Hatching eggs

[clkabj5]

So we made a big mistake with our first hatching and now I am trying to figure out what to do. Tues will be day 18 and we have 9 eggs that have someone in them. I understand the lock down, BUT we didn't realize we had to turn off the egg turner, so we have 9 that will hatch this coming week, but 10 more that aren't to hatch until next week. What do we do? I am home all day and was thinking about taking the ready eggs out of the turner and laying them along the sides and keeping the turner going???? I just don't want them to get hurt nor do I want the others to die. If I take them our of the turner how do I lay them down on their sides? Thank you. I know silly mistake but our instructions didn't say anything about not turning them

 

[RileyCalanchini]

I have two incubators, which really helps. One has a fan and the other doesn't. When its time to stop turning on day 18 I put the eggs in the incubator that doesn't have a fan and they can hatch in there as freely as they like. If some how you can buy another incubator some where, it would resolve the problem easily.

 

[clkabj5]

I won't be near a store to get one for about 3-4 days. We are a single car family and husband is at work. 3-4 days is the soonest he would be able to get it to me. Thank you though I will try to get there and get one thoigh

 

[lazy gardener]

If there's enough room, you can lay them all flat, and hand turn the ones that need turning, perhaps divide them with some sort of divider, or put one group in a basket?

 

[lazy gardener]

If there's enough room, you can lay them all flat, and hand turn the ones that need turning, perhaps divide them with some sort of divider, or put one group in a basket?

 

[Kelsie2290]

X2 on getting another incubator is the easiest solution, if you can't do that divide the eggs and either hand turn them until the other ones start pipping (at that point you really need to keep humidity high so can't really open the incubator more than once a day) or on some of those turners you can remove rows by pulling the pins, if yours will do that just remove a couple of rows and put the older eggs in a basket in that spot ... you probably don't want hatching chicks in with a working turner anyhow since they may get caught in it. Remember to check the aircells in the ones that don't hatch until next week, you may have to lower humidity for a few days since they will no be losing as much when they are in the higher humidity.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The first incubation is a learning experience. That’s one reason they recommend you don’t incubate expensive eggs the first time. You need to get to know the incubator and the process. There is nothing like experience. Think how much easier your next time will be. And you will get through this one and be successful.

Turning is most important early in incubation for different reasons, but they really don’t have to be turned after about 14 days. Maybe that can help you with your turning problem.

I don’t know what your turner looks like. Removing some trays is a good idea if you can do that and still need to turn the others.

One potential problem is that the chicks will crawl all over the later eggs while they are still wet and yucky. They can get stuff on the new eggs that might give bacteria a way into the eggs. They will also poop while they are crawling over those eggs. It might be a good idea to make a box or basket out of hardware cloth or use those plastic mesh baskets if you have them to put over the eggs that will hatch first. Give them as much room as you can but that should keep the other eggs clean. Put the basket open side down. You’d be surprised how mobile they are after they dry out.

Depending on your incubator, you might be able to build a mesh fence between the early eggs and the later eggs to help keep them clean. You don’t absolutely have to do something to try to keep the late eggs but I consider it good practice. It won’t hurt and might help.

I know this is mostly repeating what others said, just trying to support what they said. Good luck!

 

[clkabj5]

Thanks guys. I actually just went and got a still air one. Yes I didn't buy expensive eggs just took some we got from our hens and cleaned them up a bit and put the in.