Conflicted about what I should do. Any suggestions?

[chickintexas]

I go into lockdown tomorrow with batch #1. Lockdown is Tuesday for batch #2. 48 hours apart. Here's my dilemma. Batch #2 looks further along than #1! Batch 1 has a bit of albumen at the very tips while number two has none. Number one has some real odd shaped air cells-not circular at all while number 2's air cells look normal. Should I just go ahead and put them all into the hatcher tomorrow night or wait until 48 hours before adding the second group? The humidity of the hatcher will be jacked up way high and I'm worried that the high humidity will have an adverse reaction on the younger eggs. Also, should I be worried about the shape of those air cells in the first group of eggs? I hope I'm making sense.

It's been a very long and hard day for me. I'm building a large pond, by myself, from scratch using nothing but a shovel. I'm pooped and brain drained!

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

I would stick to the original plan! (unless you know of a reason, like low temps, that would have slowed the first batch down?). Keep us posted on the hatches

 

[ga_goat]

What kind of incubator ?? styrofoam or cabinet ,, It has been my experience NOT to do staggered hatches with any styrofoam unit .

 

[goldnchocolate]

I would just put them all into lockdown at the same time. A couple of weeks ago I had a broody hen that hatched a couple of chicks and then killed one of them. I took the remaining chick, along with the eggs that were under her. All of the eggs, that I had previously marked so that I could recognize which eggs she was sitting on, were ready to hatch--those went into the hatcher and they hatched out within a day. Then there were a bunch more that she had also been sitting on that other hens had deposited (but that I had forgot to check for

) that were at various stages of development. I put those in the incubator.

Eventually one of them began to pip so I transferred all of them to the hatcher and put them in lockdown. They have been hatching one or two a day for about a week. Another one hatched this morning and they are all fine....even without being turned and the higher humidity. Good luck on your hatch!!

 

[chickintexas]

Well, this is what I've decided to do. I'm going to put the second batch in tonight instead of tomorrow night. I would hate to place them in on Tuesday just in case the first ones are pipping at the time. I figure that 24 hours early is better than 48 hours early.

Thanks for all of your input.