can i incubated different eggs from different dates?

If your doing it with a broody, do NOT do it.

 

If you want to stagger hatches then it is possible with a hatcher. It is like a second incubator. You move the eggs that are to go into lockdown into the hatcher. The hatcher needs to be able to hold humidity and provide warmth. I have found that the last few days of the hatch it is nice if the temp stays at 99.5 but not necessary. Humidity is more important. Lots of people just use a second LG for this. You don't need the turner and probably not the fan if you can get your humidity (caulking the holes in the bottom help with this).

With an incubator and hatcher you can run continous hatching instead of batches.

 

I'm sure that I'll get a lot of grief over my post but here goes.
April 27. Placed 5 Marans and 5 Barred Rock eggs in a Little Giant Still Air Incubator.
May 6, placed 6 EE and 1 turkey egg in
May 11 placed 2 Silver Spangled Hamburg, 2 Phoenix and 6 EE egg's in
I used the dry hatch method, where I didn't add water for humidity. This first hatch I cheated and did use a couple of tablespoon because I didn't believe it would work. My hatch rate was 100 percent on the Marans, Hamburgs, Barred Rocks and EE's. the one's of these that didn't hatch were not fertile. Neither of the Phoenix or the turkey egg hatched and I didn't crack it open to see. We opened the incubator several times a day, I had the help of a 4 yr old and twin 2 year old grandchildren, continuing right up until the first starting to hatch, then it remained closed for 2 days and the process went on.
My 2nd incubation just had EE's and I didn't put 1 drop of water in, rarely turned the eggs and the power went out for nearly 20 hours. That success rate was about 80 percent with the very last chick needing my help out. (The shell was stuck or had dried out). I vowed to never help another after it came out deformed (This was 30 years ago). I even recited to anyone who would listen not to help them out and there I was like a crazed woman getting this chick out of her shell. It turned out great.
Not sure if this was all just beginners luck (like I said I had incubated eggs 30 yrs ago) or if dry hatches do work. We heat with wood and our home tends to be very dry. The humidity in the bator being around 16 percent. When a hen sits on her eggs, she doesn't add water.
I know this is more info than you asked for.......

 

Quote:A few questions. Your first run was 26 chicken eggs and 1 turkey egg. 2 chicken and the turkey egg did not hatch. You said the others were a 100% hatch rate but then said the ones that didnt hatch were not fertile? So you mean 100% hatch rate for fertile eggs only? How many were not fertile or how many did hatch out of the 24? You only added a couple of tablespoons of water the entire hatch? So your lockdown and hatch was with very low humidity also? You also mentioned locking them down for 2 days so you didnt turn the other eggs during lockdowns? How often did you turn eggs during the first run? Your second run was 80% hatch. How often did you turn those eggs? And the humidity was around 16% the entire time even through lockdown?

 

I wont be allot of help, I have 3 incubators. 1 cabinet and 2 hovabators.
I put eggs in every Sunday when I am hatching, I always use water. I have never had any luck at all with the dry incubation technique.
My quail and waterfowl go in incubators by themselves, and if they are empty I use them for hatchers.

 

It is very windy here and I keep losing Internet connection. I'll try again for the 3rd time. Ugh!!!
100 percent on fertile eggs. I incubated eggs 2 different times this spring. The first time with the 3 different egg times and the 2nd with the power outage. So, the first time, all were fertile. Maybe the seller had checked for fertilization. The 2nd time, 8 were not fertile. They had been given to me. I didn't really know much about candling the first time but had researched and did so with the 2nd batch. At 10 days and at 18 days. Found 6, the first attempt and threw those away and then 2 more at 18 days. Those 2 I wasn't sure of at 10 days. I did add a couple of Tbls of water throughout the first hatch because I couldn't believe it would work. I continually checked the humidity. Yes, lockdown and hatch started at 16 percent but when they started hatching it rose to like 60 percent because they had moisture in them. The woman who encouraged me to use the dry hatch told me to get rid of the hygrometer. Not to even check it. But it was very hard, which is why I added water. The first run I turned them at least 3 - 4 times a day and didn't turn the other eggs for the 2 days. (Meaning, the other eggs in the incubator at that time. the one's that were due to hatch i stopped but continued with the others) All my eggs hatched a day early. Instead of 21, it was 20 and I even had one at 19. 24 out of 24 hatched, not including the turkey or the Phoenix. The Marans have to be a hearty bird as I've never seen a chick pop out of it's shell so quickly.
The 2nd run, as I said sometimes, and more than once, would go 2 - 3 days without being turned. (My husband got pneumonia and was hospitalized). I never added a drop if water and as soon as one would hatch, the humidity would spike. Then at about 12 or 13 days into the incubation, the power went out for nearly 20 hours. After not being able to turn them and with hubby so sick, I did nothing. We heat with wood so it stays pretty warm here. Yes the humidity stayed at bout 16 percent. I contacted the lady who had encouraged me and she said, throw the hygrometer out.
My main problem with both hatches was to control the temp. Since we heat with wood and both work, the temp can drop if it's very cold or rise if it's warm. The first hatch, the temp went up to 104 at about day 4. Many times it dropped below 100. I had 4 thermometers in the bator and naturally they were all different. I now feel that as long as I maintain at least 100 but no more than 102, I'll be ok. I hope this answered your questions, if not feel free to ask. Sorry it's so long but I love details. It drives hubby crazy. After all this, I swore to never to do it again, I kept the baby chicks in the small bathroom and I'm still finding that fine dust. They can go in a brooder either in the hen house or garage. And I'm itching to do it again.

I want to add that I didn't have a 2nd incubator but made a small area with a light bulb and thermometer to monitor the heat. Remember, the chicks have to be able to get away from the heat if they get too warm.

 

I have mixed hatch dates in the same incubator in the past. It is a bit of a pain but can be done.

I have done it with my Ova-Easy 380 in more recent history. That bottom tray is really handy for this.

So the quick answer is: Yes it can be done.