can i incubated different eggs from different dates?

[Pinx]

It is easier with a second incubator. I have been hatching (Sometimes only attempting to hatch shipped eggs) all year and I have all of my eggs in one incubator with the turner and when the go into lockdown they go into the second incubator. So much easier. I just mark the top of my eggs when I set them with a star, heart, diamond or whatever when I set them and mark it on my calendar.. then when the calendar says the "stars" go into lockdown those are the ones I pull out. Makes it so much easier without having to look for a certain date, and once they are in lockdown I can look at a glance to see which should be hatching first etc.

I'm sure it can be done in one incubator... but it was much easier just to go buy a $30 incubator to hatch in.

 

[Sally8]

It is easier with a second incubator. I have been hatching (Sometimes only attempting to hatch shipped eggs) all year and I have all of my eggs in one incubator with the turner and when the go into lockdown they go into the second incubator. So much easier. I just mark the top of my eggs when I set them with a star, heart, diamond or whatever when I set them and mark it on my calendar.. then when the calendar says the "stars" go into lockdown those are the ones I pull out. Makes it so much easier without having to look for a certain date, and once they are in lockdown I can look at a glance to see which should be hatching first etc.

I'm sure it can be done in one incubator... but it was much easier just to go buy a $30 incubator to hatch in.

I'm positive a 2nd incubator would be extremely helpful. I didn't plan on hatching as many eggs as I did and I'll never ever brood them in my bathroom again. Oh, that dust!! I have watched Craigslist for another but shouldn't hatch too many more. I've never seen one, only a large cabinet one. It's so fun. As i had said, keeping the temp stable was my biggest challenge. The Little Giant is certainly primitive. (We need to send about10 to freezer camp.). Thank you for your comment, I think more than ever, I'll look for another. Our tractor supply sells them for $36.00
How did you make out with shipped eggs? I!'d love to find English Buff Orpington eggs and everything I've read said they were more common than most of the other colors but no luck locally. Have a great day.

 

[kizanne]

I haven't done it but I've read of people who do it in the same incubator. The pop out some trays from the turner so that the ones in lockdown don't get turned. If you are turning by hand then that is easy don't turn those. They raise the humidity to 60% for those 3 days. While most people use the dry hatch method (40% for the first 18 days). There are others that incubate at higher humidity the whole time. You run the danger of not having a really big air pocket but I've read of people who have done it successfully. I do worry if you don't have a automatic turner then you'd be opening the bator during lockdown. That could really mess up your eggs scheduled to hatch.

 

[larps1234]

so far its great! i think you should get them on ebay. make sure you read there reveiws first. i have 75-100% fertility with eggs from the sellers charliesweb1k and sylverfire.

 

[Pinx]

Quote: Bad luck, one batch was scrambled when I got them and never developed... and after that it seems as if there was one accident after another on my end that ruined the hatches. Like one time I had a niece over (Her parents have hatched out 100's of chicks so I assumed they would keep a better eye on her around the incubators that they knew were there) Well a couple hours after they left I realized my incubator was turned up to 115... Just a bunch of bad luck has kept me from hatching shipped eggs. I've done pretty good with eggs from my own Serama and bantams, I think Shipped is just not the way to go for me... I'm to accident prone I guess haha.

 

[Sally8]

Bad luck, one batch was scrambled when I got them and never developed... and after that it seems as if there was one accident after another on my end that ruined the hatches. Like one time I had a niece over (Her parents have hatched out 100's of chicks so I assumed they would keep a better eye on her around the incubators that they knew were there) Well a couple hours after they left I realized my incubator was turned up to 115... Just a bunch of bad luck has kept me from hatching shipped eggs. I've done pretty good with eggs from my own Serama and bantams, I think Shipped is just not the way to go for me... I'm to accident prone I guess haha.

I'm afraid that would be me also. That's why I haven't ordered any but would live to have a few of those beautiful Orpington's.

 

[larps1234]

sally, try it! it might be worth it!

 

[larps1234]

sally, i just went to ebay and typed in "buff orphington hatching eggs" and i got many results. this hatch i have right now (the ameraucanas) are from sylverfire on ebay. i have 10 serama eggs 100% fertility and development from charliesweb1k on ebay. try it... it might be worth it! just make sure the are reputable sellers by clicking on their feedback. most results i saw were SQ (show quality) .

 

[Sally8]

sally, i just went to ebay and typed in "buff orphington hatching eggs"  and i got many results. this hatch i have right now (the ameraucanas) are from sylverfire on ebay. i have 10 serama eggs 100% fertility and development from charliesweb1k on ebay. try it... it might be worth it! just make sure the are reputable sellers by clicking on their feedback. most results i saw were SQ (show quality) . 

Thank you for looking. I too have been watching eBay. I'd like to wait until early March to start as our temps get really low through the winter months. I incubated two different batches last year and brooded them in our smaller bathroom. I'm still cleaning poultry dust. It's everywhere. I'll try setting something up in the garage next year. The English Buff Orpington's are the one's I' really drooling over but because they are so rare here, they are still quite expensive. Someday............. Thanks again, that was very nice of you.

 

[larps1234]

No problem! you went out of your way to help me! even though i am new to chickens, i am a big gardener. i recently traded a bunch of seeds for olandsk dwarf eggs. i the parents are from greenfire farms i think? well anyways g, good luck finding them! and i will keep you guys posted with the ameraucanas. i am on day 23 and still no peeping. i candled them yesterday day 22 to see if they were still alive, and i saw them moving againts the aircell.