Dilemma... Opinions?

[Tricorn]

Firstly: Eggs are here!!!

But I have a dilemma. I only have room for seven eggs in my little mini incubators auto-turner. I ordered six, and the lovely breeder packed 8, and none of them are so obviously broken a beginner like me feels safe saying, "Not that one!"

So unless someone can show me how to MacGyver an incubator with only a lightbulb, duct tape and socks, it looks like some of the eggs are not going in. Well, not true. Can eggs get by with a slightly random egg turning schedue? My hours are absurd, but between myself and family the could be done at least 5 times a day, just not on anything that resembles time.

Frankly I also would like to keep one of the eggs I have in their already. It's 4 days in and in perfect shape. I do not have the heart to chuck it.

(I can't see in the brown ones, so it's kinda like they don't count.)


Also, for those candling experts, can aircells explode?? One of the eggs has a wierd splotch shaped 'ring' at the end and no visible aircell. Not detached, the splotch stays still and looks not at all like a detached aircell.

So!

A) Get rid of some and put it on auto turn. (Which ones?)

B) Squish'em all in and turn a few times a day -probably several hours apart? Risk getting turned only twice a day?

C) Instructions on how to build an incubator with supplies listed above.


Can I make a poll here? I don't thik I can make a poll...

 

[Chinchilla2]

Light bulb for heat, duct tape for hinges, reflector for the bulb, and vent flaps, socks as a humidity pad and a seal for the lid? LOLOL

Stack 'em and hand turn. Even if they only get turned 2-3 times a day, that will give them all a chance to start making and unless you are really lucky and all of them survived the trip, one will probably be pulled then, giving you all the room you need.

ETA: the weird splotch may just be a small aircell.

 

[MamaMarcy]

I hand-turn, 2-3 times per day. So that's my vote unless you want to just leve some of the new eggs out. also, even though I do it myself, a staggered hatch with 4 days into it with one batch and then new ones will cause prolems at hatch time with lockdown (just FYI) becuse you'll still need to open it to turn the newer eggs. I do staggered hatches with pretty good results but it's not ideal.

I personally could not throw out the eggs already in there if they are growing.

whatever new eggs you do not incubate you could freeze then cook for the new chicks once they hatch

 

[Gypsy07]

I think you have two options here...

1. You could candle your eggs to help you select the best ones for incubation. You'd be looking for tiny hairline cracks, porous shells, and weird detached aircells to help you choose the eggs you'd be leaving out. Ditch the unusual-est looking ones or any that look different from most of the others, then cross your fingers, hope for the best with the ones you keep, and don't think any more about the ones you've sacrificed.

2. You could take the autoturner out and cram every single egg in your bator, get your family to help you with turning the first few days, then candle on day 6, remove the clear ones (you're bound to have one or two) and get the autoturner back in.

Of the two options, I think I prefer the second one. With only 8 eggs, and shipped as well, I'd be wanting to incubate every single one of them to maximise my chances of hatching some chicks out. I'd guess your chances of having every single one of them fertile and developing is fairly slim, so I can't imagine you'd end up having to turn them by hand for the full 18 days. But even if you did, I think they'd do okay. Random turning isn't ideal, but it shouldn't do them too much harm as long as you can turn them a few times a day, and not all too close together. As long as they got turned early in the morning and late in the evening and a few times in between, they'd most likely be fine. Turning eggs at the same times every day isn't really for the immediate benefit of the eggs, it's for you, to get you in a solid routine and make you less likely to forget to do it. Chickens don't turn their eggs according to a clock...

 

[1muttsfan]

Agree with above post good plan

 

[Tricorn]

See? This is why I ask the internet. I completely forgot that I'll be taking eggs out.

Although I did just finish incubating 7 non-fertile eggs for 25 days. Sooo....

B) Is 100% sounding like the best plan now.

Thanks guys!

 

[Gypsy07]

Cool. Good luck! Please let us know how it goes with them...

 

[georgiagail]

I agree with Plan B; I'm doing the same thing myself; even using two mini-incubators one is overly full with eggs. These are my own eggs so all are fertile and hand turning them 3 (maybe 4) times a day they continue to progress.

Eggs in incubator one are due to hatch 5 days earlier than the one in the second incubator; when there's space, I'll shift the extra eggs over to that one.

Gail