How to deal with staggered lockdowns?

[topochico225]

Hi all!

I am going to be adding my d’Uccle bantam eggs in as they come, not waiting for them all to pile up, so I can give them the best chance at hatching. What should I do for the staggered lockdowns? I usually lock down at day 16 for a day 18-19 hatch.

 

[Weeg]

Hi all!

I am going to be adding my d’Uccle bantam eggs in as they come, not waiting for them all to pile up, so I can give them the best chance at hatching. What should I do for the staggered lockdowns? I usually lock down at day 16 for a day 18-19 hatch.

I think that to give them the best chance at hatching setting them all on the same date would work. Eggs can sit at 50-60* for up to two weeks and still have good viability.
You'd need a second incubator if you had a staggered hatch.

 

[Huntmaster]

Hi all!

I am going to be adding my d’Uccle bantam eggs in as they come, not waiting for them all to pile up, so I can give them the best chance at hatching. What should I do for the staggered lockdowns? I usually lock down at day 16 for a day 18-19 hatch.

I think you will have more trouble with a staggered hatch. I would hold them and put them in together if you only have access to 1 incubator.

 

[topochico225]

Sounds like I should just wait, then! Patience is so hard, lol. I would have had two from today if I hadn’t broken one on the way in from the coop

What would be the best way to store the eggs? My house is typically 69-72ish degrees.

 

[Weeg]

Sounds like I should just wait, then! Patience is so hard, lol. I would have had two from today if I hadn’t broken one on the way in from the coop

What would be the best way to store the eggs? My house is typically 69-72ish degrees.

Store in a quite dark place where temps are about 50-60 degrees. Air cell up, and turn slightly a few times a day.

 

[topochico225]

Store in a quite dark place where temps are about 50-60 degrees. Air cell up, and turn slightly a few times a day.

Thank you!

 

[Tonyroo]

Doing a staggered hatch usually results in more dead chicks than one can bare. So don't do it.

 

[raingarden]

Doing a staggered hatch usually results in more dead chicks than one can bare. So don't do it.

Why is that?

The two cemani hens I need eggs from only lay one or two eggs per week. I've read that one-week old eggs are better than two-week old eggs for hatching. So, two to four more eggs are moved to the incubator once every week. At lockdown, they are moved from the small Chinese incubator with turner to an old-style styrofoam Hovabator without turner. The logistics work out fine. But, hatching success has been miserable. I'm starting to wonder if the older eggs are contaminating the newer eggs.