Hatching standard and bantam eggs together...

[fiset94]

I am sitting at day 17 and my standard size eggs - ( Asterlorp) perfect air cells - while my silkies and d’uccle look like they are in day 14.

It was bad enough that the eggs were shipped to me and I risked fertility and hatching issues. Also they were dirty when they arrived. Grrr...

What now?

I moved them around in the bator each time I candled them- I have an automatic turner and a little giant still air. 102 temp with 40% humidity. I have two thermometers and one hydrometer.

Should they all go into lockdown tomorrow as planned? Should I give it another day and risk the Asterlorp hatching without upping the humidity?

Do I just put the Asterlorp in lockdown - but in 2 days open the bator to add the bantam eggs? I’m nervous if the other eggs start hatching around the time the bantam eggs need to go in!

Last option is to leave the bantam in one bator ( I have two - one for lockdown one for incubating) and up the humidity in the incubating one - turning it into a lockdown bator in 2-3 days.

Need suggestions please....

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I hatch Silkies with My black copper Marans.

Just this morning I've got 3 Silkies and 1 Marans. Expecting more of course!

I won't put a few Silkie's in with a bunch of Marans because the Silkie's just seem so much more fragile. But I put a few Marans in with a bunch of Silkies as far as HATCHING goes.

But for incubation... no issues as far as I can tell, and I do it all the time. I try to maintain 40-45% humidity for days 1-18 and 60-65% for days 19-21.

Good luck and happy hatching!

 

[fiset94]

So you don’t up the humidity until day 19 ? I was under the impression they had to go under lockdown tomorrow which is my day 18 ...

 

[AlleysChicks]

If the air cell is not large enough you can hold off a bit. I lock down on day 19 when the ACs are smaller than I want.

 

[fiset94]

Sad news this morning-

We had an incubator mishap some how and it heated my eggs to 106!!!!!

I noticed about 6am but lost 9 eggs by then. - all my silkies are gone.

It figures the incubator had been sitting at a constant temp the entire time and right when I needed it to be most stable- Bam!

I’m not sure if the lid was not secure and it keep tripping the heat to come on- or if a couple vents
( which are always open) got covered.

The larger eggs and a few d’uccle made it.

I’m not sure what the hatch will be like though....

Time will tell.