Hatching Egg Dilemma

[ClutteredCounty]

I received hatching eggs on Monday. I was supposed to receive the other batch yesterday but, most likely will not be here until tomorrow. I then have to let them settle for 24 hours. Which means they cannot be set until Friday. I am worried about the eggs I received on Monday. My question is this, how much harm will I be doing if I set the eggs I received already today and then add the others on Friday? This would be a staggered hatch of about two days.

I hatched a lot of eggs back in the day but, I cannot ever remember being in a situation to where I had staggered hatches.

 

[The Chicken People]

Personally I would go ahead and set them eggs!

 

[TriciaHowe]

I stagger hatch all the time, but that's just me LOL! Your biggest issue is going to be trying to remove 2 day old chicks while you have the 2nd batch hatching. I try to stagger mine by a week so I don't have that problem. I personally don't settle shipped eggs more than a few hours anymore and have not noticed a difference in hatch rates from when I used to do that. I guess what you could do is set your eggs tomorrow without settling your shipped eggs OR you could set your eggs you already have today and hold your shipped eggs for a few days so you would have about 4-5 days between hatches.

Hugs to you....hard choice to make

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Buy a second incubator? Just kidding!

 

[ClutteredCounty]

Quote:
Omg........ I am just "borrowing" one for now. I have hubby convinced that I won't be as bad as I was years before but, I am telling you if I had the money, I would probably have ten going. As it stands I have to rebuild my barn. The elements have taken their toll on it these last seven, eight years. I have to completely replace all the walls, floors, roof, etc....

I am going to set my Monday eggs later today and set the others when they come after some time settling. The waiting to get started again is killing me!!!

Thank you everyone!

 

[Redhead Hen]

Now my question is how do you turn eggs once the first batch is on lock down? I am having the same dilemma as Cluttered. I have an egg turner and if I set one batch earlier than the next, how am I suppose to turn the eggs after the first batch hits day 18 and I take out the egg turner? Also ... would the humidity fluctuation effect the other eggs since it's gotta be higher for the lock down set? Ugh ... I have read tons of stuff on incubating eggs too and I am going to set my first batch this week. I have eggs on hand and I too am waiting on 2 more sets to show up in the mail.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

Quote:
This is exactly what I do. I have one incubator for the 1-18 days and another that I use for lockdown. This way I can stagger my hatches as much as I like. Works great!!!

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

I stagger all the time. I have 2 bators, but I quit using one (its a stupid LG). I tried using it just for hatches....just not a good bator at all.
So I started doing hatching and bating in my hovabator.

I took the egg turner out and cut the bottoms out of an egg carton. Put the bating eggs in it. Put coffee filters for the lockdown eggs and lay them on sides. I put the egg carton on right side of bator, lockdown eggs on left. Then I stick a book or something under the right side (ever so gently so the other eggs dont roll), later remove the book. You tilt the eggs, not turn them.

But then again, lockdown for me isnt really lockdown. I did it that way a couple times and tubed water in throught vent holes and got 0/13 and 1/12 hatch when I used the other bator. Now, with them all in 1, I open it to rewet sponges, add water, spritz inside of bator. My last 2 hatches doing it that way were 4/5 and 4/4.

Now I dont even bother sticking a book under. I open the bator and quickly tilt the eggs in the carton.
As far as the upped humidity, it has helped my hatches. I tried the dry method the 1st couple of times, not good. Now I up the humidity for the lockdown eggs with the other eggs in there too. When I see a pip, I up it more. No problems with the other eggs at all.
The 4 that just hatched were in the same bator during a previous hatch. I had another 9 go on lockdown lastnite. At candling, all 9 were moving! yay!

It can be done!

 

[ClutteredCounty]

Quote:
I am going to go with you on this. I know I did the same thing back in the day when my bator ran hot 24/7. I let them set from about noon till dinner time and put them in and always had good hatches. Still nervous though.....lol