Confused about how to lay eggs in the incubator...

[Sylviaanne]

I don't have the original manual that came with my incubator but I think it is the same as the one I got offline for my exact incubator. I have been reading some posts and it seems like people are trying to incubate eggs standing on one end or the other. Why is that?

My incubator doesn't have an egg turner, it's me, so my eggs lay on their sides. I marked them so I would be sure to turn them completely. Hens hatch the eggs laying down, not on end - is one way better than the other?

I was wondering if I put eggs on end in a cardboard egg carton in the incubator, wouldn't that mean the humidity would need to be higher?

Thanks, Sylvia

 

[sumi]

I personally prefer to lay eggs on their sides. I would set them in egg cartons if they have damages air cells, for example from rough handling during shipping, but otherwise it's "natural" with me. If you place them in cartons you don't need more humidity, but you do need to cut out the bottoms of the egg carton cups to ensure there is enough airflow around the eggs.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Sumi, thank you for that advice. I would not have thought of it.

Now, when my 22 babies just hatched there were about 30 eggs in the incubator and the humidity got real high, like 99% if I remember correctly. Do I need to worry about the other eggs air sacks that were still in the incubator while the others were hatching? Sylvia

 

[happyhens1972]

Assuming all your eggs are of the same age and you are expecting them to hatch today too, then no, don't worry. The eggs will not absorb enough fluid at this stage to cause drowning.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Unfortunately, the other 12 eggs are not the same place in maturing. I have one pipping now and one that I don't know what is going to happen with it and the other 10 are supposed to be going into lockdown today. Sylvia

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Unfortunately, the other 12 eggs are not the same place in maturing. I have one pipping now and one that I don't know what is going to happen with it and the other 10 are supposed to be going into lockdown today. Sylvia

I believe, somebody might correct me, but at lock down the humidity needs raise anyway. The lower humidity is for pre-lockdown, so enough moisture from eggs can evaporate from eggs to make room for chick. Otherwise they "drown" from lack of evaporation. After lock down evaporation should be stopped or restricted so they do not get shrink wrapped before hatching. I think as long as you are a Lock down stage they should be ok. The humidity should lower some with the spikes if properly ventilated.

 

[Sylviaanne]

I believe, somebody might correct me, but at lock down the humidity needs raise anyway. The lower humidity is for pre-lockdown, so enough moisture from eggs can evaporate from eggs to make room for chick. Otherwise they "drown" from lack of evaporation. After lock down evaporation should be stopped or restricted so they do not get shrink wrapped before hatching. I think as long as you are a Lock down stage they should be ok. The humidity should lower some with the spikes if properly ventilated.

Yes, that's the problem. One has already got the zipper going but the others have not pipped yet. I am worried about raising and lowering the humidity on the unhatched eggs that are now in lockdown. Last Friday and Saturday I had to raise the humidity for the 22 babies that hatched. I didn't realize when I put them in the incubator that they were a week into their incubation from a hen. I think I will just have to let Mother Nature do whatever is going to happen. I was just hoping someone else had a similar situation and could give me advice. Thanks, Sylvia

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Best you can do really. See what happens. I try to keep temps and humidity in acceptable ranges but most of the time something goes WAY wonky on me. And I have had some really nice hatches. Lose to much humidity and you can kill em. They get chilled they might die. If it were me I would let it settle and wait it out.

But if you have a zip already then they should be fine. Just because 1 zips before others pip is not dreadful. I have had hatches go for 3 days and almost every egg hatched. There are a lot of early birds as well as late hatchers. Both are fine. Mother nature didn't invent the alarm clock, (Unless you count roosters) man did. And Man just started hatching birds in the last few centuries (Some places longer I know), nature has been doing it for millions of years.

 

[Sylviaanne]

I'm just worried because this one seems to be so early but after I read what you wrote, it occurred to me that what probably happened is this egg got laid with the 22 that hatched but a week later. Maybe when the hen went for a drink or a nibble some other hen laid it. I just hope some of the other 11 hatch. Thanks, Sylvia

 

[Sylviaanne]

It's a quacker, not a peeper! LOL It has the top half out of the shell and you can see it's got a duck bill! Sylvia