Day 13 - Homemade Incubator with shipped eggs questions

[PiTownPeep]

I have never hatched eggs before and am attempting it in a homemade incubator. Problem is that I received shipments of eggs two days apart that should have arrived together and am now worried about lockdown/turning issues because of the difference in ages. I've been consistent with temp and within range on humidity...but now I am worried going into the final weeks! Out of the two shipments I started with a total of 23. Most of them were scrambled beyond hope, based on candling at Day 7 and again on Day 10. I've culled the ones that were clear, and the seeping ones. I now have five eggs with active embryos so I want to do everything I can to hatch these little survivors out properly.

I was thinking about still turning the three eggs that are two days behind and just being careful not to disturb the ones that will be on Day 18 (Cream Legbars). I'll have to open the lid briefly to do this three times a day. Is this the right way to go about it? Should I just not turn the younger eggs (Swedish Flowers)? I am really getting stressed out and don't want to jeopardize either breed if at all possible.

Meanwhile, sitting next to me is a brooder with 14 chicks, 11 days old. The timing is definitely off on my chicken planning... When the first eggs hatch (hoping they do!) the little guys in the brooder will be three weeks old and giant sized in comparison to day old chicks. I am thinking I need to set up another brooder/heat lamp for whomever hatches out - and hopefully two of the five will make it so they can be snuggling buddies in a brooder.

Any advice from fellow chicken lovers welcome...I have been reading so many threads and trying to figure out the best given the circumstances but still haven't concluded much.

So - to turn or not to turn? They are all in an egg carton presently, was going to gently lay them on their sides going into lockdown with big end/air space tipped up a tiny bit. I've got shelf rubber liner mat in there and there's slight grooves in the bottom of the incubator that the eggs can nestle in. Actually, here's a pic... if it is of any help!
And will chicks get all tangled up in the cord from the probe?

So many things to worry about, lol.

 

[1876 Farm]

I just went through this exact thing...

If it was me I would just not turn the SFH the last few days of the 18 day cycle, I would just lock them all down together. I did that recently and really saw no difference. But if it bothers you, you could split the days and turn the 1st ones through day 19/20.

At the time these were hatching I had eight 4 week old chicks in a bin, plus six 6 week old chicks in another. I was able to place them in a brooder that I had a divider in. They could both see each other and the little ones could have gone over to the other side if they had wanted. I combined them about 2 weeks later.. the older ones were more interested in eating the younger ones chick starter feed than they were of the chicks themselves. I saw no unusually fighting.. They will always peck at each other to establish the pecking order.

 

[PiTownPeep]

Thanks - I will probably just lock everyone down together... I'd hate to lose the humidity several times a day. Good to know that you were able to have good luck with mixing ages in a controlled way

 

[MeepBeep]

I have an incubator that loaded with several clutches of eggs due on several different dates this year... Against contrary opinion I do not go into a 'lock down' instead I just move the due eggs away from the others and then continue turning the rest just like normal... BUT, because I was aware that I would be doing this, I purchased a small humidifier that sits in the incubator and during what should be a lock down for hatching eggs I run that humidifier after I open to turn the other eggs, this way I can bump the humidity right back up...

In your case I with only three days apart I don't know if I would bother, but if you want to continue turning the later hatch ones, may I suggest you get a spray bottle and fill it with water as well a some wet paper towels... This way when you open the incubator you can mist water inside and put some extra wet paper towels in there that will hopefully return the humidity levels with each opening...

So far I have had 5 different hatch dates, and out of 21 eggs due 20 have hatched for a 95% hatch rate so, IMO being totally anal about lock down is not necessary if you plan ahead and work around it properly...

FYI if you want to be sneaky, just put the later hatch date eggs in a separate egg container, it appears you incubator is foam walled so using a few bamboo bbq skewers you can likely just poke a hole or two into the side/bottom and rock the remaining not due without opening the lid...

 

[PiTownPeep]

Awesome idea with the skewers! Will do that so I can at least gently rock the younger eggs. I bought this mister on impulse at home depot...you screw it into the top of a plain water bottle and it creates a very fine mist. Was going to plop that into the incubator on Day 18 and keep it running. I live in the desert and the air is super dry...it takes a lot of sponges and water to keep it at 40-50%.

I wonder if anyone else has used these? I was going to put it behind the wire separator close enough to the light bulb that the mist will be warmed, but not too close to kill the light bulb. It is taped inside a heavy glass jar. It's supposed to screw onto a standard water bottle but it got top heavy when the bottle got low. It just has a wick that goes down into the water. Runs on AA batteries - for how long I don't know but I'll have some extras on hand

 

[MeepBeep]

That is basically what I use, I picked up one of these little USB powered humidifiers works wonders using an old USB cell phone charger... As long as you use warm water no need to worry about 'heating' the water up with the light bulb it will already be warm and if it's sitting in the incubator it will stay warm..

 

[PiTownPeep]

That looks much easier and I love that it's USB instead of battery powered! Thanks for sharing

 

[MeepBeep]

You can get them on Ebay or Amazon for about $10 - $12 delivered, just make sure it's shipping from the US and you should have it in a few days, propably a day for you since you are on the coast and most of the importers ship from California or NY... I had no shortage of the mini USB chargers from phones long gone, but if not you can order one for about $1 - $2 delivered or get one of the USB wall adapters for the same $1 or $2 delivered...

I can say I have been real happy with the little humidifier, the only issue is sometimes you need to twist that lid back and forth a bit because the cheap contact don't always make contact... But, no stressing about humidity during hatch, I can drive it up to about 90% in give or take 15 minutes after opening then I shut it off and let the standing water in there maintain, and during an assisted hatching I have left it on and maintained 90%+ humidity it the incubator until the assisted hatching was done so no fear of shrink wrap... Overall $10 I don't regret at all...

BTW I only use distilled water in it so that the wick doesn't get clogged up with junk...