This is my first time doing an incubator hatch, and I have a question!
So, I have five serama eggs currently in my 1588 with 1611 turner. The serama eggs were under my broody before I got the 'bator, but broody hatched her first egg yesterday and then couldn't keep the eggs under her so I took them away once the incubator was up and running. Of course, she'll probably still get any chicks that hatch, even if they are a bit younger than her firstborn.
The problem I'm having is this:
I don't know exactly what days these eggs were laid, so I'm not sure how old they are. Looking at the candling pictures and based off basically what I think the time the eggs were laid was, I think four of the eggs are getting close to hatch date--around day fifteen or sixteen, possibly even more than that. The fifth egg is a bit younger, maybe day ten or so. I know serama eggs sometimes hatch more around day nineteen as opposed to twenty-one.
The problem is I want the fifth egg to continue to be turned by the turner, but I'm also not sure if I should remove the older eggs from the turner. For now, I decided to place a little box on top of the turner (the box and eggs are light--shouldn't affect the turner's functioning) with the four eggs in it so they can be in lock down if it's necessary now. Would it be better to keep them in the turner even if it is time for them to be in lockdown, or is this box idea a decent one? Or should I do away with the turner altogether for now and just hand turn? This would be a bit difficult because I'm petsitting this week and won't be home more than a few hours a day. I'm just trying to figure out if it's better to keep turning during lockdown, or stop turning early on the four eggs just in case/treat it as if it is lockdown as far as humidity goes.
Also, should I increase the humidity just in case it is hatch time? Or might that harm the fifth egg? Right now humidity is at about 50-55%.
I know one thing for certain--next time I'm keeping better records and putting all my eggs in at the same time!
The broody wasn't exactly planned, haha...
So, I have five serama eggs currently in my 1588 with 1611 turner. The serama eggs were under my broody before I got the 'bator, but broody hatched her first egg yesterday and then couldn't keep the eggs under her so I took them away once the incubator was up and running. Of course, she'll probably still get any chicks that hatch, even if they are a bit younger than her firstborn.
The problem I'm having is this:
I don't know exactly what days these eggs were laid, so I'm not sure how old they are. Looking at the candling pictures and based off basically what I think the time the eggs were laid was, I think four of the eggs are getting close to hatch date--around day fifteen or sixteen, possibly even more than that. The fifth egg is a bit younger, maybe day ten or so. I know serama eggs sometimes hatch more around day nineteen as opposed to twenty-one.
The problem is I want the fifth egg to continue to be turned by the turner, but I'm also not sure if I should remove the older eggs from the turner. For now, I decided to place a little box on top of the turner (the box and eggs are light--shouldn't affect the turner's functioning) with the four eggs in it so they can be in lock down if it's necessary now. Would it be better to keep them in the turner even if it is time for them to be in lockdown, or is this box idea a decent one? Or should I do away with the turner altogether for now and just hand turn? This would be a bit difficult because I'm petsitting this week and won't be home more than a few hours a day. I'm just trying to figure out if it's better to keep turning during lockdown, or stop turning early on the four eggs just in case/treat it as if it is lockdown as far as humidity goes.
Also, should I increase the humidity just in case it is hatch time? Or might that harm the fifth egg? Right now humidity is at about 50-55%.
I know one thing for certain--next time I'm keeping better records and putting all my eggs in at the same time!
