Delimma!

[Maidservant]

Someone just gave me some serama eggs to hatch. My delimma is this, my turner in the incubator is full and I'm going out of town from late afternoon Nov 21st-late afternoon November 23rd. I put as many of the serama eggs in the turner as I could last night. The other eggs in the turner are due to hatch on the 26th, I have a batch under two broody silkies due to hatch on the 16th. I'm thinking about putting the eggs that are under the silkies into my second incubator and just turn them by hand until they hatch, and then put the serama eggs under the broodies. I don't want to lose any chicks, but I don't have a way to keep the serama eggs turning otherwise.

What is your opinion on this?

Thanks,
Emily in NC

 

[shelleyd2008]

You could always take the eggs out of the turner a few days early that are due to hatch. I have heard from many people that this does not affect them as much near the end as it does in the beginning.
As far as trading the silkies for them, the problem you could encounter would be the broodies might not sit long enough to hatch the eggs.
Not really sure, but that's my two cents!

 

[swtangel321]

What day are the older eggs in the turner on ?

 

[Maidservant]

The eggs in the turner are due on the 26th of November, so they are technically on day 2. I put a few of the serama eggs in with them last night. My silkies have been broody for 2 months already, and I already have two batches of chicks that they've incubated. As long as they get up and eat every day, which they have been great about doing and taking turns on the eggs, I'm going to use them to incubate eggs. I'm hoping to hatch all winter, and I won't be going out of town again until mid January probably.

The broodies don't seem to want to stop brooding. I let them hatch out the first set of chicks and they just pushed them out of the dog house that they are using as a nest, so I brought them inside. They've had eggs under them since. They have a duck egg under them as of this morning too. I don't mind raising the chicks (and hopefully duckling) inside, so long as the broodies don't lose weight and stay healthy. Every time I check them for new eggs (my golden comet girls won't lay in another box) their crops are stuffed. I think having two girls being broody on the same nest helps a lot.

I think I'll give the broodies the serama eggs and bring their eggs in to finish out. They are due to hatch before I leave town, and the ones in the incubator/turner are due to hatch after I get back.

Thanks again!
Emily in NC

 

[shelleyd2008]

But you did say that you have another bator you can hand turn in correct?

 

[Maidservant]

Yes, I do have another incubator. I have it turned on and warming up. I'll give it until tonight to get equalized out (my other one only took 45 minutes to get equalized). I have a digital thermometer and hygrometer in it right now so I can fiddle with it until it's right. I'll do the switch tonight. I just need to be sure to write in my calendar all these dates! I typically just write on the end of the egg, but these serama eggs are too tiny!

 

[silkiechicken]

A day or two in later incubation without turning shouldn't hurt. Turn them before you leave, and turn them when you get back if it's not time to hatch yet. Not turning for 21 days would be much more of an issue.

 

[Bandana]

Ah! I've got the answer. Send them to me!

Seriously, though. You'll find a way. Good luck with your hatch.