egg turner question

[Pinenot]

I have a batch due to hatch in 4 days. We are on day 17. I have just read on this site that it isn't good to have more than one batch in the incubator due to humidity levels, turning, etc. Well...I also have eggs in the incubator that are due in two weeks. So what is you best advice when I don't have another incubator to put them in? I know to not turn them after day 18 but the humitity needs to go up and that will harm the eggs due in two weeks. What can I do in such short notice that won't kill them all??? Can I turn up the humitity just a little bit, will both sets due OK??? I have it at 50% right now.

 

[LoneCowboy]

You've got to be able to do something. I read about continous hatching just last night in the "Raising Chickens" Book. She added a new tray every week so the one on the bottom would hatch first thus keeping the incubator sanitation ok. Because all the mess dropped down. But that is another issue you will encounter.

 

[jkcove08]

The best advice that I can give you is to make sure that the eggs on day 17 should be in the back of your bator and the eggs that you still need to turn are towards the front. Have a water bottle with warm water ready so that when you have to turn the younger eggs you can spritz inside a couple times to keep the humidity up. Try to get the humidity up to about 60 % on day 19 to 20. As long as no one has pipped you are ok to adjust the humidity a little. I dont think the higher humidity is going to bother the younger eggs for the few days. Just make sure that you only turn the a couple times a day to limit temp and humidity loss, maybe when you get up and when you go to bed. I would not turn them for the day or two durring the hatch. I had to go out of town for a weekend once and left them and my eggs were fine. As soon as the hatch is done then start turning them right away. Your humidity should go up some as the chicks start to hatch and dry out. That should help with your humidity too. Good luck, Jenn

 

[Pinenot]

I have only hatched a couple batches of eggs, so I am still new at the incubator process. My last hatch was hatched by one of the broodies and they weren't her eggs, but she is raising them. I had almost thought of having her do some work with the new eggs while these hatch but she is still raising the babies and not sitting at all. That is out of the question. I thought of getting the crock pot out and laying a bunch of wet wash rags in the bottom...You think of weird things when you are wanting to fix a problem:/

 

[speckledhen]

You may just have to do what Jenn said and "split the difference" in the humidity levels-slightly lower than you really want it to be, but higher than it should really be for eggs before Day 18. OR, you could run out and get a basic Still Air bator for about $40 and set it up as a hatcher.

 

[Pinenot]

OK...if we can get a still air...will it be good enough without the fan?

 

[speckledhen]

I think it's a better option than the others we mentioned. Lots of people use them for hatchers. Just be sure that you leave enough vents open to allow the eggs to get enough oxygen. At least you can get the humidity where you want it without endangering the eggs that are not that far along.

 

[jkcove08]

All I use are still air incubators. That will be your best bet if it is a possibility. I usually always have at least a 50 percent hatch without fans for shipped eggs. I have a much better hatch with my own. I currently have 42 eggs in the bator now. I would use the bator without the fan as the hatcher and put the egg in the middle under the heating elements The will end up getting rolled around anyway. I will usually use a bowl of water with 2 colored sponges from walmart to keep the humidity up. I dont seem to be able to keep it up with just the little troughs in the floor. I usually only get my humidity up to 65 maybe 70 % when they start hatching the humidity goes up from them drying out. Keep us up dated as the hatch goes. Jenn

 

[jimnjay]

I agree, If you are going to do much hatching it is a good idea to get or make a hatcher. I made one out of a styrofoam cooler. I did not use a thermostat but just a dimmer switch and a light bulb. I only needed a 25 watt bulb and I kept it dialed down to about half Power. You need to put ventilation holes in the sides and on top but mine has worked very well. I have retired it and will making a new one as I don't trust the foam. I did not have a removable plastic tray so it gets pretty messy during the hatch.

If you decide to leave them in and average the humidity to accomodate both sets. I think I would have a nice warm plastic box with a damp cloth ready and all warmed up with a clamp light and thermometer ready and move the eggs ready to hatch to a different place to complete the hatch. It is really not a good idea to let the chicks hatch out and then not clean the incubator out between hatches. It gets very nasty inside. Or... you could take out the newer ones and place them in a nice warm box while the hatch is going on, clean out the incubator and them put them back to hatch once the first hatch is over and the bator is sanitized.

I have tried a crock pot and it was way to hot. You can adjust the temp with a light better by raising and lowering the light. Electric skilletgs have been used too. They put pine shavings on bottom about 1 inch thick. In most cases these remedys have been used when incubators belly up during a hatch or when a mama leaves the nest.

 

[Pinenot]

I put the 6 eggs that are to hatch this week in the bottom of the incubator, out of the turner. I had my husband go track a still air last night and we got it together this morning. The temp is almost at 99.5 I have an extra towel wet in it with the trays full, but the humitity is still around 55. I am getting ready to add another wet wash cloth....Babies are due Wednesday.

Is the day you put the eggs in the incubator isn't the 1st day, or is it?