can you stack eggs on top of each other

[dadsgirl]

i have heard that you can make a double layer of eggs in your incubator, as long as you are turning them by hand> does anyone know if this is true???

 

[okiehen]

I don't know about that. I myself wouldn't want to , I would be afraid of breaking some of them.

 

[twigg]

Quote:
I do not *know* if this is true, but, provided air can freely circulate, I see no real problems. Hatching might be tight.

You can NOT do this in a still-air incubator.

 

[onthespot]

I have put a few extra eggs on top of eggs in a turner in a hovabator still air with a turner. I put them NOT directly under the heating element, but closer to the middle of the bator. I was sure that not 100% would be fertile, didn't want a starggered hatch, so I put about five eggs up top, candled a week later and put the extras in the holes left by the duds. They hatched.

 

[twigg]

Quote:
You can not do this in a still air incubator. Don't try it, don't be persuaded that it will work.

Here is the reason:

In a forced air incubator, the whole insides are at the same 99.5F temperature. Straightforward and easy.

A still air doesn't work like this. It works on the principle that air statifies. The temp at the top is warmer than the temp at the bottom. Air moves, but only very slowly. We arrange it so that the temp the egg experiences is the average from the top of the egg to the bottom of the egg. For hens eggs this is usually about 101F measured at the top. You can see where this is going .....

If you add a layer, then the eggs at the top will fry.

For the same reason, you can't hatch eggs of different sizes together, the small ones will be too cool.

This is also why still-air incubators struggle to get to decent humidity levels. It's the physics!

RH increases as water molecules evaporate from the surface. With forced air, the now saturated air is quickly removed from the surface, allowing more evaporation.

In a still air, the air closer to the water surface becomes saturated, and moves slowly, thus preventing further evaporation.

 

[chickensandmore]

For the same reason, you can't hatch eggs of different sizes together, the small ones will be too cool

I do this all the time and have great hatch rates. side by side small and x=large along with ducks. I also use still dry air.

it may not work for everyone, but in my freez-abator I get about 80% or better each hatch


Don

 

[onthespot]

Twigg, tell that to my brooder full of chicks. I have stacked eggs, and adjusted the temp down one degree to compensate for a few days, with great results. I would never try it for an entire hatch, but a few extra eggs for a few extra days, I have had good results. I have just hatched silkies along with Black Jersey Giant eggs, again, good hatch, I have hatched marans along with silkies, which are supposed to have different humidity needs. I just run 'em at 40% and the silkies did great, the marans less great, but they are my birds and I have a steady supply of eggs so I don't stress if they only hatch 70% or so... better than no chicks. I think a full bator is more stable than one with just one dozen silkie eggs in it. Hence I believe filling the bator, even with mismatched eggs would hatch better than a bator with only ten silkie eggs. To each his own, and I know and understand the theory you quoted, but my eggs must not have read your book. It probably also says not to put your eggs in the fridge, lol.