Hatching in the classroom

[lilredwagon]

Hello Everyone,
I've been hatching eggs with my first graders for about a decade. This year, due entirely to my own communication errors, I only have six eggs to incubate. I can get more over the weekend but then I'm facing six eggs started on 5-2 and a dozen started on 5-6 in the same incubator. This is my question....Is that a huge "no no" in the hatching world? Or, If I actually read up on and pay attention to other stuff in my incubator than the temp and the water level can I get a pretty good hatch with six. Some years I've gotten 2 out of 12 and other years I've had 10-12. I just don't want to scar children with no babies. I can picture it now, " Hello I'm 40 years old and a recovering addict because of a chicken experiment gone amuck when I was six..... So not good.

 

[loveourbirds]

the time difference is not a huge problem. when the first chicks hatch, keep them off the later eggs. make sure you have plenty ventilation.

 

[sumi]

If you haven't started the first 6 eggs yet wait until you get the next batch and then start incubating them all on the same day. You can store hatching eggs up to 10 days without too much harm done. After 10 days it's gets a bit risky. Just keep them at a cool (± 55*) temperature and humidity of around 70% if possible and turn them at least twice a day to keep the yolks centred.

 

[Lil Ts Chicks]

Well as of today I am up 13 eggs, how soon should I leave them to see if my hen will sit on them? When is a good time to try all this? How long will the eggs last before I need to take them away, because no one is sitting on them?

Lil T's Chicks

 

[loveourbirds]

most eggs will last ok for 2 weeks, any older than that I would discard. if a hen is going to set, she will set on 7-8 eggs typically. you cant make them set, their desire to do this comes from a hormone called progesterone.

you can cause an increase in progesterone by feeding sorghum seed, sweet horse type feeds with sorghum may work. this may also cause in increase in pullet chicks.

they still may not set, but it doesn't hurt to try right?