can you put eggs in bator on different days?

[blondroots0]

hi, i received my first hatching eggs this week. i am so excited about my first hatch! but part of my eggs didn't arrive on time. they should be here mon. can i put them in the bator then or no? also i have a little bator still air incubator. it is steadily registering at 100 degrees. is this ok? thanks for your help!

 

[scbatz33]

yes, but you will have a bit of trouble when it comes time to hatch if you don't have a seperate hatcher. Since the humidity will need to be higher for the first set of eggs. have you already put the first set in? How many days difference since then and when the next ones arrive on Monday?

Your temp in a still air, I think , should be around 101. It's been a while since I used a still air, and I've found as I get older such unused info doesn't hang in my brain very long.

 

[speckledhen]

Not a good idea if they're more than a day apart. You could wait on the others till Monday and put them all in together or put the ones you have in tomorrow and hope the others do indeed arrive on Monday. The ones who hit Day 18 first need the humidity raised some, but if the others are only a day or two behind, that won't make much difference to them.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Do you have another place to hatch chicks (2nd bator). If not, then you should not stagger.

All the advice I have seen on BYC says that a staggerred hatch can only work if you have a 2nd bator to hatch in. The problem is you have to raise the humidity on day 18. If you do that for your first set, the second set of eggs may die from too much humidity. Plus the hatching chicks will role around your 2nd set of eggs and get gunk on them. Bacteria, etc. Not good.

When did you get your first set?

If you keep them in a dark dry location and turn tilt the carton a different direction 2 or 3 times a day, I think you can wait until Monday to start all of them.

 

[pinkchick]

Yes you can put them in the bator. Just make sure that you set them out to rest for about 24 hours before putting them in. After putting them in you may see a drop in temp because they are much cooler than the eggs already in there. Don't worry the temp will come back up. You will have a staggered hatch so to speak, and the eggs that you added last may still have to be turned for a couple days as they will hatch after your first set of eggs. My concern is the higher humidity at the end during lockdown and the eggs that were added last.

Congrats on your first hatching eggs! What kind are they?


eta: forgot to suggest the 2nd bator for hatching.....BYC'ers are great!

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Yeap - I got most of my advice from Ms. Cynthia (SpeckledHen)

 

[blondroots0]

thanks for all your help. my first eggs were set this morning before i got the news my others were arriving on mon. (i had given up on their arrival and communication from seller) the ones I have set now are lavender ameraucanas. and the ones arriving mon. are wheaten marans, speckled sussex, and blue laced red wyandottes. do I really need to buy another incubator? and is my temp ok? again, thanks so much!

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
It would be a GOOD idea if you do buy a second incubator if you have eggs hatching in a stagged manner.

I use my first Hovabator for my incubation and my second bator for the hatching, not only for the humidity factor but the yuckiness that goes with it when they are hatching. It has worked well for me and I never put anymore than a week apart in hatching. Anything more than that, I would have problems...done it once and will not do it again unless I absolutely HAVE to.

I think when you set the eggs inthe morning and the other batch will be there on Monday, you would be OK there. Just be mindful about the humdity and DO mark the eggs due to hatch so you can pull them out of the bator into your hatching bator. Nothing worse pulling off eggs unmarked when to pull out and had to chuck them out when everyone is finished hatching and poor chick was half way there and alive.

 

[A2SciTeach]

What about hatching duck eggs or turkey eggs with chicken eggs and just starting the chicken eggs 1 week after the duck or turkey eggs? Would that work since they would all be hatching at the same time?

 

[EweSheep]

As far as I know the duck eggs require MORE humidity throughout the incubation period. It would make chicks wetter when hatching and I am sure others would give you a better answer. I never hatched any turkeys or ducks.