well, you have a couple of choices. If you're turning by hand, you'll have to remember (or mark) which to stop turning for hatching. If you have turners, you'll have to take them out when the older eggs go into lockdown, and turn the new ones by hand. Of course, different humidity is ideal, too. What would really be best is to just buy another incubator. You don't need a turner there - just the bator. You set it up to be the hatcher, and transfer the eggs ready to hatch into it for lockdown. With TWO incubators, you can add new eggs every week if you like!
Are you planning in hatching in this incubator or do you have a separate hatcher? If you are going to move the eggs out of this incubator after 18 days and put them in a separate hatcher, go ahead. Of course, you need to have a plan to handle the different ages when you brood them. If you plan on hatching in this incubator, how will you turn the new eggs when you have gone into lockdown for the first eggs? How do you plan to handle the different humidities? I suggest you wait until this hatch is over, especially for your first hatch. Once you have gone through the process and see what is involved, then you can better decide if it is something you want to do.
On what day do I put the eggs on lockdown? I think after reading your replies, that I will just wait. I am turning by hand. I have an egg turner, but it doesn't work, so I have the eggs nestled in the little holders. When I go into lockdown, do I just take out the egg turner and lay the eggs down in the bottome of the incubator? I have one of the types that is styrofome.
Lockdown for chicken eggs is after 18 days of development. Some people get confused about that. An egg does not have one day of development one second after it goes in the incuubator. It has one day of development after 24 hours or one full day of development. If you put your eggs in the incubator at 7:00 p.m. on Monday May 3, they have had one day of development at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday May 4. Lockdown would be after 18 days of development or Friday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m. It is not an exact science. A few hours either way won't make any real difference, but that is the general target. In this example, 21 days of development is completed on Monday, May 24 at 7:00 p.m. Hatching is not instantaneous. A egg pips. The chick rests, sometimes a long time. The egg zips. After a while, the chick pushes the parts of the shell apart. It is wet and very tired. It rests. But after a while it is running all over the incubator, knocking around the other eggs. Some hatch earlier or later than others. If your average incubating temperature is a bit high, the eggs can hatch a day or more early. If the temperatures are a bit low, they can be a day or two late. Hope that helps.
