Detached air cells

[Aleechickens]

Hello
I'm a newbie when it comes to using an incubator and fertilized chicken eggs. I have a lot of questions and although I just made a user name, I've used this site for the past 2 years. What a life saver.

We had a chicken go broody so I first received eggs from a local farmer, and for some reason they were refrigerated and it broke her from being broody.

I had also ordered eggs online as well. So now I have 9 fertile eggs in a incubator. The first batch arrived and only 3 survived shipping, all are fertile but with detached air cells. The shipper sent out 6 more, and all six are fertile some with detached air cells.

First off is the incubation period still 21 days even though I put them all in the incubator on the same day? There was a 4-5 day difference in the eggs being laid, but they're all in the same incubator.

I have a self turning incubator should I stop it? The chicks should be hatching in the next 7 days. How to I handle 3 possible chicks hatching a week earlier than the rest? So I put them in a brooder right away?

So many questions..We live in upstate NY, how do integrate the new chicks into my clutch? We have 6 hens, and another set of chicks that are 7 weeks old that another broody hen hatched through adoption. ( we have no adult roosters) Do we do it right away? I'm hoping the momma with the 6 adopted chicks will take these on too.

Thank you

 

[ChkenKeeper]

OK a lot of questions in your post:
- The incubation period is still 21 days regardless of when you received them.
- Eggs should be kept at room (inside) temperature before putting them into the incubator for at least (1) day.
- Do not turn off the egg turner, it serves no real point at this time. Let it cycle until 2-3 days before you expect hatch time.
- Any chicks hatching earlier let them dry off in the incubator for a day and then move them to a heat controlled brooder ( or whatever you want to call it (just a separate confined space that has a temperature control)
- Integrating baby chicks with other adult chickens is not an easy process and it takes time and patience as well as some good luck. Adult chickens will kill baby chicks and even older new birds and in many cases eat them. Any new chick as well as older hens introduced to an existing flock will face fighting regardless of what you do. It is called the pecking order, some bird has to be the alpha dominate male or if no male a female will take over as the dominant alpha female and trust me they rule their flock.
Good Luck.
TNX.
Barry (Farmer Sparky)

 

[Aleechickens]

Thank you for the response
seems like i have my work ahead of me