Dividers In Incubator (For Hatch)

[ChickenGirl555]

I have just remembered that I need some type of divider(s) for my incubator since Lockdown is this Friday. This is my first incubation, but so far the eggs have been growing besides 1 I believe could be infertile. I have 5 eggs in the incubator and I have no clue how much space each egg should have, if they can touch eachother, and what I should use for dividers and how tall they should/need to be (since it's not a very tall/big space in the incubator...) and really just some help with the hatch in general.

Any advice is helpful from anything about Lockdown to what I should do when they hatch! Even if you think I already know something, remind me because I might not.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

I have just remembered that I need some type of divider(s) for my incubator since Lockdown is this Friday. This is my first incubation, but so far the eggs have been growing besides 1 I believe could be infertile. I have 5 eggs in the incubator and I have no clue how much space each egg should have, if they can touch eachother, and what I should use for dividers and how tall they should/need to be (since it's not a very tall/big space in the incubator...) and really just some help with the hatch in general.

Any advice is helpful from anything about Lockdown to what I should do when they hatch! Even if you think I already know something, remind me because I might not.

Honestly,
I don't use dividers. During hatching just wait till they pip or zip and then the ones that don't pip after all the other ones hatch I rotate them to see if they have pipped or zipped on the bottom of the egg. I don't use dividers like I said unless I have different breeds in one incubator. Like, (I haven't actually incubated these breeds) example, if I hatch a Leghorn and a BR in the same incubator, I would divide them into two sides. But, if you are incubating different breeds, use a divider, if not, don't use one.

 

[Ms Biddy]

You can use mesh laundry bags or mesh fruit bags. Or you can make your own mesh bags by taking apart a plastic bath scrubber puff, cutting it into sections and tying off the ends with zip ties or twine. If you do this, leave extra room in each bag for the empty shells and the chicks.

You can also make dividers if you want. @aart wrote an article about this. Its for an incuview but the same principle might apply to other incubators.

Oh, some people also use those baby bottle crates that go in the dishwasher.

ETA: you don't need dividers unless you're trying to keep chicks separate for marking and identification.

 

[aart]

Why do you need dividers and what kind of incubator are you using(pic or link please)?

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Oh, ok. I have just been told that they need dividers so the already-hatched chicks don’t mess up the ones still making their way out. Do I do something else for this? I only have 5 so I want to keep as many as possible.

That’s a picture of my incubator with the model and brand and stuff for aart.

Also, just to clarify, what temp and humidity should it be during lockdown/hatch?

 

[Ms Biddy]

You can keep the temperature the same, but you should increase your humidity to around 65%. A little higher or lower is okay, but definitely 60% or above.

The hatched chicks do bump into the eggs and each other, but this is okay. Mama hens don't have dividers either.

Best of luck and feel free to ask any other questions you might have.

 

[aart]

You only need a divider if you need to keep the chicks separated by breed/cross.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I divided my chicks, those that hatch early tends to be rowdy.... up and stumbling into the ones that just recently hatch and getting stepped/pecked on.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I divided my chicks, those that hatch early tends to be rowdy.... up and stumbling into the ones that just recently hatch and getting stepped/pecked on.

Alright, I'll be setting up Lockdown tomorrow, so do you think it would be best to have dividers? My only use is for safety, so also what material would I use?

 

[ColtHandorf]

I think with an incubator that small and the small amount of eggs, you do not need a divider. You should be just fine. I would second aart in saying, unless you have eggs from different hens and you need to identify the chicks, or maybe the incubation is staggered (three eggs on day 18 and four on day 12) that a divider is not necessary. I never used them in my GQF hatcher, but with that many trays, I could just move look-a-likes into different areas.

If you absolutely feel like you need to have one, I'd use the rigid plastic for cross stitching:

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...gAhUMjq0KHWVqDiMQsAR6BAgCEAE&biw=1680&bih=910

to make baskets of a sort to hold them. I do not, however, think that is necessary.