How do you add eggs to a hatch already in progress

[momiphouph]

Ive heard of people doing this but really dont understand how that would work. Wouldnt adding eggs cause issues for the added eggs once you go to lockdown? Since they will have been in the bator for a shorter time wouldnt they drowned or something? Im just very curious about this. Anyone able to explain it to me? Is there a window of time that you can add eggs? Or just something I am missing?

 

[pdsavage]

well I have 2 bators so at lockdown I take the eggs that don't need lock down out and they go into the other bator.The other bator just got done with lockdown...

 

[momiphouph]

Well that makes since! duh! LOL I just kept reading that someone added two more eggs to the bator (or something) and its really been bugging me as to how they do that? But yes if you have 2 bators, that would work. Wheew! Im feeling better now! So Im guessing that if anyone has added they are working with 2 bators not just adding to one.

 

[yellowflower]

I've read that some do staggered hatches in one bator on here. I still don't get it completely but might just have to try it and see how it goes. I just don't understand how you turn the eggs that are later hatches when you do lockdown. Would it be okay to not turn them for a few days? I don't see how that would be good. Hope to get some feedback on this as I only have one bator and lots of eggs to hatch.

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

Ive got babies hatching right now, with 10 eggs in there that go into lockdown tomorrow. My last hatch, I had eggs bating with eggs hatching.

I up the humidity for the hatchers, and really up it when I see pips. Actually, my hatch rate has increased doing it this way (in a hovabator) then when I did hatches in other bator (which was a stupid LG).

I candled the 10 other eggs right before the lockdown of the 4 currently hatching. All the eggs were in the bator during a hatch last week. All the eggs were moving just fine at candling.

And lockdown for me isnt really lockdown. I did real lockdowns on 1st 2 hatches. Got 0/4 and 1/9. I open the bator now all the time to rewet sponges, spritz. 1st 2 hatches, I tubed water in through vent holes.

I have had 5 sets of eggs staggered hatch in bator at one time. It can be done. I just cant use my egg turner now. You can set it up to do the tilt method if you dont want to open the bator. I have done that as well, which is why the other eggs are in a carton.

In fact, here is a pic of whats going on right now.... see the 2 eggs behind carton?

 

[FrenchToast]

Quote:
So are you saying that you do not turn the incubating eggs during the lockdown period while the other eggs are hatching or are you tilting the whole bator while the eggs are hatching ?? Sorry I don't understand.

As far as wetting sponges go, are you using the sponges that came with the hovabator??? I have a hovabator as well but there where no instructions for using them so I didn't. How do you use them. Do you just wet them, ring them a bit and roll them up and tuck in side or ????

Thanks

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

I put the bating eggs in a carton on 1 side of the bator. Lockdown eggs on coffee filters on other side of bator. The side that has the carton, is the side I lift up and stick a book under to tilt. Does that make sense? It has to be ever so gently so it doesnt cause the lockdown eggs to roll.

Now with that said, I mentioned in previous post that lockdown for me isnt really lockdown. So this time through, I havent tilted the whole bator. Ive just opened up and quickly tilted each egg in the egg carton.

As far as sponges, I got a bag at the $ store (I bought my bator used so didnt have any with it). I wet, ring out a bit, and add in bator. I also will occasionally lightly spritz inside the bator with a spray bottle. You dont want to get too much on the eggs, a little is fine.

Hope that is as clear as mud now..!

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

And here they are...all hatched. Excuse the mess. (Ive already replaced the nasty coffee filters with clean ones and removed the shells. But duh, did it after I took pics.)
Im going to use the LG to put the eggs in the carton so that I can clean this bator. Then after temp stabilizes in hovabator again, I will move them back to it.

 

[momiphouph]

clothdiaperingmom thanks for all your input. I think I get it. lol Im still trying to think some of that through... so here are a few questions
What % humidity do you keep the bator for lockdown? and for days 1-18? Ive noticed that everyone seems to have their own way.

I keep reading about to much humidity causing drowning... but that doesnt happen for you with your lockdown, you actually get a better hatch? Just thinking this through as I type. I am hatching my first batch and am a bit nervous as it is. LOL I dont know that I would attempt two at once just yet but am really wanting to wrap my mind around how it works. I think I am getting it.